How To Hire The Right Virtual Assistant

Is hiring a virtual assistant part of your 2017 plan for success? You are not alone. In Geeta Nadkarni’s article, “Hiring a Virtual Assistant Grew My Business, and Changed My Life” she shares her story of how she went about hiring a VA. I'm sure you'll be able to relate to her situation prior to hiring a VA and want to have the same results post-hire.

The first step in Geeta’s process is to be brutally honest with yourself. Here is where many business owners struggle. Not for lack of being able to answer the hard questions. They struggle for lack of knowledge on what the right questions are. There are nine key questions for uncovering the real truth about your business needs, your work style, and how you want the work to be completed.

Answering these questions shouldn't be hard. Being honest about them is another story. Don't be mislead about the simplicity. It's your job to provide the details and be truthful. If you can't be honest with yourself who can you be honest with?

1. What is your preferred method of communication? Nothing is more important. Don't take this question lightly. Everyone has their preferred method. You're not as easy going as you think. If it’s not easy for you then you won’t do it. This is your style, your method. Do not conform to the VA.

Additionally, determine how you talk. Are you very straightforward, do you appreciate small talk, do you like bulleted lists? What forms of acronyms do you use in your field, do you speak C-Suite or Zen? Nothing wastes more time, or is more frustrating, than going back and forth in emails or talking over one another on the phone because one person doesn’t understand what the other is saying.

2. How do you measure success? (This is often the point where I determine if I can work with a potential client or not). It is important to know so you can share with your virtual assistant. If you don’t know or can’t define it, how is a VA going to help you achieve it? They can get you anywhere you want to go as long as they know the destination point.

Measured success could be as simple as meeting deadlines or the complete overhaul of a website. Other clients measure success by having a hard stop at 5pm or making their children’s events. Maybe you do have hard numbered metrics. Great! No two clients have ever answered this question the same. The point is it can be measured.

3. Do you know how much time is wasted in your day? I’m not looking for an actual number here. How people view their time is just as an important as how they use their time. Wasted time is anything you’re doing that is not the best use of your time. If that number is large don’t panic. Chances are it takes you much longer to switch tasks and complete projects because you’re being pulled in too many directions. Plus, if it’s not something you enjoy doing procrastination can eat up a lot of time.

4. How do you generate income? This question stumps business owners more often than you might think. Even if the business is new and not generating revenue yet, there still must be a plan of how you will in the future.

If you want to see the quickest return on investment for the VA, start here. What can he or she do to help you in this area? Beginning with tasks or to-do lists that don’t directly relate to income generation can cost too much if you’re on a tight budget. Bringing in more money feels good no matter how much you have or don’t have. Let the good times roll!

5. What kinds of duties do you imagine the VA performing? Don’t bother to write an exhaustive list of how to do the work, simply list the work. Most business owners get to their true needs after listing off three or four of the top of their head.

If the list gets long you may need more than one virtual assistant. If this is the case choose the duties and VA that will help you generate more income first. Once you have increased the revenue then you can hire more VAs.

6. Why hire a VA now? Be honest! The specific responses may vary from client to client, but the bottom line is always the same - because you can’t do it all yourself.

7. If you had more one hour in the day what would you do with it? Hint: There is no right or wrong answer. The point is to know what you’ll do with the extra time once the virtual assistant is hired. This is your time budget to be used like currency. If you increase your revenue you should have a plan on where the money will be spent. The same applies to your time. If you don’t know how you’ll use the “extra” time you’ve earned you’ll end up wasting it. (In case you’re wondering, “sleep” is the #1 response.)

8. Why did you become a business owner? Again, no matter the answers the bottom line is always the same, you wanted control over your life. Chances are you now have lost some of that control because you are too chained to your work to enjoy it. Write out the areas that have the most control over you.

9. Where do you see yourself in three years? When you’ve answered the question truthfully then ask yourself if you can achieve that dream by doing what you’re doing now. I’m going to tell you, “no”. There will never be more than 24 hours in a day. You will not be cloned within three years time. You can’t do it all yourself. Why would you want to?

Answering these questions honestly is the first step to begin you on your way to hire a virtual assistant. This is the consultation questionnaire I use and includes the questions above. I urge you to complete it in its entirety. It will become very clear where you are, where you are headed, what you need to get there, and where you’ll go next. It all starts with you.

There is no shortage of virtual assistants that would love to work with you. Yes, I said it. Remember you have an ideal and VAs have their ideal clients too. Somewhere out there is someone who started their business with you in mind. She is waiting on you. You need her. Now is the time.

Melissa Smith, The PVA is the bestselling author of Hire the Right Virtual Assistant. To learn more about working with the right Virtual Assistant contact Melissa here.