From Job to Business – Managing Phone Calls and Email

One of the toughest things for new Virtual Assistants is moving from an employee mindset to a business owner mindset. It is often just as difficult for clients to learn that they are not your boss and you are not an employee. If you want to be a successful VA, however you must make this transition.

Phone calls and emails are the two areas that seem to be the hardest for VAs to handle. A ringing phone is difficult to ignore and so is that “you’ve got mail” notification. So turn them off. Yep, you heard me – turn off the ringer and don’t set your email to check automatically for messages. Yes, you will probably have some withdrawal symptoms but once you see how much more work you finish in less time – you’ll be sold!

Your clients may go through withdrawal too but you can help them through it by setting clear expectations. Be sure your policies and procedures are clearly outlined and in writing for your new clients – and then stick to them. For example, let clients know what your turn-around time for responding to emails is. My personal policy has always been within 24 hours. I set time to return emails three times during my day and I check voice mail at the same time. I also encourage my clients to set a telephone appointment to eliminate voice mail tag.

Why, you ask? It only takes a minute to respond to an email or grab the phone, right? But what about the time it takes you to get back on track with what you were doing before the interruption? Please don’t fall for the myth of multitasking. Schedule the time you work for clients and don’t allow them to interrupt you. After all, they don’t want you interrupted when you are working on their projects! Explain to them that this helps you to work more efficiently and helps keep their costs low. Of course, you need to be flexible but you must use a healthy dose of common sense and always be fair, firm and friendly – for everyone’s benefit.

By the way – if you have a client who insists on using IM – run! It is a huge timewaster and a clear sign they only see you as an employee.

The Suggestion Box

Here’s your chance – help me help you! If you have any ideas you would like to see implemented, please post a comment here. I will create a post out of it and we’ll let other members vote by making comments. If other participants like the idea, I will do my best to see that it is implemented.

So, what’s on your wish list?

Introducing the VA Watercooler

This category is for business related questions and discussions. When we launch the full site (very soon! ) this will be a forum – but in the meantime we have this not-so-pretty-but-very-functional category!

Do you have something you would like help with? Maybe you are shopping for a computer and want some input from experienced VA’s? Or are you wrestling with adding a table to a word doc? Do you want some feedback on a proposal before you submit it? Just post a comment here – I’ll create a post out of it and add my input and we’ll see if anyone else can help too!