Once you’ve decided to work with a virtual assistant (VA) the first thing you need to do is brief them. And you will no doubt worry that they won’t do the job or task like you. Or that they’ll need help to accomplish it, and that you might as well do it yourself. So how do you brief a VA in such a way that they complete the task perfectly the first time and every time. And you can sleep at night.
You need to brief them well and this needs preparation, to ensure you brief them effectively. If not you could both end up wasting a lot of time. It’s simple really, it’s all about communication. It might feel like a lot of work, but the more specific you can be about what you want, how you want it done and by when, the more effective your VA can be. And the more you’ll both get out of the relationship.
So here are the steps you should take to ensure you brief your VA well:-
Explaining the background to the task is invaluable. If the VA understands the importance and impact of the task on your business, they are more likely to be able to do it like you do it, and ensure it is carried out to your specification. Not all tasks are straightforward, some need a little bit more explanation.
These are a few questions that might help you prepare the brief for a VA :-
Write it down. You could make step-by-step instructions, producing an operating procedure, if the task does have to be done in a specific way. Or just write down the desired results and outcomes. If there are particular requirements you need fulfilling, include them to give clarity.
Arrange system access for your VA. It is recommended to set them up with their own login to each system. It is not a good idea to share your own login details. This approach gives them access to the system, but without you losing control.
How often is this task completed and/or when does it need to finished by?
The task may be a weekly or monthly repetitive task, that needs to be done each Monday by 3pm, or by the last Friday of the month. Or, it might be a one-off task, you need completed 24 or 48 hours before your meeting next week. The more clarity you provide on this, the easier it is for your VA to deliver on time.
It is also important to leave a buffer, to allow for queries, corrections and unforeseen delays, so tasks are still completed on time. If the task needs to be completed on Friday, you might ask your virtual assistant to deliver it on Wednesday or Thursday instead. Doing this will ensure that even if there is a problem, and the VA cannot deliver on the Wednesday or Thursday, the task can still get completed by its actual due date.
If you have already made a start on the task, let your VA know about what you’ve done and where you’ve got to. Share with them the progress you’ve made and any barriers you came across, and how to overcome them. It’ll help them perform the task more smoothly and relieve you from having to help them.
Make sure your VA updates you about the task’s progress. Let them know how you would like to receive regular updates on progress, and how often. Some standard communication channels you can use are :-
If it is calls, why not get the VA to schedule the calls in the diary ahead.
Brief a virtual assistant upfront about the relevant things they need to know to do this task. One advantage of doing that is that they can be self-sufficient with the task. And you can get on with other things. Which is why you decided to get a VA in the first place wasn’t it.
Consider all the things your VA needs to make this task a success?
Setting up a shared folder in Google, Dropbox, Drive or elsewhere with your VA is the most effective way of sharing your content. It gives you both easy access and ensures you’re not clogging up each other’s email inboxes with unnecessary emails to manage.
So now you have your brief, you can confidently hand over your task to your VA. You can either arrange to run through the brief in detail before they start the task. Or send it to them.
If you meet to run through it. Go through every step of the brief with them. Explaining things clearly and concisely to avoid confusion. Asking questions to check their understanding of need be.
Most VA’s will read your brief and come back to you with any questions. They may even make their own suggestions on better ways to approach the task.
By investing the time upfront to create a strong task brief based on the above steps, you will have confidence that the task you are handing over is going to be completed to your standards.
An experienced VA is used to taking briefs from different clients. So they will often know the right questions to ask. And will be happy to follow documented procedures, or write them for you. They will be happy to do things in a particular way, or advise you on changes to get process efficiency.
If you’d like to brief me to do a task for you, or discuss any tasks that I might be able to help with, please get in touch.