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This article was submitted by Thomas
J. Leonard, Founder, Coach University, and outlines how his VA
has helped him.
A Virtual Assistant is just
like an executive assistant or personal assistant, except that
the Virtual Assistant handles your affairs from a distance, and
electronically. This Top 10 List reviews the 10 most common ways
to utilize the services of a Virtual Assistant. I've included my
own experience below, when appropriate. (And, in case you're
wondering, my VA isn't available for new clients...sorry.)
1. Get your bills
paid.
I
haven't paid a bill for two years...my VA/bookkeeper, Irene,
does all of that for me, using Quicken and CheckFree, via her
computer. ALL of my bills use a mailing address at a
mailbox-type place minutes from her home; she picks up the
mail/bills and pays the bills each week using my pass code from
my BankOne business checking account. She sends me the bank
statement monthly which is one way I have to verifying my bank
balance. Of course, embezzlement is ALWAYS a risk, so don't turn
over your checking account to someone who you don't know well or
trust....Also, you may want to simply wire in or transfer funds
from another account each month to your bill paying account if
you're concerned about full access to your checking account
funds.
2. Screens and
forwards your mail.
Irene
is sharp; she knows what I want to see and what I don't want to
see, snail-mail wise. I get a weekly Priority Mail envelope from
her with just the goodies. What a relief! She uses her good
judgment.
3. Solves problems
that you don't want to solve.
I
have a coach on contract who I pay $100 each time I have a
problem that I don't want to deal with. I just tell my VA/Coach
what outcome I want, answer her questions and wait for the email
that it's done. Now, this isn't always perfect, but it works
most of the time. Just knowing that I have someone to delegate
problems to is such a great feeling!
4. Screen and handle
email.
I
know of several business owners who have a Virtual Assistant
look at all of their email and handle what they can, leaving the
rest for the business owner to handle. This can free up an hour
or two a day and is reason enough to have a VA. Your VA just
goes into your incoming email queue and does his/her magic
several times a day. Dealing with confidential matters? Just set
up a secret/private email address that you only give out to
selected people.
5. Manage projects or
reporting.
My
VA has a weekly checklist of the information, statistics or
reports that I need for a number of my projects. Sure, I could
compile them myself, but why? I'd much rather the VA do this,
and follow up the folks who haven't reported in (I'm not a good
'chaser). Sure, it's cheating, but what's wrong with living an
insulated life?
6. Follow up with
clients or other contacts.
I'll
email my VA to follow up with a client who missed a call or to
ask a colleague how I can help them do something that I know
they are working on, or to schedule a time to chat with a
colleague. Do the colleagues mind that I've delegated this to my
VA? Yes, they are offended sometimes, but only until they get
their own VA.
7. Remind you of
important dates.
I
don't use my VA for this, but some of my colleagues do. In some
cases, the VA handles all of their scheduling/appointments and
even reminds them of anniversaries, birthdays, reporting dates,
etc. Why NOT!?
8. Point out what you
cannot see/give advice.
My
VA sometimes says, "Hey, Thomas, did you know
that....." I love this! Let's me focus on what I want to
focus on instead of having to keep my eye on everything or
manage my own reminder system.
9. Screens/handles
your phone messages.
Your
VA can tap into your voice mail several times a day and 'clean
it out' leaving you the calls that you need to handle. Again,
your VA is more than your assistant and more than a message
taker or message deliver. Your VA *is* you and acts on your
behalf, protecting you and your time/space from the demands of
the public/customers. You'll need to train your VA on how to
*be* you, but this will pay off handsomely. I empower my VA to
set policy, make exceptions, solve problems, make mistakes,
coordinate efforts, screen heavily, anticipate my needs and be a
partner, not just a VA.
10. Develop systems of
support.
I
don't just ask my VA to do stuff or handle tasks, but also to
create systems so that things of a similar nature get handled
automatically in the future. Most VAs need support and training
on how to do this, but once they get it, you're all set for a
lifetime of a problem-free and task-free environment.
About the Submitter
This piece was originally submitted by
Thomas J. Leonard, Founder, Coach University, who can be reached
at thomas@thomasleonard.com,
or visited on the web.
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