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Or, the way to do business stress-free!
In our last blog, 10 Tips for the Traveling Entrepreneur, we gave you some tips and tricks to making travel less stressful and more comfortable. As promised, we’re going to discuss ways a Virtual Assistant can be an advantage to your business while you’re on the go.
Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, a Virtual Assistant can ease your mind by taking care of your clients while you travel. Your business doesn’t have to come to a halt; the sales process can continue in your absence.
Let’s face it, we live in an instant gratification society and if you want to keep your clients engaged in your business, you have to provide them with that gratification.
A Virtual Assistant can benefit your business in the following ways:
Email Management
Imagine you’ve gone on vacation for a week and you’ve sworn to focus on relaxing with your family and stay away from your inbox. You return to find 400 emails waiting for you. Suddenly you wish you’d never taken a much-needed vacation!
Buuuut…imagine if you had a Virtual Assistant! Your VA could screen your emails as they come in, trash any junk mail, respond to anything urgent and keep your inbox at a manageable level. Even if your VA doesn’t have the proper answer to a client’s email, at least they can respond with something more personal than an “out of office” message.
Also, when a potential new client sends an inquiry, receiving an “out of office” notification could create some frustration (here is that instant gratification piece I mentioned), which could easily lead them to your competition for answers. And ultimately a loss of that potential client.
Customer Service
Your customers can still phone your business and receive assistance right away. When your clients call they’ll get a live person instead of voicemail. And your cell phone won’t be ringing off the hook when you’re trying to relax!
Setting up your VA as a Virtual Receptionist would be highly beneficial, not just as a temporary relief while you travel, but as a permanent part of your organization. Imagine the things you could accomplish if you weren’t constantly on the phone!
Create a list of common questions you receive, go over it with your VA and provide answers your VA can use to help your customers. That alone could cut your phone calls drastically.
Research
Are you an author? Do you need to research specific personal items that aren’t related to your business? And the reason you’ve been putting it off is that you know it’s going to take up more time than you have? Do you figure the only time you’ll have to do that kind of research is when you take time away from work?
Ohhh, the benefits of a VA that is a web research wiz are undeniable! Let your VA scour the web for that carpenter for your next reno project. Or that rare Mid Century Modern teak coffee table you’ve been dreaming of. If you find a VA who thinks outside the box, they’ll know how to dig deep on the internet and find exactly what you’re looking for.
Social Media Management
Clients will continue to see marketing posts via email, social media, blogs, etc. They may not even know you’re on vacation! Your VA can interact with clients via replies to comments on your social media posts (ahh, there is that pesky little need for instant gratification again!), keeping them engaged and interested.
Calendar Management
Appointments can continue to be booked, so you can look forward to a full schedule upon your return (without the stress of 400 emails to sift through first!). Your VA would also be available to reschedule or cancel any appointments on your behalf, if necessary. This way your client doesn’t have to wait for your return to reschedule.
I know some of these tasks may seem small, but in the bigger picture, your VA could save you a lot of time and energy. Not to mention, stress!
Vacations are meant to be relaxing, but how can you relax if your phone is ringing and binging with notification after notification? We all know that it’s difficult to ignore those sounds because sometimes even you, as the business owner, needs that instant gratification just like your clients.
With an experienced VA handling the ropes, you can feel at ease knowing your business is still flowing while you’re away.
If there is anything I can do to assist you in making your business successful, I have a plethora of skills and experience in my portfolio. Contact me today and let’s discuss what I can do for you!
If you can think of any other ways a VA might help you while you’re on the go, please share them in the comments below!
