Working virtually can often be wracked with miss communication and sometimes misunderstanding. Have you ever had a long dissertation of back and forth emails between a person about a certain project? It can be tricky to communicate your ideas and thoughts via email.  Effectively communicating as a Virtual Assistant allows the client/VA relationship to grow so you may want investigate the option of adding video and screen shots to your communication methods.

You’ve probably heard of Jing and if you have downloaded it before, you recognize the yellow sun icon that sits on the corner of your browser window. I have often just used it for the occasional screen cast and never thought about the potential of Jing as a powerful communication tool between Virtual Assistant and client.

“Jing is free software that adds visuals to your online communication – instead of typing at people at people, show them what you’re talking about..pronto!”

1. Harness the Power of Video: Jing allows you to make quick 5 minute videos. Let’s say you are working on a sales page for your client but you need to talk to them about the layout, send a quick video to show the page and discuss the options. Jing allows you to save your video to screencast.com and immediately receive a link that you can paste into your email. It’s simple and effective.
2. Screenshots for Visual Effect: Have you ever tried to explain how to understand Google Analytics in an email, I have and it just didn’t work. I should have taken a screenshot or 2 of the various components of Google Analytics, added visual comments and arrows to direct the client’s attention and viola….a much better idea.

Applications for Jing:

Take it one step further and create a training center for virtual assistant associates or for future clients. Create ongoing videos or screen casts of tasks that are carried out on a regular basis and share them with new clients or associates to help train them. For eg. I always recommend Hootsuite as a Twitter Manager for my clients so upon setting up Hootsuite for them, I send a quick video showing them around the various components of the program.

Further Applications:

E-Commerce:

• How to add a product to a shopping cart
• show a client how to set up a stored search within their shopping cart
• create a bundle offer with the cart

E-mail Marketing:

• formatting an ezine in their email marketing system
• checking on delivery rates

Wordpress:

• How to add a thumbnail image to wordpress
• How to add a plugin
• How to upload images to the image library

…..and more and more. The uses for Jing are unlimited and highly effective.

Can you envision the possibilities?

Partnering with a VA who expands the boundaries of email opens up new communication and hopefully, leads to a long-term relationship.

PS.. Jing is owned by the same company that brings you Snagit and Camtasia.

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Believe it or not one of the most important factors to think about while hiring a Virtual Assistant or working with clients is comprised of one word only, that word is trust.  Without it, you might as well call it a day and close your computers.  Let me explain in greater detail.  Does your client trust you, and do you trust your client?  Yes, it works both ways. Okay, how?

When hiring a Virtual Assistant a client really does not know anything more about this new person that is about to help them other than what has been emailed between them, or perhaps a quick chat on the phone to confirm details etc.  Does a client really know who they are dealing with?  Probably not, but that also does not mean that a VA is lying either.  It may be wise on the client’s part to check references on a VA first, before actually hiring him or her.  By the same token a VA really does not know if a new client is on the level.  For example, will the client pay the VA what they are worth, on time, and in accordance with a VA’s policy or terms?  Yes, it can be a shot in the dark sometimes, but more often than not if a VA and a client are trustworthy it usually works out, but it doesn’t hurt to take a few extra measures to be on the safe side.

But what about more important things like information; such as, trade secrets, user names and passwords of any kind, and/or confidential matters?  There is a solution for that as well.  Service agreements/contracts and confidentiality agreements are both beautiful things!  This is exactly what they are meant for.  However, this does not mean that a client will actually adhere to what these agreements state, the same for a Virtual Assistant.  So how does one actually make someone else trust them?   A hard question to answer, but I have found that developing a relationship with a new client works wonders for both the VA and the client.  In other words, be a tad less formal.  Discuss things outside of work if that is possible.  Call each other by first name only.   Does this solve every problem… absolutely not, but at least it is a beginning to what could very well be a long and mutually beneficial working relationship.  Remember that praising your VA for a job well done, or just caring about the others “needs” is a wonderful start.  Just like regular employees in an office setting people like to hear that they’ve done well.  This spurs a lot more interest in a particular job being handled on the VA’s part, and gets the job done.  Caring in general is an act of kindness.  Be kind to each other.  It does work.

