Shaine Mata

You really should have conversations with your Virtual Assistant. If you have gone through the expense of hiring a VA, you probably want to make the most of your experience. Thus far in my experience of working with a VA from GetFriday.com, an outsourcing company in India, I have learned quite a bit about being a “boss”. One important lesson is that it really helps to talk to my assistant.

Currently, I am assigned to Kavitha R. I have had multiple Virtual Assistants from GetFriday in the two years I have subscribed to their service. Some have moved on to supervisory positions; others have left the company. I have learned that communication with your VA is much better through direct conversation than by electronic messaging. Prior to Kavitha, I mostly communicated via e-mail. I rarely had telephone conversations with them. This has changed.

I have asked Kavitha to call me every day so that we can keep my Highrise account up to date. She reads my task list to me and makes changes according to what I’ve accomplished. I still email her quite a bit. However, the daily phone call has helped us communicate better. I think many people who have trouble with virtual assistants have communication problems. Having done most of my communication via email in the past, I find that the phone call is more effective.

Let me give you my theory as to why frequent conversations with your VA helps. First, when your VA is involved in your life every day, it is easier for him or her to stay current with your needs. With daily conversations, there is a connection between each task that your VA is able to follow, mentally. Thus far, I find that I need to clarify things less and less. Kavitha has more context with which she can understand my ultimate goals. Prior to the daily phone call, I would have to provide much detail to ensure that the task would be completed as desired. Not anymore.

Second, multiple things happen during a phone conversation. For example, Kavitha and I don’t just go through my tasks and mark them complete or leave them pending. We also talk about stuff I emailed to her. She can ask for details or give me an update. I can give her more assignments on the spot. In short, we use that time to make decisions and agree on needed actions together. As we become more familiar with each other, it gets easier to anticipate each others needs.

Finally, it makes me real. When you just email back and forth with people, you tend to be terse and stick to the subject. The email sticks to the subject and usually doesn’t veer off. On a phone call, it is so much different. Suddenly, there is a personality on the other end. The person on the other end of the line is much more real than the person at the other end of the email. For this reason, each assignment to your VA has more meaning, when they know you and your voice. Therefore, each assignment carries more weight than if it were some anonymous person making the same request.

My communication with my Virtual Assistant is not just either/or. I talk to Kavitha; and, I email her almost daily. I email that which she can copy and paste. I talk to her about everything else. What it boils down to, I talk to her about the general direction; and I email her the details. It is working great. If you have a virtual assistant, you should try talking to him or her; it will improve your experience. At least, that is the theory about my own experience.