The Importance of Feedback and How a Virtual Assistant Can Help

Do you ask your clients for testimonials and feedback? Why is feedback important? How do you make it easy for your clients to tell you what they think of you?

When recently working with a small business providing a trade service to commercial builders, we were putting together a Letter of Introduction for the client to reach out to potential clients. At the end of this letter, the business owner had listed a number of references for the prospect to call if the prospect chose to take the time to find out more about the service the client provides.

On suggesting attaching a flyer full of testimonials, the client indicated that they didn’t have any ‘testimonials’ as such, just a lot of clients who would recommend them in a heartbeat!

The client had never asked for feedback or a testimonial from any of the businesses they currently service but this was an extremely easy process to put into place. There are many ways to ask your client base for testimonials and it is a MUST! Once you have these, you can put them on your website and any other promotional or marketing material that you create. Testimonials make it easy for a prospect to see what others say about you.

So, what did we do? In this instance, as the business doesn’t yet have a website, they opted to create a ‘Feedback Form’ to e-mail to their clients. How did we make this easy? We created a form so that the client only had to complete the form and email it back. This didn’t take long to create and the client now has testimonials to send to prospects.

I am an avid feedback and testimonial provider as I believe that if a service is great, I want others to know about it. I must admit though, when writing this article, I thought of the businesses and services I have used recently and there are a number of them that I haven’t given feedback to simply because I have become busy and forgotten. How many of your clients may need a reminder or prompt to give you some feedback?

So, why not make it easy for them? There are a number of ways to make it easy for your clients to leave feedback for you. Here are a few ideas:

* Create a form (Word or PDF) and systematically send this out to clients to ask for feedback to better your service and ask for a testimonial.
* Connect with your clients on Linked In and ask for a recommendation.
* Create a link on your website to an online feedback form created through a Survey Provider such as Survey Monkey or Poll Daddy or through your current Email Marketing Provider such as Constant Contact who also do Survey Marketing.

The beauty of creating a form rather than just sending an email and requesting a testimonial, is that not only does it provide you with specific feedback on areas for improvement, you can tailor your questions and prompt answers. Often times it can be difficult for some to think of something to write but with a few prompts, you end up with some fantastic feedback and a great testimonial.

If it is a little daunting to set up this system yourself, we would be more than happy to assist you! After all, a Virtual Assistant is there to make it easy for you!

So, if you have any feedback for us as a client or reader, feel free to comment or connect with us on LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!

Online Personal Assistants Receives Virtual Assistant Certification

When searching for a professional and reliable Virtual Assistant, there may be many options. How can you be sure that the potential Virtual Assistant has the skills and proficiencies necessary to complete your jobs accurately and on-time? VAcertified.com offers a new standard for Virtual Assistant Certification. Clients worldwide are using this system to benchmark services they are seeking in a Virtual Assistant.

Recently, our very own Debra Barber, owner of Online Personal Assistants, received Virtual Assistant Certification from VAcertified.com. Online Personal Assistants are proud to be one of the few Australian virtual assistant services to receive this certification.

To qualify for the recognition, Barber was evaluated by an international team that assessed personal and professional traits. Evaluators researched her skills, education and industry contributions. Barber met the certification requirements and can now utilize the certification to gain business owners’ confidence when working with potential new clients.

Barber says, “Being VAcertified is vital to my business, as it proves to both current and prospective clients that my Virtual Assistant career is important to me. It also showcases the ethics involved with providing an essential service for many small to medium-sized business owners.” The certification demonstrates that an international group of peers recognizes Barber’s commitment to excellence within the industry. “It is a fantastic feeling and a great personal achievement to receive recognition from leaders within the industry; it is invaluable to be able to demonstrate your commitment to clients,” explains Barber.

We encourage business owners and managers to utilize a Virtual Assistant that is certified; clients can be assured that a certified Virtual Assistant has the skills and experience necessary to complete jobs accurately and efficiently. We are especially dedicated to providing excellent value to clients during the current economic challenges.

Clients find that partnering with a Virtual Assistant reduces stress, protects cash flow, eliminates administrative challenges and enables business people to concentrate efforts on growing their business. It is our goal to work with you to achieve a seamless transition between Online Personal Assistants and your office, giving you the opportunity to exceed your business goals.

We are proud of the recent certification and look forward to assisting you with your virtual assistant needs. Contact us today to discover how we can partner with you!

For more information about Online Personal Assistants, visit our website or contact us.

How to engage a Virtual Assistant :: Online Personal Assistants, Perth

There can be a variety of reasons to partner with a Virtual Assistant, including: time savings, cost reduction and an ability to focus on building your business. Recently, I was asked, “How do I engage a Virtual Assistant?” In this post, you will find answers to this important question and discover how Online Personal Assistants may be the appropriate solution for your business.

New clients contact us through various methods, including: website, networking or current client referral. After the initial contact is made, the first step is to schedule a no-obligation consultation. Prior to that meeting, you will receive a brief questionnaire that will allow us to prepare questions for your unique business. The meeting will take approximately one hour and may be completed face-to-face or via telephone, whichever is most convenient for you. During the initial meeting, you will tell us about your business and together we will develop a plan to support your business through our Virtual Assistant services. This plan will become your Productivity & Cost Saving Audit.

Deciding to partner with a Virtual Assistant means examining your business. What tasks are you doing that could be completed by someone else? Because your business is unique, your Virtual Assistant needs are also distinctive and individualised. You can work with a Virtual Assistant to your comfort level. Some clients know where they would like assistance, whereas others need help to determine which tasks can be delegated. Online Personal Assistants can help you discover those duties you can entrust to a Virtual Assistant.

