Our clients most often ask us this question “What’s the best way to use virtual assistant services?”

We have had clients work from their office space to coffee tables to their garage. With each client, differs their work style, what they do, their priorities, and most importantly the tasks that they need help with. They do have one thing in common “They all need help”.

Having an assistant work for you efficiently is a two way process just like any relationship. It’s a commitment on your side and from your assistant to have this relationship flourish and grow stronger, day-by-day to month by month. The one basic underlined factor that defines all these relationships is Delegation.

There are few principles, which we have outlined to help you delegate better and make the most of the virtual assistant service.

1. The first step is acceptance of change: We are the restless kind, always in a hurry, know what we want and how to do it. But the key issue is, most often than not, we don’t think anyone can do what we do as efficiently as us. What you need to understand is you’ve been doing the things your way and now is the time, to have someone else do them for you, by delegating effectively and managing them, which will eventually save you time and energy. Now that’s the target that we need to achieve. Once you have identified that you need to reach this target, everything else comes easy.
2. Patience: It isn’t called a virtue for no reason. You need to understand that your assistant is not good as you. He/ she will take more time to do what you can do in 10 minutes, that’s why he is your assistant and not the other way around. Give it a cooling off time. let your assistant know your work style and understand your priorities. Your target is not to save 10 minutes today, it is to save hours worth of time and energy in the long run.
3. Definites: Make a list of tasks that you don’t like to do, and a list of tasks that are repetitive. If the process of repetitive tasks is outlined for your assistant to follow, and you assign him clear goals. It becomes very easy for your virtual assistant to follow and do those tasks as asked. With each task, set. Once you know, you have your assistant waiting for you to delegate tasks, it will make you more inclined to give off some of your work to him. Assigning tasks on a daily basis, frees up your time and let’s you live better.
4. Set deadlines: Setting up time frame is very important to make the most out of your virtual assistant service. It is also easy to track progress with clear cuts and deadlines in place.
5. Manage and feedback: In the initial phase you need to monitor and give feedback to your assistant. It’s like hand holding a child before he starts running on his own. Not overdoing it, but having him know you are watching his back
6. Maintaining the commitment: Once you have gone through the first 5 steps, all you need to do is maintain this relationship. You will realize how easy it is to get your tasks done by a virtual assistant and manage them ongoing. Something you didn’t know was possible in he beginning you now see is achievable.

The key here is to make this relationship work for you, so that you can enjoy your life doing what you love to do. Going fishing with your son, catch up with your friends more often, take that holiday you always dreamed of, or introduce that new product or service into your business that you didn’t have time to develop earlier.

Whatever may be your goal, your virtual assistant’s aim is to help you achieve that!