In conclusion to this article, I will give you an example of one of my own experiences.  I had a job that had to be done, but when starting this job I began to realize that it was way over my head in certain areas.  I could have outsourced this particular job easily, but I did not.  Instead I told my client the truth.  What did this do?  The client was so pleased that I was completely honest about the situation that I ended up doing other work for him/her instead.  The client could have asked for a refund, but they were so genuinely impressed by my honesty that they kept me on for other work needed.  As they say…Honesty is the best policy!

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There certainly have been many ways to do marketing business over the years.

There is still Outbound Marketing like ads in newspapers, magazines, the Yellow Pages, billboards and mailouts to name a few.  And then there is Inbound Marketing where you draw  your Target Market to your website.  Inbound marketing can include Article Marketing, Email Marketing, Blog Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and more recently Video Marketing.

Some stats on the top Video Channel – You Tube:

October 2008: 1 billion views per day of videos on You Tube

May 2010:  2 billion views per day of videos on You Tube and more than 24 hours of video is uploaded    to You Tube every minute.

In a recent report released by Social Media Examiner, the “2010 Social Media Marketing Report”, statistics showed that 40%+ of Businesses were already implementing Video Marketing but a significant 73% of marketers plan on increasing their YouTube and/or video marketing.

7 Reasons Why You Should Consider Video:

* A Personal Connection: It is said again and again that people will buy when they know, like and trust.  A video will introduce you to your prospects so they feel they have actually met you.
* Social Proof: Video puts a face to your words and lends credibility and believability.
* Traffic: With the stats illustrated above for just You Tube, not to mention all the other video channels out there, you are missing a lot of opportunities and links to your site.
* Emotional Influence: A great presentation accompanied by music or your voice will create a lasting impression of you and your brand.
* Portability: Not only can prospects find you over the internet but with the massive increase in smart phone users, your videos can be viewed anywhere, anytime.
* Demonstrations: An Article or Presentation on it’s own can suddenly go dynamic when presented in a video.
* Engagement: There are proven stats and success stories that you can easily find which verify that videos enhance social media activity and encourage response and conversion rates.

And to take this one step further,  videos are not only being used as a valuable way of distributing content, but are favored to introduce new products and services as well as a new format – Video Blogging.  Bloggers now have a choice of writing their regular blogs, doing audio blogs or maximizing their messages in video blogs.

There are an abundance of businesses that can provide a professional video for you but why not consider a Virtual Assistant who is a Video Marketing Specialist?   Not only can they provide guidance in choosing the right kind of video and marketing strategies for you but they can offer you many choices to fit within your budget.

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Starting a new business?

Starting a new business has many challenges and the new business owner can easily become overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done. A very simple solution is to partner with a Virtual Assistant who can take care of so many of the little details and keep the confusion down to a minimum.

It can be stressful to hire someone before you even have your “doors” open for business but it’s not like hiring an employee. By hiring a VA you only pay for actual work done so your money is not wasted on things like benefits, equipment, coffee breaks, time off, etc.

A VA will work with you as a “partner” who has a vested interested in your success. They aren’t actually a real partner in your business itself but remember if you do well in your new venture your VA is also successful with her own personal business. It definitely can be a winning situation for both parties and can continue to be beneficial for both as your business grows.

Without even doing a lot of research I can think of many things a Virtual Assistant can do for a new business owner to make the process go smoothly.

The following 10 things a Virtual Assistant can do for a business owner are just a small portion of a very long list.

1. Research competitors / customers / products and make recommendations prior to even starting.
2. Work with you developing a business plan
3. Assist with leases, purchasing, etc for physical location
4. Register for business licenses, etc required in your area
5. Create / manage marketing products
   1. Website
   2. Logo
   3. Business name / search / registration
   4. Design business cards / stationery
   5. Brochures
   6. Sales Letters
   7. Assist with locating accountant / lawyer
6. Work with you to develop a marketing plan
   1. Offline advertising
   2. Online marketing through social media networks
   3. Research and register you for business associations
   4. Write and distribute a press release
7. Be a sounding board for you to test new ideas, goals, frustrations, or even triumphs

Wouldn’t it be a good feeling to have all of that taken care of with no fuss or muss? It can easily be done by hiring a Virtual Assistant, remembering they are virtual not right around the corner. However, it doesn’t really matter where they are located because their work can easily be done via internet, email, telephone or courier. Why waste any more of your time ~ partner with a Virtual Assistant today.

