How to Get the Most Out Of Working With a Virtual Assistant

I’m so proud of you! Believe me when I say not only have you done the hardest part, but you’re now only steps away from the light at the end of the tunnel! If all goes to plan, in just a few short months you’ll no longer be doing your least favourite tasks, you’ll have a stellar working companion who makes your life so much easier, and you’ll be raking in more deals and dollar than ever before!

So, by now you’ve conquered the hiring process, you’ve become an Oxford-grade professional in training virtual assistants, and now you’ve just got one very important step left before your business-as-usual goes from stressy and depressy to flash and cash! And what is that hurdle? That’s right, you need to learn how to work with your virtual assistant. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting you’re horrendous to work with, however, if this is your first VA (or employee of any kind!), you might not know the best practices on how to make the most of working with them.

I feel like we’re on friendly terms now, so don’t you worry. I’m here – just as with the other steps – to hold your hand and take you through it all. There’ll be no need for last-minute panics or overthinking that one comment your VA made when you mentioned you needed the work to be done slightly differently. I’ve got it – and you – covered.

I Bet You Didn’t Think We’d Get Psychological, But I Wanna Know Your Working Character Type
That’s right, we cover it all on this blog! You might be wondering how this is at all relevant, and if you hadn’t prepared yourself for some introspection, I don’t blame you. But, here we are! Turns out, the more we know about ourselves and the way we work, the easier it is to form a successful working relationship with someone else. Especially if you’re the boss in the situation.

The way you can work out your working character type is to answer the following questions:
Do you thrive under pressure, or do you prefer a more relaxed environment?
How often do you like (or would you like) to have check-ins with your virtual assistant?
How would you prefer your VA to come to you if they have any queries?

Once you have a better understanding of yourself in this regard, you’ll be ready to lay it all to your new VA. Let them know the answer to the above questions and check if that works well for them. Ask what their answers would be and if different to yours, see if you can find a middle ground. Setting these foundations early will mean you start on the right foot and your empire can flourish!

Jump In at the Deep End: Month One
Note: this (and the advice for the following months) is mainly aimed at working with VAs who will be working on a significant amount of or the entire business. If your VA is mainly for project work or small tasks (as is often the case for Coaching VAs), the advice might not be as relevant.

Learn to be the best boss!
Things won’t be perfect in the first month and it’s okay to feel dissatisfied about that but try to keep it to yourself and give your virtual assistant the time and space they need to learn.

Work together with your VA on what you teach them!
Sometimes fresh eyes can see loopholes not visible to you! Work together and ask how your VA would tackle the task – you never know, they might just find a way to increase the efficiency!

Standard. Operating. Procedures!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – live it, learn it, love it! If they’re not already doing so, ask your virtual assistant to create standard operating procedures for each of the tasks you have given them.

Give a lesson on deal analysis for Amazon sellers
When it comes to sourcing, it’s all about analysing, so this is what you need to be getting onto ASAP! Open a deal, analyse it together with the VA, and show them how you’d usually do it.

Don’t panic if the VA doesn’t pick up your way of analysing deals straight away!
Give it two weeks before you take action… trust me! There’s no shame in admitting you were wrong – it’s a learning process for us all!

Learn each other’s communication types
This will do you both the world of good and will ensure a healthy and productive relationship!

Moving in the Right Direction: Month Two
Let your virtual assistant show you what they’ve learnt!
Get your VA to analyse a deal with you to see if they’ve picked up on what you’d like. Also, look out for any methods they’ve used that they’ve discovered themselves, and if you like it, make sure they add it to the SOP!

Keep in touch!
By now your VA should be about ready to be left more to their own devices, but make sure you schedule at least weekly calls to catch up and check in! You’ll both appreciate it!

Use your words!
If your VA is doing something you don’t like, tell them plain and simple. As with any good relationship, communication is key! If it’s not working out, don’t drag it out beyond two weeks – it will be worse for you both otherwise.

It’s All Coming Together: Month Three
Rewards, rewards, rewards!
If and when your virtual assistant has been doing consistently good work, let them know! Whether it be a financial bonus, more days off, or even a % of the business, never forget that you couldn’t have done it without them!

Bring your business beyond!
Now you have the time and resources to concentrate on building the business, consider contacting a coach to improve your business even more than it already has! After all, that’s why you got the VA in the first place! Get in touch now to learn how to sell better and faster!

Keep On Keeping On!
One particular thing that you should keep in mind for each of the above months and more is troubleshooting bad deals. There will be times when your virtual assistant will bring you deals you don’t like, and there are certain ways to handle that to ensure you both learn together. Remember! They are only starting out and can only learn at a certain pace. Also, it might be that you didn’t quite explain what you needed well enough – that’s okay! Go over it again.

If you’re still having issues, there’s no shame in reaching out to someone if you need some extra support or skills! At SourcingVA we can provide assistance and advice for all manner of things, so make the most of us – that’s what we’re here for!

Hooray! You’ve Transformed Your Business With a Virtual Assistant!
Congratulations – you’ve made it through! I know it was long and stressful at times, but by now I’m hoping you can see how worth it it all was! I’m so proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself, too. 100% time for more cake!

There’s that old saying that ‘you need to spend money to make money’, and I honestly believe that when it comes to hiring a virtual assistant that couldn’t be more true. If all has gone well, right now you should be indistinguishable from the dollar-eyed smiley face emoji (and with any luck have some in your hands as well).

That’s not to say it’s all plain sailing from here – anyone who’s ever spent any time on the water (or in a business) will tell you there will always be another wave, but now you’re more prepared than ever before. And hey, if and when the time comes where you’ll need to hire a second (or even third!) VA, you’ve got all the skills and resources you need. Especially if you’ve recorded those training sessions and got your VA to create standard operating procedures!

I look forward to seeing how your journey continues and never hesitate to contact us for any support or advice when it comes to hiring, training, or keeping virtual assistants!