LiveMore Virtual Assistants

Opening the Doors of Communication with your VA

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:46:24 +0000

One important point to keep in mind when working with a VA is to keep the doors of communication open.
Understand that even though a very explicit email of instructions is written, there are times the VA will have questions or seek clarification. Be open and prepared for questions from your VA.
I have a European client who speaks very good English, but as we are used to American English there is sometimes difficulty in grasping instructions due to his wording. To his credit, our European client is a patient and open person. He would always say, “I am very sorry my instructions were not clear, let us talk so it would be easier for you to understand.” Needless to say our work for this client is usually smooth sailing as he is approachable and open to communication.
In contrast, we have another client who seems to constantly get irritated when asked questions. Nevertheless we persist in order to do the tasks correctly. But his attitude is not recommended for effective use of your VA.
It is important for a client to give the VA a brief background of the task he has assigned. Understanding the reason behind the task will give the VA more insight on what is expected and what the expected results are.
Be open to suggestions from your VA. We have one client who I advised to not use the marketing strategy he is implementing, as based on experience, it doesn’t get the expected results. He insisted we use it and as VAs we don’t have a choice but to follow his instructions. Needless to say the entire project didn’t give the expected results.
Establishing a great communication line with your VA will boost confidence with you and the job thus you will get the best out of your VA.

Communication – The Heart of Virtual Assistance

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:55:39 +0000

One very important factor in working online or in the virtual world is constant communication. It is the key to prevent any misunderstanding.

When you receive an assignment from your client, be sure to read everything to make sure you understand the tasks assigned to you. Email, call or chat with the clients if you have doubts. The clients will appreciate it more if you ask questions and clarify with them before doing the tasks, rather than submitting a wrong version of the tasks.

Make sure the clients are aware of the problems encountered while working on their projects. An example would be when a website you are using to gather info for research is down, or the preferred username has been taken, or the website they have recommended to use lacks the necessary information. These may sound like minor problems, but to the clients they may be a major problem. Never assume or presume anything, it may be the key to your misunderstanding.

Be sure to always inform your clients when you are unavailable. If there is an emergency, such as loss of internet access make sure to get in touch with your clients immediately when everything is back to normal.

Always use a landline to make an international call if internet access or electricity is lost. When starting to work with a client, especially if the work involves telephone calls or online communication at the client’s normal business hours, always inform the client that anytime they see the virtual assistant offline suddenly, it may be due to loss of electricity or loss of internet., Always inform the client ahead of time if you are unavailable.

The most important thing is to always communicate with your clients through reports and constantly update them on the status of the project. Clients will appreciate your work, your effort, your sincerity and your commitment more if they know what you are doing at all times.

LiveMore with a Virtual Assistant!

Why use a VA?

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:32:06 +0000

More and more busy professionals are now turning to utilize the help of a professional VA for the reason that a professional VA comes in handy.

Imagine that anytime you need someone to organize your online files, or anytime you need someone to do calls for you or help you with work, that person is available. Imagine having an assistant who has her working equipments and probably more advance than your own or even imagine having a team of VA working for you.

The best part is, you pay only for the time allocated to your work. When the work or project is finished, then that’s it, no extra fees or any obligation to keep paying your VA.

What is “above the fold” for your Web site visitors?

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:33:39 +0000

Dave Paradi recently made me aware that Google has just introduced a new tool that will tell you what most visitors to your Web site see “above the fold.” The term “above the fold” refers to what they see when they first open your site, and the term comes from the newspaper industry where it refers to what is seen on the top part of the front page, before the fold of the paper. Go to browsersize.googlelabs.com and enter your Web site address. You will see your Web site overlaid with areas that represent 99%, 98% and so on of the browser sizes used on the Web (based on Google tracking). It is helpful to know whether that new Web site you have just designed has the key links in the viewable portion for most visitors. If a visitor can’t see it, they won’t click on the link and won’t visit the rest of your site.

LiveMore
Shawn

Welcome!

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:05:51 +0000

Welcome to the LiveMore Virtual Assistants blog. We are excited to start 2010 with our new blog which will feature news, tips, and useful links that will help grow your business and better utilize your Virtual Assistants. Blog entries will come from me (Shawn, LMVA owner) and our assistants. LMVA is looking forward to a prosperous 2010 and is eager to helping clients from around the world LiveMore by using a Virtual Assistant.

LiveMore,
Shawn Stratton