Congratulations on hiring your new VA! Now what?

Hiring help is a BIG STEP, but utilizing that new hire sometimes feels overwhelming. This series of blog posts will give you the path you need to utilize your new VA to the fullest, without wasting time figuring out what to do next!

The most important first step toward feeling instant relief-

HAND OVER THAT INBOX!

Email is no longer your secret shame! Start by giving your VA full access to your inbox. DO NOT BE ASHAMED OR TRY TO CLEAN IT UP BEFORE THEY SEE IT. You need to give your VA a true look into your world. Before you start training, do this:

1. Make a list of people or companies you always want to see in your inbox. Let your VA know to bring those people to your attention.

2. Make a list of companies you wish you never saw in your inbox and would like unsubscribed to or tagged as junk mail. Have your VA do this for you.

3. Make a list of things you need to see, but not all the time. For instance, you might want to see the sales that come through, but if you get a notification from shopify with every sale, it clutters things up. Ask your VA to set a filter for those emails to go to a folder you can check occasionally, but not have to see every day.

Your VA will be able to sort and organize your inbox in no time, immediately relieving your stress. Pro tip: If your inbox is extremely full, ask your VA to move everything to a folder marked, To Go Through, and have them slowly work through old emails so you can start fresh with a new inbox right away.

Added Bonus! In no time, your VA will be able to respond to emails in your voice and tone, if you set them up for success at the start. I suggest offering your VA a simple cheat sheet of things you do and DON’T want them to say when mimicking your communication style. Here’s what to include: 1. How fast do you want emails responded to? 24 hours, 48 hours? You decide!

2. What’s your communication tone? Are you casual and relaxed with your employees but total a BOSS when speaking to outsiders? Do you have a fun streak that comes through in everything you say and do? Are you direct, but kind? Think through your com style and let your VA know your expectations.

3. How will they find answers? Reiterate the importance of not guessing to find answers and point them in the right direction. Encourage your VA to take notes while learning and give them freedom to ask for and receive a LOT of feedback. A great VA should be able to find the answers to things simple by going through your other responses and then just run them by you for confirmation.

4. Work together to create response templates! While they're at it, have your VA go through your sent mail and find the most common things you always respond to and create simple email templates! It’s will be easy for your VA to find patterns and do this for you. Next up in the series: Hand over that schedule! Subscribe to my newsletter so you don't miss a single post!