Getting Started with a Virtual Assistant
Are you thinking about hiring a virtual assistant, but worried about coming up with a steady stream of projects for her to do?
It can be a real burden to have to come up with new ideas all the time. And then it takes time to find all the materials that are needed, explain what you want done, do the training, and then answer questions. If you had that much free time, you probably wouldn’t need an assistant.
Here’s an approach that works…
Virtual assistants tend to be very organized, very methodical. An ideal way to use an assistant is to help you systematize your business.
What part?
Systematize marketing.
This is the best place to start for most businesses.
Customer service might also work, but I like marketing because one of the issues with a virtual assistant is making enough additional money to justify having them on board.
If you have them focus on marketing, you should be able to see results in terms of more leads and more sales, which brings in the extra revenue you need.
So how do you do that?
Here are three projects that help you systematize marketing that are well-suited to giving to a new virtual assistant…
Get quotes or testimonials.
Have your assistant contact customers and ask if they would be willing to give you a quote you can use on your website.
That’s a great project because they don’t need to know anything about your business to be able to do it, and as a result of doing it they learn what your customers value about doing business with you. That’s useful information!
And you get quotes that will help you convert more prospects into buyers - a win-win!
Set up a nurture program.
A nurture program lets you take someone who has inquired about your products and services but isn’t ready to buy yet, and helps move them closer to becoming a customer. You send them something every month - something that educates them about the value you provide and builds credibility that you would be good to do business with. Here’s more info about what nurture programs are and how they work.
This is a good project for a virtual assistant. The tasks involved include:
- Pulling together a list of prospects
- Verifying and updating the mailing list
- Deciding what to send them each month
- Printing out or acquiring the materials
- Sending out the mailing each month
You can see that although your help is required, a lot of the work for that can be done on their own. It doesn’t require a lot of your time, and nurture programs are typically very effective.
Social media marketing.
Your assistant can monitor discussion forums and blogs, sending you information about discussions that you would find interesting so you can post responses.
Again, it takes a little of your time - you have to explain what types of discussions matter to you and you should do the responses, at least in the beginning. But the bulk of the work does not need your involvement.
This is a project that can substantially increase your reach and your reputation.
Here’s an added benefit of starting with these projects…
If things go wrong, these are low-risk projects. They are not time-sensitive or critical to your business.
If your assistant doesn’t work out, you’re still further ahead than you were before. You haven’t lost a lot.
If things go well, your assistant learns a lot about your business, your prospects, and your customers. She also learns what you like and what you don’t like. You both learn how to work together and build trust.
Now you have an assistant who understands a lot about your business and is ready to help you with more complicated projects.
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