Tasks For Your VA – Virtual Assistant Talent https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com Sat, 01 May 2021 06:26:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 Getting More Leads for Your Business Using A Virtual Assistant https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/getting-leads-for-business-using-virtual-assistant/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/getting-leads-for-business-using-virtual-assistant/#respond Tue, 17 Nov 2020 00:01:51 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=4839
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Running a business requires most entrepreneurs to contact a never-ending list of prospects. The good thing is, this is something that you can delegate pretty easily—if you know how to do it right.

In this post you will learn what you should keep in mind when using virtual assistant services to generate leads for your business.

Generate More Leads Using A Virtual Assistant

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The advantage of lead generation services is that they will handle the entire hiring process. That means you will get a pool of endorsements based on your specifications, and they will arrange Skype/phone interviews.

Setting Goals and Delegating VA Tasks

1. Identifying daily/weekly goals

Start by cutting it down by daily goals and setting your target monthly revenue. Identify the number of new prospects you need to contact on a daily/weekly basis.

For example:

Daily cold prospects to contact: 980 prospects / 20 business days = 49 per day

So if your daily target is 49 leads, communicate this on the day the you orient your VA, and ask them if it is doable. From there, you can test the waters by assigning your VA the task of researching, but not contacting, roughly half your target number.

2. Delegating tasks

There are a number of ways virtual assistants can help you with lead generation, depending on your business model and marketing strategy. Generally, VAs are already trained and experienced in their own field. But as with any other employees, they also need to be acclimated to the new business approach every time. The key here is to start small and ramp up the complexity of the tasks as you get to feel your VA’s capability.

Hiring a Lead Generation Expert

3. Researching leads

If you’re not quite ready for the VA to contact leads directly, then save yourself from the time-consuming task of researching them.

First thing to do is to provide your lead generation virtual assistant a profile of your ideal prospect.

Then, they will use tools like search engines, social media, and LinkedIn to find these prospects. Ask your VA to find relevant leads by drawing from a specific list of companies and titles, using the “advanced search” function in LinkedIn, for example.

4. Contacting leads

Most lead generation jobs work from home individuals are equipped with good communication skills.

Give clear instructions on how to contact prospects by giving them scripts and templates or asking them to customize one. They can also jump into email marketing to introduce your company and your products/services.

Marketing Your Brand


Companies who blog have an overwhelming 97% more leads. ~ Social Media Today
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5. Develop marketing materials

A VA can be a tremendous help in developing marketing material for your campaigns.

They can create relevant blog posts; marketing materials such as posters, copy ads, eBooks, and content that you can then distribute to drive traffic and move the leads down the sales funnel.

6. Assign other tasks!

Yes—you can absolutely hand over some time consuming tasks to your virtual admin assistant. allows you to allocate more time to lead generation is valuable. They can easily cover everyday, repetitive tasks related to your business, such as social media management, answering calls/emails, or even bookkeeping.

With social media posting, they can share articles, tweets, status updates, etc so you gain more exposure in the online arena. The more engaging you become, the more likely you are to attract and retain prospects.

7. Allows you to do your CORE function

Telemarketing works, but at some point you will have to pick up the phone. Home-based lead generation jobs will allow you to work on your full potential by extracting all those activities that take up too much of your time.

Here’s how Henri Schauffler of CEO Focus works with his VAs:

“A trained telemarketing team calls a select list for participants in my free business-building seminars for small business owners. Those interested are then sent an email.

The list of “RSVPs” is sent to me daily. I mail them a USPS letter with ticket and flyer. Then I call each one personally and get them talking about their business.”

Steps on Working with Virtual Assistants Successfully

  • Be clear about what you want the lead generation freelancer to do.
  • Keep a running list of what you should delegate.
  • Create a job description and responsibility list for your VA.
  • Say what you want your VA to produce, how they should behave, tasks he/she needs to complete.
  • Ask your VA to help you create a Systems manual.
  • Hold weekly or monthly meetings with your VA.
  • Never hesitate to ask your VA for help or advice. Virtual assistants are excellent at helping business owners so make sure to ask and listen to what they have to say.

When you finally find the best VA to work with, enroll him or her in your vision and your goals. Make sure your virtual help is enthusiastic about what you do and is ready to roll!

Virtual Assistant Talent is an excellent source if you’re looking forward to hiring a part-time or full-time real estate lead generation virtual assistant. See how our highly qualified and trained VAs can assist in your everyday tasks and objectives. CALL 1-866-596-9041.

We would love to hear if these ideas worked for you! If you have questions or any Social Media related success stories, please leave a comment below.