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Throughout my various experiences in the business world, and I am sure yours as well, there is always a question of…Are you listening to me, or are you just hearing me?  There is no doubt a huge difference.   Taking it a step further into the emailing era… the question can become, are you just reading my email, or are you fully absorbing and understanding it?  One can actually equate hearing and listening to reading and absorbing to fully understanding.

One example might be that you are watching a TV show, you see the screen, and you hear the dialogue, but you’re not really paying attention to it, thus the end result is having no idea what the show was really about.   It works the same way with Virtual Assistants and clients.  Are you really LISTENING to your client’s wants, needs and concerns?  On the flip side is the client really LISTENING to your ideas, and suggestions?

The following are some tips to help Virtual Assistants and clients battle the hearing versus listening blues and will no doubt help anyone in their communication efforts!

• The first step is to discuss what your communication preferences are.  Is it via email, telephone, chat, in person if that is possible.  How about designating a time each week to discuss updates, projects, tasks, etc.  Again this is between the VA and the client. Choose a preference and stick with it, it will make life a lot easier!

• Once the above is settled you are one step ahead of the game!  But of course there is always more…A client should be very clear on what his/her expectations are.  If they are not, as a Virtual Assistant it is “our” job to fully understand what those expectations are to the best of our ability.  Ask and ask again!  No question is a foolish question.  The more that both parties can be clear on what they want and can do the better and faster the job will get done.  “Listen” to each other!   Hearing is simply not enough!

• How about implementing a “Master Project List.”  A client can write up a list of tasks/projects to be done and a Virtual Assistant can follow that list with the most important project on the top, i.e., to be done first.  When a VA updates a weekly report, that same list can be used to check off what has been done!

• Do not be afraid to over communicate.  This holds true for both the VA and the client.  If something is not completely understood, it may waste a lot of time and energy because it may have to be redone.  As mentioned above, keep questioning until both parties completely understand what is needed.

Even though this may only be a few tips to help clients and VA’s communicate more effectively, the same holds true for any relationship at all.   The key to effectively communicating is to understand what the other person or party may want or need.  Reading the words, hearing a voice, or watching a screen is simply not enough to become a successful communicator.  Just because you hear someone or read something does not mean you are listening and understanding!  Much like this article…do you “understand” what this article is trying to tell you?  If you do, then you are on your way to becoming a much better communicator, and in the long run will help clients and Virtual assistants alike communicate more effectively and efficiently!

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Back when Social Media started, Internet Marketers were thrilled with the new opportunities to build their presence and their brand for their own companies and their clients.

Social Media now allowed people to contribute and share content in various ways throughout the internet, over and above their own websites and suddenly there was a resurgence in popularity of blogging, article writing, list building and email marketing.

However, Social Media Channels were in their infancy and were better suited to international and national on-line businesses.  It was difficult if not impossible for local stores, brick and mortar businesses, restaurants and bars and almost anyone else to effectively use Social Media to get to their local target markets.

The Social Media realm listened and where they saw the need, they came up with ways for local businesses to now utilize their Channels.

Examples:

A burger restaurant in Milwaukee and a savvy owner who chose to market his new establishment through Twitter.   He accounts for 75% of his customers discovering his restaurant through Twitter.  And his business grew so quickly he opened 2 other restaurants.  How cool is that?

Or a local bakery who is off the beaten track and newspaper and Yellow Pages ads  were not showing any results.  But one of their customers started using Foursquare and every time she used her iPhone to mention on Foursquare  that she was at that bakery, their sales went up substantially for the day.  You can be assured they are now developing a social media marketing plan because they have already seen results.

And speaking of Yellow Pages, have you listed your business on Google Places?  It is the Yellow Pages of Google.  Anyone with a smartphone or computer and can access the internet can use local search terms to find your business even if they have never heard your Company Name.

There are many new LBSN’s (Local Business Social Networks) popping up every day.

