4 Reasons Entrepreneurs Stop Using Virtual Assistants
October 1, 2008 by yelena
Filed under Working with Virtual Assistant
There might be several reasons why entrepreneurs stop working with virtual assistants. Having to replace a virtual assistant with another professional is costly both in terms of money and time. However, in many cases some prior planning and timely communication with a virtual assistant can help.
The Problem - Virtual Assistant doesn’t have required skills
Maybe you originally hired an assistant for some general administrative help, some light phone work, e-mail management and such. But now, as your business is growing and maturing, you need help setting up and maintaining a shopping cart, a Wordpress blog or creating screencasts. You might find out that your virtual assistant either doesn’t have the required skills or is not very proficient in these areas.
The Fix – Talk to your assistant
Talk to your virtual assistant about upcoming changes and the new skills you require. Most VAs are constantly in a learning mode and can pick up new skills in a very short period of time. Many will appreciate an opportunity to add new skills to their portfolio. Not only will you not have to pay for training (in most cases), but you might even get reduced rates while your virtual assistant is getting up to speed.
The Problem - Your virtual assistant over-promises and under-delivers
Some VAs are so eager (or desperate) to get new clients, that they offer services that they have little or no experience with. And all this time you’re thinking you’ve got an expert…
The Fix – Due diligence
When interviewing virtual assistants, ask them about projects similar to yours in both size and skills that they have completed. Ask for specific references and check them. Go beyond testimonials (since those will be great, by definition) and go to the source – former clients.
Keep in mind that not every virtual assistant will have in-depth experience with every service they offer. This is especially true for generalist VAs and the ones new to the business. At the same time, remember that VAs are solopreneurs who wear many hats for their own businesses.
So if you are looking for a virtual assistant proficient with blogs and blogging, see if a virtual assistant you’re considering has a blog of her own. More likely than not, she does all the writing, optimizing and promoting herself.
The Problem – Your virtual assistant thinks and acts like an employee
She waits for you to contact her with project details. If something is unclear, she calls or e-mails back asking for information BEFORE she does even basic research. She is not proactive and seems to expect you to do all the hand-holding for her.
The Fix – Be clear about your expectations
Most virtual assistants have years of experience as regular employees. So it might be hard for them to shift gears. When originally discussing your requirements with your new virtual assistant, make your expectations clear. Set up processes and guidelines for contacting you and explain your leadership style.
The Problem – When things go wrong, your VA gets silent
On Monday, 15 September 08, 1ShoppingCart was down for a few hours, wrecking havoc among many a business owner. Quite a few of them outsource the shopping cart set-up and maintenance services to Virtual Assistants. How many of these VAs reported the problem to their clients BEFORE the clients contacted them in a state of total panic?
The Fix – Overcommunicate
Make it crystal clear to your virtual assistant early on that there is no such thing as over-communication, especially when it comes to problems. Also look at the way you handle crisis. Even the best virtual assistants screw up once in a while. If your assistant knows that you know this little secret (everyone makes mistakes) and that you concentrate on fixing the problem and moving on, she will be a lot more open in communicating with you.
It might be a good idea to start your day by getting in touch with your assistant to check if there are any last-minute changes or emergencies you should know about. Ask for frequent status reports and let her know to notify you of any problems as well as the steps she is taking to fix them.
Technorati Tags: virtual assistant, working with VA, hiring VA
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Borlok VA on Sat, 4th Oct 2008 1:23 pm
Who says you can’t teach an old dog (no I’m not giving my age) new tricks. I never thought of becoming more marketable by using free sites to learn new applications and software. What a great idea! I bet it might be a good idea to add the new things you learn to your website or blog as services that you can offer to your clients, thereby increasing your value.