| It is true that you can explore more activities | | | | paragraphs to discuss what she needs to |
| you've been craving to do if you have a Virtual | | | | accomplish for the day (or for the week) may be |
| Assistant (VA) working at your back. From | | | | good but can be better if you can bullet or |
| filtering your mails, updating your twitter, writing | | | | arrange in numbers the specific items that need |
| your blogs, editing your manuscripts, drafting | | | | to be done. |
| letters to your clients, fast tracking your | | | | Set the priorities. You can always give your |
| marketing strategies, filing your documents, | | | | assistant a series of activities but it helps if you |
| conducting product research, arranging your | | | | identify which task you would like her to work on |
| vacation, ordering your camera phone at Amazon, | | | | first. Is it the research on quantum physics for |
| scheduling a coffee date with a friend, and so on! | | | | the school project of your son? Or bookmarking |
| Here are a few things worth noting in order to | | | | your webpage in various social media sites? |
| maximize her time for you. | | | | Setting a deadline will also help manage her time |
| Know your needs. Did you hire an assistant for | | | | well. |
| marketing aid? For customer service? | | | | Define work schedules. Most likely, your virtual |
| Administrative work? For time-consuming and | | | | assistant is working in a different time zone and if |
| routine tasks? Understanding your own purpose | | | | this is the case, your morning is her wee hours |
| of hiring a VA ultimately improves your | | | | and vice versa. It is okay if you give her a certain |
| expectations and eases up your manner of | | | | time plan indicating your preferred hours of |
| delegating a project. | | | | working for you. Or at least identify a specific |
| Platform for instructions. We do not recommend | | | | schedule to send your instructions so she can |
| giving instructions over the phone or via chat is as | | | | work on it promptly rather than on the next shift. |
| a lot of the information may easily be lost there. | | | | If you have something urgent after the shift, you |
| Email or some project management softwares | | | | can call or send her an SMS so that she can |
| are still the best options. Phone calls and chat are | | | | attend to it right away. |
| great for clarifications though. However, if you | | | | Give her feedback. Or at least acknowledge the |
| prefer to do it over the phone, your virtual | | | | receipt of the accomplished tasks. If there is a |
| assistant will be taking down notes and will email | | | | need to revise the copy of your brochure, tell her. |
| back the minutes of the conversation to make | | | | If you like the way it was written, commend her. |
| sure she got everything right and didn't miss out | | | | She will surely appreciate the comment and will be |
| on anything. | | | | happy if you make some suggestions on how she |
| Make it clear. Provide detailed instructions on the | | | | can further improve the service. |
| primary information that your virtual assistant | | | | Keep in touch. If you have a scheduled seminar |
| must know in order to work on the tasks at | | | | and will be out of the internet the whole week, let |
| hand. If you want her to send emails to your | | | | her know. If you plan to skip some days and then |
| selected contacts about a particular subject | | | | use most of your hours for your next big project |
| matter, be sure to provide your email access; | | | | next week, inform her. Leaving her in the dark of |
| inform her of the complete lists of people you | | | | your schedule is inappropriate considering that she |
| intend to send it to, then give her the full details | | | | too has other activities; she will continue to |
| and sample pegs of what she needs to write for | | | | reserve a time for you unless you tell her |
| you. Unclear instructions eat up the time of your | | | | otherwise. |
| VA and your help can assist her to spend it more | | | | Spend time wisely. Following your subscription, |
| efficiently. If instructions are not clear, expect | | | | hours allotted for the given month cannot be |
| some back-and-forth as your assistant will need | | | | carried over to the next so make full use of it. If |
| to clarify things to make sure she understood it | | | | you got a virtual assistant for part-time services, |
| properly and efforts are not wasted. | | | | that means your VA is also handling other clients |
| Learn her background. The VA will be giving you | | | | and will need to spend some time for them as |
| her background and what she specializes in so | | | | well. She blocks off a chunk of time specifically |
| that you know how you can gain more from her | | | | for you so it's better if you can help her make |
| expertise. If you need other skill sets, ask your | | | | use of it properly. |
| virtual assistant and see if she can work or get | | | | Option for training. For some tasks that are also |
| trained on it. | | | | new to the VA (like the CRM program that your |
| Share your objectives. Or simply give her a | | | | company uses), providing her your actual training |
| heads-up regarding the tasks given. Knowing the | | | | may be needed. Gotomeeting, Dimdim, and Skype |
| goal of an activity stimulates her thinking and she | | | | are good ways to teach her online as they have |
| may even render relevant inputs. Remember that | | | | screensharing programs so you can chat while |
| your virtual assistant is highly-educated and she | | | | training her. |
| can probably aid you with more than just the | | | | Remember... your virtual assistant is your ally. She |
| basic assignments. | | | | will be happy to assist as you enjoy extra time |
| Itemize your tasks. Delegating a project in long | | | | for other activities worth doing. |