There are also MeetUps.  Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook connections are taking their interaction off the Social Networks long enough to meet up locally “in person”  to build the connections they already have and make further connections.  Recently there was a Social Networking Day, June 30^th to be exact, and Social Media participants everywhere attended local Meet-Ups to celebrate.  Lots of new connections were made and everyone announced it was a big success.

If you are having an Event, there is Eventbrite where you can not only announce your Event, but issue tickets (paid or free) to  interested participants and post to your Social Media accounts with a link to send them to your Event listed on Eventbrite.

Social Media is not just for international business anymore!  Whatever your local business, you too can achieve amazing results!

If you don’t know where to start or are confused about what best strategies would work for your business, ask a Social Media Virtual Assistant.  They will be happy to help you.

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Have you ever launched a product on the internet? Actually launching the product is the easy part, its the build up before the launch that takes time and energy. You could do it all yourself or have your Virtual Assistant be an integral part in the process from pre-launch, launch and post-launch.

Sales Page:

• write text for sales page – if your VA is a great copywriter, have them work with you to write up the sales page content
• format and upload the sales page to your server
• add product image
• add shopping cart link

Pre-Launch Set Up:

• set up the product in the shopping cart and include all relevant state or provincial taxes
• add the product images to the cart and to the headers in the checkout pages
• set up coupons in shopping cart for discounts for preferred members, clients or joint venture partners

Launching Product:

• draft broadcast that announces product
• manage support email account if customers issues arise

Social Media Support:

• format blog post about product launch and upload to blog
• makes sure blog post feeds into Facebook page, Twitter and Linked in accounts
• add product banner to Facebook page and blog

Affiliate Marketing:

• connect with core affiliates to “get the buzz rolling”
• add new product banners to affiliate area
• format affiliate broadcasts – help write pre-written Tweets, Facebook posts and blog posts
• broadcast affiliate email
• interact with affiliates to answer questions

Follow Up Marketing

• format follow up broadcasts
• schedule tweets for Twitter
• help set up an information webinar

Now you could do this all yourself, but why would you?

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Back in the day, when there was no such thing as the Internet as we know it; no Virtual Assistants, and nothing even remotely close to the advanced technologies that we can utilize to get things accomplished in a timely and efficient manner, there was one thing that worked then and is still working for us now.

That one thing is “personal attention” or customer service if you will.

This personal attention can, and does come from many sources, and of course one of those sources is working with a Virtual Assistant. Now keep in mind that when working with a VA, you can become as friendly as you want to, or keep it strictly business. Naturally this would be a mutual decision, but from my own experience I can tell you that when a VA and a client get to know each other a bit more on a personal level, that personal attention will eventually get stronger and better as time goes on.

Who does this benefit?

The truth is that both the Virtual Assistant and client will benefit. This is not to say that you have to invite your clients over for dinner, nor does the client need to know who your first born is.  All I am saying is that after some time it is quite common for clients and VA’s to fit together so well that they actually become friends, just like a secretary working in an office setting became friendly with their boss or co-workers in the past, it really hasn’t changed much in this aspect.

So what does this all mean?

Very simply stated is that when someone knows you well enough, and trusts you they will continue to work with you, and/or will come back to you just as a consumer will go back to their favorite store, because of the personal attention that they are given.

Clients, customers, and really all of us want and crave this personal attention, so much so that we now have social media which really goes way back to the basics of any business, online or offline.  None of us reinvented the wheel all we did was change the design a bit to fit our needs in this century, and guess what?  It worked then and it surely works now!  This is exactly why there is Facebook, Twitter, and the hundreds of other social venues upon us today.

People want to connect, get noticed, give and receive information, and socialize. However, since Virtual Assistants work one-on-one with clients in most cases already, they have a bit of an upper hand to begin with.  Imagine that, working with someone one-on-one, taking care of a clients business needs as if a VA is sitting at a desk in a clients office, and giving them that personal attention that they need and deserve. In fact both the client and VA could be in different countries and that attention and customer service will still be there.

A marvelous thing.

