Client relationships are essential to success as a Virtual Assistant. Read on to learn about best practices for building a strong foundation with your clients.
A Virtual Assistants’ focus is always on organization and efficiency. As a VA, it’s your job to manage tasks for your clients and deliver projects on time and beyond expectations. However, beyond completing tasks, the most successful VA’s build lasting relationships with their clients and become an ongoing resource for their business.
If you follow these steps to form a client relationship, your work as a Virtual Assistant will be streamlined and optimized for success.
#1 - Prioritize clear communication
The first step of any project should always be setting clear expectations and establishing an open channel of communication between the client and the VA. Ask your client what form of communication works best for them to reach out when you have questions or want to deliver project updates. Typically clients prefer email so there is a central place for all VA correspondence, but some clients may prefer text or chatting via phone.
#2 - Be transparent
Transparency is essential to any remote working environment. Although your clients can’t see you working on their projects, it’s essential to make them feel as informed as possible throughout the process. Ensure you are tracking time with as much detail included as possible to demonstrate the time that was dedicated to each task.
#3 - Update frequently
Tracking your progress on tasks is essential for both you and your client. Find out how your client prefers to be updated - is it daily, weekly, or as tasks are completed? Set a clear timeline and deadlines for all tasks, and follow up with your client proactively if you foresee any issues with the agreed upon schedule.
#4 - Ask questions
If something is unclear or you are having trouble with a task, don’t hesitate to reach out to your client for clarification. Always take the initiative to proactively reach out to your client and keep all lines of communication open.
#5 - Minimize distractions
Create a calm, quiet environment to ensure complete dedication to the task whenever you’re working for a client. Consider muting notifications on your phone and removing notifications for personal apps on your desktop to keep distractions to a minimum. Always take Zoom meetings and calls in a clean, well-lit space to reassure clients that you have a professional remote working environment.
#6 - Be honest
Most VAs come from a wide variety of backgrounds, whether they are executive assistants or digital marketing pros. If you’re assigned a task you haven’t done before but you are capable of learning, don’t be afraid to tackle it. Google is a wonderful learning tool and there’s usually plenty of resources available to help you learn something new. However, be honest about not having experience in a particular area and be open to learning on your own time so the client knows upfront they aren’t paying for your training. Learning new skills is an investment in your future and will be something new you can add to your resume.
#7 - Stay organized
Google Drive is an excellent tool to keep all documents organized for future reference as well as a good way to share documents with clients, and is the system we use here at 360Tasker. No matter what tool you use, make sure to organize all client information in one place and keep records of your time, tasks and status updates as the project progresses.
#8 - Backup your files
Using a tool like Google Drive to save documentation to the cloud is a great first step. However, no one wants to deal with the nightmare of a corrupted file or lost upload. Always backup your files on a hard drive in addition to your cloud application to ensure no work progress or data loss.
Remember, open and clear communication is the key to building a successful client relationship from the start! Your first communications with your client will set the tone for your working experience, so jump right in and always be as responsive as possible.
Interested in joining the 360Tasker Virtual Assistant team? Visit our VA application page to submit your experience now!
360Tasker offers flexible solutions for businesses and entrepreneurs to maximize productivity and reduce internal costs. Check out 360Tasker's full suite of services and pricing here.
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