How to Build a Successful Relationship With Your Virtual Assistant

Making the decision to hire a Virtual Assistant can have huge advantages for you and your business, however, the key to experiencing the benefits that a VA can offer you is to build a strong partnership with them. It may seem more difficult to build up a strong rapport and working relationship with someone who works remotely and who you are not in physical contact with, however, following these simple tips will help you to build a successful relationship with your Virutal Assistant from day one.

1. Set Clear Expectations

It is important that, once a Virtual Assistant has been brought on-board, you are always clear with regards to what you expect from them. Clear and concise expectations with regards to the type of work you will be delegating to them, as well as the quality and the quantity of the tasks you want them to accomplish, is key to building a strong foundation for a successful business relationship. Make sure that you explain to your VA what you want them to achieve, how you want it to be done (if you work in a specific way or use certain templates or software) and when you want the work to be completed by. If you are open and honest about this from day one and continue to set clear expectations throughout, this will minimise any potential disputes, and your VA will know exactly what is expected from them from the get-go.

2. Communicate

Good and regular communication is essential in any working relationship, however, when someone works remotely it is crucial, especially when the partnership is in its early stages. In order to achieve the best results and build an effective relationship, you need to be able to get across what you want from your VA as effectively as possible. The main thing is to always be open and honest about what you want, explain strategies, thoroughly brief your VA, and provide answers to any queries as quickly as you can. If you are sent work by your VA which is not quite right, then let them know! It could mean that you are on the phone more than normal to talk things through, but it is worth it to ensure that the VA understands and is able to improve from your feedback. If you are emailing your VA and aren’t able to take a phone call, make sure you are as clear and concise as possible and bear in mind that your VA can’t pick up on your expression or tone from an email alone. You would not want your VA to misinterpret what was meant to be a light-hearted email and feel that you a criticising them. An open, sincere, and friendly relationship will result in your VA being trustworthy, hard-working, and honest in return.

3. Schedule Regular Catch Ups

Ensuring that you have regular scheduled catch ups with your VA is extremely important. Why not book time in both your diaries first thing on a Monday morning so you can discuss any ongoing or new projects, what both of your weeks look like and allow you both the opportunity to ask any questions and clear anything up before the week ahead. This will help to ensure that you and your VA are both happy with the delegated tasks and that expectations are being met. Furthermore, regular meetings will enable your VA to learn more about the ins and outs of your business and give them a chance to make any suggestions on ways to improve and drive the business forward within their areas of expertise.

4. Reward Good Performance 

If you are happy with your VA’s performance generally, or in regards to any specific pieces of work, let them know. People love to hear that they have done a job well and your VA is no exception! Making your VA aware that their hard work and effort is appreciated will motivate them to work even harder and continue to strive to for excellence. A simple email, or recognition during a catch up, can go a long way.

5. Trust Your VA

We understand that it may be difficult to trust someone you have not previously been in contact with, or met, with confidential business and personal information. However, trust is vital in any working relationship and it is no different for remote workers. If your VA has the experience and skills required to perform the tasks, then it’s important to let go and, by doing so, show you trust them to do the job(s) at hand, manage their own time, complete their to-do list effectively and to keep information confidential. There is little to no point hiring a VA if you are not able to invest your trust in them to undertake the tasks you have delegated and - let's face it - nobody likes to be micro-managed!

However, if your VA is going to be dealing with highly confidential information on a regular basis, you could look at asking them to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, which will ensure that information shared will be kept confidential and not discussed with any third parties without proper authorisation. Another suggestion would be to share information initially on a ‘need to know’ basis and limiting what information you share with your VA until you feel that the trust has been built and you are more comfortable with divulging confidential information.