JULY 27, 2009
ISSN 1947-105X | Vol. 3, No. 30

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WORKING WITH VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS ISSUE

In This Issue:

• A Note from Danielle
• FEATURE ARTICLE: Communication Is Key
• TELESEMINAR: Anchor Clients: Smooth Sailing or Trouble at Sea?
• VACOC NEWS: Quickie Gigs™
• Marketplace
• Find a Virtual Assistant
• About the VACOC

A Note from Danielle...

Excellent communication is the responsibility of both parties in a successful Virtual Assistant/client relationship. This week's article focuses on what you as the client can do to help your Virtual Assistant help you.

Yours in goodness and success!

Danielle Keister
Founder, Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce

- FEATURE ARTICLE -

Communication Is Key

Great Virtual Assistants love helping their clients. They put smart systems, policies and standards in place because they know that ultimately these things allow them to deliver greater service to their clients. They also know that excellent communication is absolutely key to the relationship. Now, while there are lots of things Virtual Assistants do to facilitate great communication flows, it is a two-way street. Following are some things you can do as the client to help your Virtual Assistant help you.

1. Clearly communicate your goals and objectives. Your Virtual Assistant wants to know why you do what you do and where you're ultimately wanting to go. She (or he) can then be more proactively involved in helping you achieve those things.
   
   
2. Provide the big picture. A Virtual Assistant's help is limited if you only give her or him a piecemeal understanding of a task or project. Let your Virtual Assistant know how the task or project fits into the whole. She/he can then make sure all the pieces fit together even better and often will have suggestions you might never have thought of. Two heads are always better than one!
   
   
3. Place a priority on meetings. Virtual Assistants who offer telephone meetings to their clients do so as a benefit to them. They know that regularly touching base nurtures the collaborative process and keeps both of you in sync. Your work and goals can only be as important to your Virtual Assistant as they are to you. If you don't make the relationship a priority, you may find yourself looking for a new Virtual Assistant.
   
   
4. Organize your thoughts. The more "stuff" a Virtual Assistant has to wade through, the more likelihood there is for simple human error and having some things fall through the cracks. You can help your Virtual Assistant when emailing work requests by keeping messages limited to one idea, one project or task, at a time, and providing a clear and descriptive subject line.
   
   
5. Too much detail is better than too little. Don't assume your Virtual Assistant can read your mind. It's better to be overly forthcoming with details, especially when you first begin working together. A confident Virtual Assistant is not going to be defensive. She/he will appreciate your effort to be thorough in providing everything needed to do a great job.

RESOURCE: Virtual Assistants are administrative experts who very much appreciate business owners who extend them the same professional courtesy and respect they give to clients. If you want to be a great client, make sure you understand and honor how Virtual Assistants want to be treated: Working With a Virtual Assistant.

About the Author: Danielle Keister is a business advisor and innovator in the Virtual Assistance profession. An administrative professional of 20+ years and veteran Virtual Assistant of 12+ years, her logical, no-nonsense approach to business development has gained her recognition as one of the leaders in the field. She loves what she does and is passionate about sharing her knowledge and know-how with the world. She’s all about inspiring others to reach for their highest excellence. When not taking care of clients in her own Virtual Assistant practice, she is busy leading the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce and helping Virtual Assistants create six figure businesses.

© Copyright 2009, The Portable Business™. All U.S. and International rights reserved. You may print this article for personal use or republish it online only if it is left unaltered and used in its entirety, including bylines, links, copyright notice, resource and author information. Contact the author for any other permission.

- VACOC NEWS -

New Service for Clients: Quickie Gigs™

The VACOC has a new service for clients we call Quickie Gigs™. Here's the idea:

The core business of a Virtual Assistant is providing one-on-one, ongoing administrative support to clients they work with in long-term, continuous relationship. We always encourage clients to go that route because it's where you are going to reap the most rewards in terms of value, continuity and cost-effectiveness. However, if you have not yet found your right Virtual Assistant or you are between Virtual Assistants, but still have occasional tasks and projects you'd like completed, we can help you out!

Quickie Gigs™ is primarily for simple, straightforward administrative tasks and projects that can generally be completed and turned-around in few days with no fuss or muss. You fill out our online form with the project specs and once the preliminary account set-up is completed, we'll get to work right away.

Everything is simple! You sign only one contract (this will cover our terms for one year in case you have other occasional projects that pop up) and each project will be quoted on a flat fee basis (easier for you to budget). For more information, be sure and check out our Quickie Gigs™ page.

Let's Connect

We Love Hearing From You!

"This was such a great teleseminar. There was so much great information and insights into the world of writing. I am so glad I attended. Jan King is a wonderful presenter. I appreciate the chance to listen to her presentation. Thanks for offering the seminar.
Some great advice for everyone, especially about staying true to the boundaries of your calendar! Thanks."

— Joy Pipes of Manti Business Solutions on the VACOC Guest Expert Teleseminar with Jan King on 7/16/09.

How did YOU like this issue or a past teleseminar? Was it insightful, helpful or informative? Have topic ideas you'd like to see covered in the future? Let us know!

- NO-COST TELESEMINAR -

Anchor Clients: Smooth Sailing or Trouble at Sea?

The dream of the big client—no more marketing, no more chasing new business, and no more revolving door. But at what cost? Join us on Thursday, August 20, for the next VACOC Guest Expert Teleseminar with Sherri Garrity. In this teleseminar, Sherri will reveal the truth about anchor clients, what an anchor client is really worth, how to strike the right balance and warning signs that your clients are taking you for granting.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT >>

Download the VACOC Toolbar

Marketplace

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SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD? Have you been wondering what this administrative solution called Virtual Assistance is all about? Not to worry! The Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce has written an online guide to answer all your questions: The Client's Guide to Virtual Assistants.

TIRED OF WADING through the thousands of Virtual Assistant sites on the Internet? Would you like qualified, competent and reputable Virtual Assistants to come to you instead? Simply submit your info to our Virtual Assistant Partnership Center.

MAKE 25% IN AFFILIATE EARNINGS! Join the VACOC Affiliate Program and earn extra money simply by referring people to our website. Monthly payouts with no minimums required. Sign Up Today!

Find a Virtual Assistant Today

You don't have to live in overwhelm! Find yourself a great Virtual Assistant today, and go from struggling by yourself to enjoying more time, freedom and success.

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ABOUT THE VACOC: Founded by industry veteran Danielle Keister in 2006, the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™ is the Virtual Assistant professional association specifically for solopreneurs. Our passion is helping Virtual Assistants run smarter, more successful businesses that bring them more money and greater personal happiness, freedom and client satisfaction.

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DISCLAIMER: Neither Danielle Keister nor the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™ endorses the accuracy or reliability of any of the paid advertisers above nor the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed, purchased or obtained by you as result of an offer in connection with any ad. Please do your own due diligence BEFORE purchasing any product.

© 2007-09 Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™. All U.S. & International rights reserved. The Portable Business is a trademark of the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. All logos and names are the copyrights of their respective owners.