After determining your business needs, we will send a proposal for your review. Online Personal Assistants works with businesses on a per-project basis or through an ongoing support role. You may choose to seek proposals from other Virtual Assistants. When doing so, consider whether you require a Virtual Assistant in your city, state or country. If location is not a factor, you may choose to search a Virtual Assistant Directory or conduct a Google search to find another Virtual Assistant for comparison purposes. Most importantly, determine your personalised goals prior to contacting a Virtual Assistant. This will ensure you receive the information most essential to you.

When searching for a Virtual Assistant, consider the following:
• Experience: Relevant experience is a factor in determining Virtual Assistant fees. (You may pay a lower rate per hour for one Virtual Assistant; however, if the typing speed of one Virtual Assistant is half that of another, you will pay additional fees because tasks take longer.)
• Knowledge: Ask yourself if you need a Virtual Assistant that has knowledge of your industry and how to manage a business. Consider a Virtual Assistant that shows initiative and can assist you with a variety of tasks.
• Budget: Determine your budget when you review a prospective Virtual Assistant. This will help verify if your chosen Virtual Assistant can work within your budget.
• Location: Decide if it is important to have someone local or if you can broaden your search to include other geographic areas.
• Specialised Services: If your tasks are specific and concentrate in a particular subject, you may want to utilise a Virtual Assistant who specialises in that area.
• Turnaround Times: Communication is imperative when working with a Virtual Assistant. Be sure your Virtual Assistant knows your deadlines and time requirements. The majority of Virtual Assistants will have a standard lead time. For example, Online Personal Assistants requires a three-day lead time for most tasks. At times, jobs will be completed well within this timeframe. However, sometimes the full three days will be utilised. Remember to communicate your requirements for each deadline to your chosen Virtual Assistant.
• Testimonials: If you are concerned about not meeting face-to-face, check testimonials of previous clients and conduct additional research to ease your mind.

The above list illustrates several items that should be considered when engaging a Virtual Assistant. Ultimately, you must also choose a Virtual Assistant who suits your needs, personality and work style.

Contact Online Personal Assistants today to discover the Virtual Assistant services you can receive for your business. By mentioning this blog post, you will receive a FREE Productivity & Cost Saving Audit valued at $199.

New Packages available for Virtual Assistant Services, Perth

Many who subscribe to my newsletter would have seen the launch of some new packages in January 2010. These packages are now available when engaging the services of Online Personal Assistants.

We have come across a few clients who would find it a challenge to use the hours each month, even on our Basic Retainer Package and as hours do not carry over into the next month, this may be a disadvantage when utilizing the services of a Virtual Assistant.

In considering this, we have now launched our PrePaid Retainer Packages. The smallest of these is for 10 hours to use over a three month period. This is ideal for clients who only utilize a basic service most months and who sometimes require more assistance the following month(s).

These packages are:

* Mini-PrePaid Retainer Package - 10 hours with three months to use
* Medi-PrePaid Retainer Package - 20 hours to use over six months (bonus 1 hour with this package)
* Maxi-PrePaid Retainer Package - 40 hours to use over 12 months (bonus 2 hours with this package)

If a client uses their allocated hours before the expiry date, we top up again to the chosen package, with the new expiry date starting from the date of payment.

If you would like to know more about these new packages, please contact us and we would be happy to work with you in growing your unique business.

How to stay afloat in the current economic condition

Today's blog has been kindly provided by Colleen Gee from Avatar Bookkeeping.  Collen provides Virtual Bookkeeping Services to a range of businesses. Enjoy!

With the doom and gloom of the world recession on every radio, T.V. and newspaper at the moment it is very easy to look at how to cut costs and to hold on tight to what you have.  That’s not always a bad thing, but you need to be wise and what you cut back on and what you hold tight to..

One example is that because we are wanting to hold onto our hard earned cash, often it is the Marketing Budget that is the first to go..  This is NOT a good idea.  If anything, the Marketing Budget should be increased, not decreased.  With customers more difficult to find, you want to be the one to find them, not your competition and if you’re not out there marketing, then you don’t have much chance.

Current Customers become even more important now.  You want to hang onto them and make sure that they don’t cut you out of their budgets. Keep in touch with them, set up a system to contact them on a regular basis just to “check in on them” and as well as keeping in touch, it is a good way for you to get information on what’s happening in the industry.  Look at ways that you can add value, that won’t cost you big financially.

Cost Cutting can’t be ignored, but again this is where you need to be wise.  Don’t go putting off your key personnel just because you pay them the most.  They may be the ones who can come up with the best ideas or keep those important clients.  Consider things like evaluating the costs of your insurance or superannuation schemes; look at refinancing options; are there better deals out there?  If you are paying a full time Accountant, consider taking on a Bookkeeper to free up your Accountant to work on growth plans.  Look at ways that you can save energy and reduce your carbon footprint.  There are a lot of Government subsidies out there at the moment that you might be able to take advantage of.

Consider ways to diversify your income, particularly if you are heavily reliant on one client.  If that client goes under, it leaves you far too vulnerable.  So as well as looking for new clients, consider ways to provide added services to your existing customers or ingenious ways of generating income.

Make sure that you have a budget and that you set aside time at least monthly to look at and monitor the financial status of the Business and consider your Cash Flow and any actions that might need to be taken.  You should know what the current status is of your Business at least at the close of every month.