Pen Pals Newsletter | Let’s Talk!
Hello Pen Pals, Do you remember the Telephone Game? Kids would sit in a circle while one person begins by whispering a sentence into the next person’s ear. That person passes on what they heard to the next person, and on and on until it gets back to the original person. It is always so comical because somewhere, in making its way around the circle, the message loses most, if not all of its meaning. At work sometimes communication is much like a game of Telephone. Co-workers, clients, customers, vendors, and employees can hear different things at different times. When you add a virtual assistant in your business, it is crucial that the lines of communication stay open and that everyone involved understands what is being communicated. While a virtual assistant may not be an actual employee of your business, they are part of your team. When bringing a virtual assistant to work for you, think about sharing with them your goals as a company. Allowing them some insight into business goals and how you plan to reach those goals gives the virtual assistant some buy in. Go one step further and let the VA in on the role they will be playing reaching those goals. Let them know your “Why” for doing what you do in business and how their accomplishments will be valuable to the company. This gives the virtual assistant a purpose for each of the tasks they may do for you or your company. If you are working with a team, keep repeating your expectations. We all crave consistency and knowing what to expect and what the end result should look like benefits all parties. After meeting with a potential client for a consultation, we have a pretty clear idea of what the client wants the VA to do for them. However, when the client meets the VA for the first time, I always ask the client to repeat exactly what they hope to get out of this working relationship. Finally, there is nothing wrong in asking for clarity. Red Pen Virtual Assistants have no problems asking questions. As teachers we learn very quickly to ask questions. And something amazing happens when you ask questions…you learn. So here’s a question…how can we help you? Best Regards, Melissa Related Posts
Pen Pals Newsletter | New Year, New You
Hello Pen Pals, The tradition of making resolutions for the new year has roots as far back as the ancient Babylonians, some 4000 years ago. Their new year happened in March when they would crown a new king and the Babylonians would pledge their loyalty to the new king and promise to pay their debts. Today, resolutions are thought of as promises to ourselves to improve something in our lives. We’ve all heard the phrase “New Year, New You“, as it’s meant to inspire us that at the stroke of midnight we get the gift of a fresh start to complete all the things we fell short of during 2023. There can be many advantages to beginning “new”, especially in business. Think about it . . .the old you worked 80 hours a week on your business, which meant that you didn’t have a very good work-life balance. As long as you are making resolutions for yourself and your business, you should think about getting some help with those day-to-day tasks that take up too much of your time. These are the tasks that have to be done, yet take you away from your core business. Red Pen Virtual Assistants is the answer for our 19 companies that we call clients. We can be the answer for you too. Give us a call, set up a free consultation so we can talk about what tasks you’d like taken off your plate, and we will set you up with a qualified teacher as your Virtual Assistant. Let Red Pen help you get organized, get ahead, and get more time to build and grow your business. I wish each of you a healthy and prosperous 2024! Best Regards, Melissa Related Posts
Pen Pals Newsletter | December 2023
Hello Pen Pals, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I traveled this Thanksgiving so it wasn’t exactly relaxing, but it was great to see family that we don’t get to see very often. I truly hope you were able to spend some quality time with your friends and family. This newsletter is sent out periodically to anyone that has indicated they wish to be a Red Pen Virtual Assistant. Some of you are currently working with a client (or two!) and some are patiently waiting for that right client to come along. Please know that the majority of the working day is spent trying to attract clients to our business. My goal is to have everyone working with a client in some capacity. I am truly thankful for each of you and your continued support of Red Pen! We are entering the busy holiday season and we will all be taking some time away from work at some point. Even though much of the work that we do can be done remotely please be sure to communicate with your client if/when you will be taking time off. Most of the clients we have now have come from referrals. Our name is getting around the Richmond area, but we still have a lot more work to do. So how can you help let others know about what we do? Here are a few requests to help boost the Red Pen name: As always, thank you! I hope to be in touch with each of you very soon! Sincerely, Melissa Related Posts
