9 Tips for Maximizing Success With Your First Virtual Assistant

You already understand how crucial it is to delegate specific tasks to keep running a successful business. Virtual assistants (VAs) are expert professionals who can provide high-quality support and revolutionize your workflow. With their help you can free up your time and focus on strategies for further development and growth.

You have come to know that business leaders who have outsourced well have seen a significant (33%) growth in revenue and lower employee turnover which is tremendously beneficial when talent shortage is supposedly unsolvable. But, you are wondering whether you know how to outsource ‘well’…

This blog is an answer to that query. It will provide you with tips to effectively delegate tasks to your first virtual assistant. If you are hiring a virtual assistant soon, going through this blog would help you make the new relationship remunerative.

Outsourcing tasks to your first virtual assistant may seem daunting, but you should come to terms with it and go for it, because the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see the results. Let’s get started: 

Being a virtual assistant service provider ourselves, we deeply understand how important trust is among businesses and their outsourcing vendors. Without this component, how could any professional make you stress free?

Therefore, take great care in finding out how trustworthy a vendor is. The next step is to know how competent your virtual assistant is, because competence makes reliability, and reliability trust. To ensure competency you have to connect with the personnel one-on-one and gauge their understanding and experience.

hiring a virtual assistant that matches your business task requirements allows you to have complete confidence that your tasks will be completed perfectly within the set time limit.

Perhaps there are few tasks in the industry that one cannot outsource, but you should not outsource everything you can. To get the best result from delegation you have to understand what tasks take up a considerable amount of time but do not generate revenue directly.

Research shows that one can lose 300 hours a year staying involved in administrative or similar tasks. Therefore, outsourcing recurring and routine tasks is a good idea, especially the tasks that do not require your specialized skills.

If you want more clarity on what to delegate you can always connect with your virtual assistant service provider and ask for tasks ideas.

No matter how talented, skilled, or experienced your virtual assistant is, it’s a given that completing a task exactly the way you want, may still be out of the question.

But that’s okay. Do you know why? Because the primary reason you are outsourcing is not to replicate your work style but to free up your time and save other resources, so that you can focus on the important stuff.

Therefore, setting realistic expectations is important. It would help you keep the priorities in check and make the outsourcing investment bear fruit. However, setting realistic expectations does not mean setting the bar low. Quality comes at various sizes and shapes; be prepared to find new strength and perspective involved when an expert virtual assistant takes over your tasks.

When you are working with a virtual assistant, communication is obviously one of the keys to success. Proper delegation is only possible when you communicate your needs clearly or define your tasks in meticulous details.

You can start by expounding on the list of tasks you have planned to delegate. From planning meetings to managing emails allow your VA to take a look at the tasks from all available points of views.

This way they will have a clear idea about the task parameters, your goal and expectations, and all necessary details for them to fill your shoes.

It is crucial to document your company style guide, standards, and other guidelines before you hire your first virtual assistant. It would help them complete the tasks and come pretty close to (and sometimes surely surpass) your ‘realistic expectations’. 

If you don’t have these documented but need a virtual assistant right now, you don’t have to worry. A virtual assistant can also help you with the documentation process. In just one or two sessions you can discuss all your expectations regarding brand voice, tone, style, and more. You can also add instructions on how to use the tools they will need and so on.

Think about it. This little effort before you actually delegate a task can save you hundreds of hours down the line.

To establish an effective working relationship, this is especially crucial in the beginning. A virtual assistant, just like any other team member, will need time to adjust and get used to the processes and demands.

At first, your VAs may need a little more support and guidance, but they will gradually become familiar with your style and they will handle tasks on their own with less or no input from you.

Your being available for this extra support is another aspect of the investment you need to make for optimal results throughout the VA’s tenure.

Now let’s talk about something that you should not do. If you are habituated to have close control over your tasks, it may be tempting to check in frequently, ask for updates, and make minuscule changes. But, this will hamper productivity in the long-run.

Many do not even understand that they are micromanaging. You need to stay conscious of your actions regarding how you are ‘guiding’ or ‘supporting’ your VA and remove actions that fit the definition of micromanagement. Why? Because you are working with a VA to do the opposite of staying too involved with the tasks they are performing.

You have to check-in regularly with your VA so that you can share new ideas, keep each other accountable, and address any problems that surface. You can schedule regular video calls or chats and make sure that both the parties are at the same page.

You should not leave your virtual assistant hanging even if your schedule gets tight. A short and quick message about your situation is appreciated. It helps avoid misunderstandings when your VA knows that you will reconnect soon.

Without your timely and clear feedback various misunderstandings can build up which can lead to mistakes and waste of resources. Your feedback is necessary to guide your VAs in the right direction and help them bring better results.

Moreover, by offering feedback you show your VAs that you notice and appreciate their efforts which in turn will improve their engagement at work.

To keep running your business successfully and reach new heights of growth it is essential to not do everything on your own. By using expert assistance for specific tasks from virtual assistants you will be able to transform your workflow that is more efficient and productive.

If you follow the tips discussed in this blog, you will be able to make this into a reality. Working with your first virtual assistant may feel a bit tricky at the beginning but it is almost like working with your own employee who is working from home. So, it will become normal very quickly. 

By following the steps shown above you can build a constructive delegation habit and understand the mechanics of outsourcing well.