Demand for virtual assistants is increasing. As the digital world continues to introduce new entrepreneurial opportunities to would-be business leaders from every industry, companies are rapidly discovering the benefits of accessing the right support. In fact, experts predict the virtual assistant market will grow at a CAGR of 34% in the following years, reaching a value of $45 billion by 2027.
Working with a virtual assistant can deliver exceptional benefits to business owners. It can help you save time and money on running your company, unlock new opportunities for growth, and even achieve greater work/life balance. However, to get the most value out of a VA, business leaders need to commit to building a strong relationship of mutual trust, open communication, and respect.
While developing a strong relationship with a remote employee you won’t always see face-to-face might sound difficult, there are ways to cultivate a lucrative, mutually-beneficial connection with your VA. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
1. Choose the Right Virtual Assistant
The first step to building a good relationship with your VA is making sure you choose the right person to work with. The best virtual assistant isn’t just someone who can handle complex tasks on your behalf and help you make the most of your schedule. The right hire will:
- Understand your industry and business: A VA that understands your company and how it operates will be able to communicate more effectively with you. The more experience your VA has in your landscape, the less time you’ll need to invest into onboarding and training.
- Be easy to talk to: Communication is crucial to building a strong relationship with your VA. If you find someone you can easily talk to, thanks to their friendly and accommodating attitude, you’re more likely to bond professionally.
- Speak your language: A good VA will communicate in the same way as you. They’ll be able to adapt to your use of industry language, and explain complex concepts in a way that anyone can understand.
2. Invest in Consistent Communication
As mentioned above, effective communication is crucial to building any successful working relationship. The ideal VA should never keep you in the dark. They should constantly communicate with you, sharing insights in their work and progress, asking questions, and responding to your concerns. They should also be able to communicate on the channels of your choice.
A good way to ensure clear and consistent communication with your VA is to set expectations and guidelines early on. Let them know how you prefer to talk (video chat, messaging, email, etc), and set up a regular schedule for check-ins and meetings.
It’s also worth letting your VA know what you want them to keep you informed about. For instance, you might want your VA to share a weekly summary report at the end of each week they spend working with you.
3. Provide Clear Instructions and Directions
Ultimately, a Virtual Assistant is a multi-faceted productivity partner. They can work with you on a variety of tasks and projects throughout the course of your professional relationship. However, to deliver the right results in any project, your VA will need the right instruction.
Make sure you’re always providing your VA with the resources they need to excel in their work. This could mean sharing standard operating procedures when necessary, offering access to tools and resources, and even using step-by-step checklists to define tasks and responsibilities.
Feedback can also be extremely important to overcoming any issues you might face with your VA. Constructive criticism, alongside positive recognition for a job well done, can help provide your VA with the direction they need to excel in their role.
4. Build Foundations for Trust
A good relationship can’t exist without trust. Unfortunately, trust can be hard to cultivate when you’re building a relationship with a remote staff member. Just because you’re not working with a VA face-to-face, doesn’t mean you can’t learn how to trust each other, however.
Investing in transparency can be a good way to strengthen the ties of your relationship. Make sure you’re not hiding any crucial information from your employee, and provide them with guidance when something changes in your business. Give your VA autonomy (to a degree) to show you trust them to work effectively without micromanagement.
At the same time, pay attention to the feedback your VA gives you. If your VA requests extra tools or guidance to help them complete their work, pay attention – you might find adapting to your assistant’s requests leads to better results for your business.
5. Invest in your VA’s Growth
The best virtual assistants aren’t just glorified receptionists. They’re professionals committed to helping you unlock new levels of productivity, efficiency, and profitability in your business. Your VA will be 100% committed to helping your company grow. If you invest in their growth and development too, then your relationship will undoubtedly benefit.
For instance, when you bring a new VA into your team, welcome them into the business with a comprehensive onboarding strategy. You can provide training, access to crucial tools, and support during this initial stage of your working relationship. You’ll also have a great opportunity to introduce your new staff member to the people they might want to collaborate with in their role.
As your VA spends more time with you, consider investing in development opportunities that will help them to be more effective in their role. On-the-job training, support, and even mentoring can ensure your VA feels more committed to your brand.
6. Create a Strategy for Handling Challenges and Conflict
Even if you manage to create a fantastic relationship with your VA, built on mutual trust and respect, there’s always a chance conflicts might arise. If your VA is working with multiple clients, they might not be able to respond to every request you make as quickly as you’d like. If they’re getting used to new software and tools, it may take them longer to complete a project.
If something starts to turn your relationship sour, the most important thing you can do is address the issue as clearly and calmly as possible. Speak to your VA about any issues you might have, with a mindset of empathy and understanding. Work collaboratively to come up with solutions to issues that make sense for both of you.
For instance, if you need your VA to be available for emergency projects at a certain time, make sure you let them know well in advance so they can arrange their schedule accordingly. If you need your VA to use a new tool to complete a task, give them the right time and training to master the resource.
Invest in a Better Relationship with your VA
The more you invest in building a strong relationship with your virtual assistant, the more you’re likely to benefit from embracing this valuable new member of your team. By taking the time to build a strong connection, enhanced by trust, understanding, and empathy, you can help your VA to be as productive, efficient, and useful as possible.
Remember, it all starts with choosing a VA you can rely on to begin with. Reach out to Lune Valley VA today, to find out how investing in a relationship with the right VA can transform your business.