So you decide…did we really reinvent the wheel or did we just create a fabulous new design?  My theory…We redesigned, reconfigured, revamped and remodeled a brand new way of servicing individuals that need assistance with an added touch of personal attention, similar to putting brand new spokes on a wheel.

Always remember to drive safely into the new world of Virtual Assistance and you, the client, will reap the rewards.

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How old is your website?  Is it a few years old or brand new?  Are you happy with the level of website traffic you get each month?  Does your site have all the necessities to make it work for you?  What percentage of conversions do you experience each month:  visitors  →   prospects  →   sales?

If you don’t know the answer to these questions, you need to do an audit of your website.  You can make up a checklist and answer each item appropriately.  It might look something like this:

1. Does it display your “brand” and logo?
2. Is the title line at the top of each page SEO optimized?
3. Is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) prominent on the Home page?
4. Is your contact information clearly visible?
5. Is your “call to action” clear and relevant?
6. Do you have relevant images on your site?
7. Is your content clear and pertinent to the products/services you provide?  Is it SEO Optimized?
8. Is the font size big enough to read easily?
9. Is your site designed well and have well positioned “white space”?
10. Do you have clear messages:  Bolded?  In a different colour?
11. Do you have your pages structured to make for easy viewing by your visitors?
12. Do you have an Opt-In box to build your List?
13. Do you have a welcome video on the Home Page?  Is it SEO Optimized?
14. Do you have a blog on your site to add fresh content?  Is it SEO Optimized?
15. Do you have RSS and Share/Bookmarking buttons on your pages?
16. Do you offer free content:  Articles, eBooks, Audios, Videos?
17. Do you have a Site Map tab?
18. Is the navigation on your website consistent and easy to use?
19. Do you have testimonials on your site?
20. Do you have links on your site and are they working properly?

Once you have gone through the above checklist, you should have a good idea of where to rate the performance of your site and what needs improvement.

To get a better idea of how to improve your site, you might want to check out competitor’s sites and how theirs compares to yours.  This may provide you with some excellent creative ideas.

And, if you know you must edit your site but you don’t know how to start, consider hiring an Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant who can help you make it happen.

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Does that sound like you?

You have so much to do that you are only doing bits and pieces of each thing and accomplishing nothing. You aren’t alone.

Many business owners believe they have to do it all rather than ask for help, not realizing if they could better manage their time and delegate tasks they could actually save money. I was as guilty of this as some of my clients. It’s doesn’t have to be a difficult step to actually outsource some tasks you really don’t have the time nor the expertise.

Not knowing how to do everything for your business is nothing to be ashamed of. There isn’t a business owner alive who can do it all. In my case it’s bookkeeping. I would like to think I can take care of invoicing, accounts payables and accounts receivables but when I was faced with a controversy with a client I found that I hadn’t kept track as well as I thought I had. Working with a bookkeeper right from the start could have saved me hours of stress that could have been better spent in building my business. I now know that bookkeeping is not one of my strengths. However, I am good at many other things involved in my business and now spend my time on those rather than wasting my time on things I should outsource.

What can a Virtual Assistant help you with?

1. Managing your schedule – tracking appointments, goals, and tasks.
2. Screening emails, responding where possible and prioritizing the rest.
3. Invoicing your clients and taking care of following up with unpaid accounts.
4. Manage your website updates, blogging and your client lists
5. Customer service issues – responding in a timely manner
6. Correspondence – write letters, memos, etc. – ready for signature
7. Create company forms, marketing material or manage to have it outsourced
8. Writing a business plan or marketing plan – establishing goals.
9. Order supplies and arrange for delivery.
10. Project Management – ensure projects are managed properly to completion.
11. Design a newsletter and create a monthly campaign.
12. Establish a social media networking campaign, setting up social networks, posting and setting up a schedule for your involvement.
13. Creating your logo, business card, stationery and brochures
14. Manage your affiliates
15. Help you create a company “Brand” with your signature – establishing an online presence.
16. Write and publish press releases

The above list is obviously just a small sample of things a Virtual Assistant can do for you while you are operating your business. Remember a VA is virtual and they supply their own work space, equipment and also pay for their own benefits. You only pay for the actual work done. I think it’s pretty obvious that you can only benefit by the assistance of a VA.  Quit wasting your time!

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