Time Management Tips for Virtual Assistants
As a personal virtual assistant, you play an important part in assisting clients in better understanding the businesses in which they are investing; in other words, you help develop a reputation and improve the customer base of all the small businesses in which you work. Though you may not always receive the credit, you are accountable for your company’s daily successes, so you must be methodical and organized to make the most of it.
Multiple customer demands may be burdensome, especially when they include concerns and enquiries from other departments. So, how would you manage your time in such a bind?
Follow a checklist
Instead of scribbling down every single step and action in your head, get a notepad and write down everything you need to get done in a day. You risk forgetting your most important responsibilities if you just keep it in your thoughts. If your project has a deadline, begin planning a week ahead of time and create your own deadlines ahead of the official ones.
Well-chosen resources
As a virtual assistant, you, like a researcher, need to resort to relevant and curated resources to arrange your administrative work—for example, YourDailyTask is an amazing example of a fantastic virtual assistant services. You employ their working methodology to gain hand-s-on time management for your projects and communication software.
Furthermore, there are several resources available on the internet that you should take use of in order to be an effective virtual assistant.
Make use of time blocking.
Time blocking entails scheduling your time based on the sort of task you have. For example, you should use your most energetic time to address big problems and your less energetic time to do simple activities. The dispersed times, on the other hand, might be utilized for less difficult tasks such as phone calls and business sessions. This allows you to devote your whole attention to the jobs that require it.
Assume you arrange important conversations on a Monday since you are returning from a break and may perhaps focus on arranging the remainder of the week. On the other hand, if you wait until Friday, you may become sidetracked for the upcoming weekend.
Important working hours
Instead of working 10 hours a day, manage your time so that you can do everything in six to eight hours. Maintain your job hours since your personal life requires equal attention. Why would you sweat over a few additional bucks that you would waste in a matter of hours? The idea here is not to be lazy, but to be creative and work as much as you are expected to.
Recognize emergencies
Customers will frequently want speeds from you. However, it is your obligation to sort through these emergencies and respond appropriately. For example, you may receive an email requiring you to answer soon because the customer is impatient.
Instead of agreeing to the client’s demands, assess the issue and then respond on two conditions: first, if they provide you a turnaround for the urgent job, and second, if they allow you to do the assignment inside your working hours.
Set your own limitations.
Some clients may feel entitled to and want your continual attention because they believe you are obligated to work for them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, if you don’t set boundaries for yourself, your clients will do so for you. Make explicit your working hours, formats and models, and additional costs for extra labor before signing up.
The more clients you have, the more probable it is that they will be dissatisfied with your service. Don’t be a puppet and dance on your clients’ strings; instead, make your policies explicit.
Every client is unique.
As a virtual assistant, you will meet people of various personalities. You are the only consistency in this situation. As a result, it is preferable if you approach every scenario with a clear mind. The same buzz cannot be passed to the next client in line if the previous client was excessive and taxed your patience.
You must evaluate your client’s communication and respond properly. Do not be nasty, but rather as inviting as possible, because a few seconds might lose you a devoted customer for life. At the same time, prioritize your mental health and take pauses as needed.
Conclusion
Whatever time management approach you adopt, take total control of your time and utilize the strategies provided to make the most of it.