I was looking around the internet the other day and noticed how many people are having issues with working with a Virtual Assistant. The main issue that seemed to come up over and over again was the issue of letting of the work and trusting your Virtual Assistant could do as equally a good job as they could. The blog posts I was reading mentioned these three main issues:
- They feared their Virtual Assistant wouldn’t understand their client’s needs
- They felt since their Virtual Assistant didn’t have a vested interest in their business they wouldn’t treat their client’s as they were themselves; and
- They feared that there was too much for the Virtual Assistant to learn and it was faster to just do it themselves
These fears are not uncommon and are prevalent with any task that you might decide to outsource. The difference is that many of the tasks that Virtual Assistants are performing could be done by you : you are just choosing not to. When you realize that even though you can handle these tasks your time is better spent elsewhere, this is only the first step to building a successful relationship with your Virtual Assistant. You have to truly let go and understand that your Virtual Assistant can handle these tasks as well as or perhaps even better than you can.
Virtual Assistants are business owners themselves that are working hard to grow a successful business just like you. They have more of a vested interest in your clients than perhaps you ever realized. When they please your clients, it is reflected in your client’s satisfaction and loyalty to you and your company. This in turn reflects on your satisfaction and loyalty to your Virtual Assistant. So how can one begin to let go and trust their Virtual Assistant with their business.
Just like any relationship, trust must be earned before it can be built. Start by choosing a Virtual Assistant that you feel you can trust, listen to your gut and partner with that Virtual Assistant that stands out and knows exactly what you are looking for and has provided you with several ideas on how to make that happen. Then begin to let them in : share your goals, your dreams and your desires and let them know what ethics and beliefs that you are bringing to your business. The more your Virtual Assistant understands and knows the better she can handle your business needs.
As your Virtual Assistant learns about your business don’t be afraid to provide them with your absolute trust. Provide them with everything they need to do the job properly, even if the information you share is privileged. The more your Virtual Assistant knows the better the job they can do. Remember that Virtual Assistants are interested in your success. Before you know it your Virtual Assistant will be suggesting ideas to you and some of your friends and clients will be joking that your Virtual Assistant knows more about your business then you do.
Remember when building your relationship that it is okay to start slowly with smaller tasks to “test the waters” and build the trust. As you begin to become confident in your Virtual Assistant and their abilities, you can move up to larger and more demanding assignments.
Great post Yvonne! These issues are common and understandable as people are still learning about working with a Virtual Assistant. Virtual Assistants are administrative professionals and know these issues can only be addressed by building a relationship, sometimes one task at a time. Once the relationship and trust are established, the more proactive and invaluable a VA can be!