Reference:

www.inc.com
www.salesschema.com
hireyourvirtualassistant.com

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How To Decide What Tasks To Delegate To A Virtual Assistant During Covid Times https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/how-to-decide-what-to-delegate-to-a-virtual-assistant/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/how-to-decide-what-to-delegate-to-a-virtual-assistant/#respond Wed, 11 Nov 2020 16:32:00 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=10306
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Imagine walking into a garden blindfolded and holding the hand of someone you trust…

As you take your blindfold off, you gasp at all the blossoming variety of plants and flowers surrounding you. But delighted as you are, you have no idea what each beautiful plant or flower is called and what it can offer.

Now, as the person beside you described each of them to you… you learn little by little that some of these are medicinal plants, while others are used for cooking, or just ornamentals to adorn the garden.

The same holds true in the world of virtual assistance workforce…

Each virtual assistant is equipped with unique skills and talents to offer to business owners and professionals who truly need them. It’s only a matter of knowing WHAT to delegate to a VA that will determine the success of this partnership.

Why do I need a virtual assistant?

There several areas in your business that you would consider “time-suckers” and even “costly” as time goes by.

This is where a virtual assistant comes in. These are top 3 reasons for delegation:

  1. You are way too stressed at work and need to redeem a work-life balance.
  2. You have limited skills or unwilling to do the difficult or technical tasks.
  3. You need to grow your business by reaching out to more prospects.

Are you now seeing the different angles you can possibly fit a VA into? Here’s a simple virtual assistant services list to help you get started.

Now let’s move on to the process of delegation…

Before you even stumbled on this post, did you ever feel that maybe you’re “still not ready” for this kind of assistance or maybe at the back of your mind you think “it’s too risky”?

This hesitation is what you call your own “blindfold” and it’s reasonable only to take your first baby-steps with much caution. More importantly, it’s recommended that you have someone to guide you on how to choose the right virtual assistant.

When you use managed virtual assistant services, the hiring process can be as easy as ordering a pizza online.

  1. First, you start with a phone call to discuss your current business needs.
  2. Next, you interview the top 2-3 VAs with the skills that you’re looking for.
  3. Then, once you’ve chosen the right candidate, you pay the invoice sent to you and the VA starts working.

Sounds smooth, right?

But here’s what you need to know…

What should you delegate to a virtual assistant?

First off, plan to set aside time to list down all the types of tasks you are performing daily, weekly, and so on. (You might be surprised by how much time these repetitive non-profit generating activities are taking from your day!)

Secondly, remove the tasks that must only be performed by YOU. These can be highly confidential systems and processes pertaining to your business.

Then, everything else left on the list can be delegated. (See more here: Tasks to delegate to a virtual assistant)

To make it easier for you, we’ve come up with only 2 categories to group your activities into:

1. What work needs to be done to RUN your business?

Examples are:

  • Administrative, transcription, paperwork, data entry
  • Customer service, answering calls/emails, chat support
  • Order fulfillment, inventory, after-sales
  • Accounting / bookkeeping
  • Human Resources, operations, project management, calendar management
  • IT, web admin/maintenance, technical support

2. What work needs to be done to GROW your business?

These can be:

  • Telemarketing / sales, cold-calling, appointment-setting
  • Prospecting, lead generation (online and offline)
  • Social media, SEO, PPC, web traffic, ads
  • Content marketing, email marketing, sales funnel
  • Product / service development, business development
  • Website / Ads / Graphics

You can learn a lot by looking at some examples of delegation in the workplace. Most certainly you’ve undergone and implemented these in your business.

The 6 do’s and don’ts of working with a virtual assistant

1. Do promote patience and consideration

As you’re starting with this client-VA relationship, Stay as patient as you can in explaining things, especially the complex processes.

2. Do take time to train

Generally, the virtual assistants are already trained and experienced. But you still need to give a proper orientation so the assistant gets to know you, the job and your standards.

3. Do set reasonable expectations.

Not every deadline can be “ASAP.” Make sure your VA knows what to aim for, and keep it consistent. Setting unrealistic standards will only serve to stress your assistant out.

Related reading: How to use an assistant effectively

4. Don’t make assumptions.

Continuous communication and feedback will ensure a healthy and productive working environment for both of you. Take time to review their work. A short “good job” is enough.

5. Don’t put off updates.

Inform them about changes in schedule, project scope, responsibilities and other updates as they come. Let your assistant know and understand your priorities.

6. Don’t ignore your assistant.

As much as possible, respond to your VA’s calls or emails promptly. In this way, you maximize their usefulness. Provide more information when necessary so they have a direction to follow.

Overall, you must remember one thing…

You’re not working with an AI or machine. There are going to be some bumps in the road at first, but once the VA gets up to speed, you’ll be able to trust them more and hand off higher-level tasks.

Hiring a virtual assistant can be quite challenging. We can help you find the best talent for your workforce. If you feel you’ve been overwhelmed with never-ending work and aren’t sure where to begin, feel free to reach out.

CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 for more in-depth information on outsourcing strategies and best practices. Discover how our highly qualified and trained virtual assistants can help in your everyday tasks and objectives.

Virtual Assistant Talent is a top-notch virtual assistant staffing agency helping professionals from different industries such as the real estate, insurance, small business, coaching/consulting, and executive leadership.

Reference:
www.inc.com

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35 Rules to Excellent Customer Service You Should Learn Right Now https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/35-rules-to-excellent-customer-service-you-should-learn-right-now/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/35-rules-to-excellent-customer-service-you-should-learn-right-now/#respond Tue, 19 Feb 2019 13:20:38 +0000 http://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=9539
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According to NewVoiceMedia, USA companies lose $75 billion annually because of poor customer service.

This brings us to the fact that it’s not only product and price that businesses must compete on, but customer experience as well. We rounded up 35 secrets on how to improve customer service skills in the workplace and implement an excellent customer support as a vital ingredient of your business.


You don’t earn loyalty in a day. You earn it day-by-day.” – Jeffrey Gitomer
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3 Golden Rules of Customer Service

1. Serve better by putting yourself in your customer’s place

Always understand your customers first by knowing who they are, what industry/line of work they are in, their pain points, their past relationship with you (for returning customers), and their goals.

2. Hire the right customer support team

Find the ideal customer service virtual assistant with industry experience and time management skills. Great customer service representatives are empathetic, knowledgeable, tech-savvy, and 100% focused on customer satisfaction.

3. Create and implement a standardized process

Have your best practices and systems organized for incoming customer queries, complaints, and issues. Make sure your CS team adheres to the policy.


“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow.” - Marissa Mayer
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Customer Service Tips Over the Phone

  1. Take control of initial interactions – First impressions carry a lot of weight. What can your business do to be more inviting? How can your customer support team communicate without being too pushy?
  2. Always watch your tone – When talking on the phone or replying to an email or online chat, pay attention to your tone and choice of words. Do your best to keep your cool and maintain a friendly tone for the entire confrontation.
  3. Demonstrate empathy – Whether the problem is big or small and even if you can’t fix the caller’s problem, just apologizing will make them feel good. People want assurance that your company cares about them.
  4. Be upfront about expectations – Be eager enough to inform clients and ensure they understand exactly what they sign up for, along with what result they are getting.
  5. Leaving a lasting impression – Resist the hurry to move on to the next deal especially when you have just completed a sale. End the call properly.
  6. Use personal touch – Always make your clients/customers feel that they are a priority. Personalize your interactions: Learn their name, use it repeatedly, and show that you’re listening, and mention something they said earlier.

What is necessary is to listen to your customers: understand their needs, expectations, and job to be done, and design an experience that meets those needs.” - Annette Franz
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Handling Customer Inquiries

  1. Answer promptly – Showing up early and quickly replying to a customer’s message. If the problem is easy to fix, then do it right away and avoid putting it off. You could miss out on making another sale right then and there.
  2. Build a community – Increase brand loyalty by hiring virtual assistant staff. The VA can help you easily build a community forum or write articles on tips or FAQs on how to use your products or services.
  3. Practice active listening – People want to be heard, so give them that attention and avoid appearing distracted. Paraphrasing what they have said shows that you are capable of assisting and understanding them.
  4. Fast and efficient service – Whether selling a product or helping a customer with an issue. Being swift and proactive shows customers that you are on top of it and that you value and respect their time.
  5. Be honest if you don’t know the answer – Not every issue such as a high-pressure situation can be solved right away, and it’s okay to admit that to your customers. Replace “I have no idea,” with “I don’t know, sorry. But let me take down your name and phone number and find out from an expert on my team.”

“How you solve the problem is more important than the problem itself – so always think positively.” - Norman Vincent Peale, Author - Power of Positive Thinking
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Empowering Your Customer Service Support Team

  1. Reward exceptional service – Give incentives to your employees who work towards goals. They should be properly motivated to do the best work they can.
  2. Allow your staff to exercise power – For customer service reps who can offer real solutions, new discounts or credits that aren’t significantly costly to your bottom line.
  3. Do. Win. Repeat. – If your business does something well, then capitalize on it! Remember, it’s better to have repeat customers/clients than try to bring in new ones.
  4. Share information and collaborate – Having important discussions and disseminating information throughout the organization.

“Leadership is the ability to guide other without force into a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered and accomplished.” -Lisa Cash Hanson, Snuggwugg
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Using Online Marketing and New Technology

  1. CS software/tools – Invest on a good working customer service program or tools to produce proactive support and address potential issues.
  2. Utilize new technology – Another key to good customer service is to always adapt to the change of more advanced technologies that produce happier customers and reduces support costs.
  3. Multiple ways to reach you – Your customer support strategy should span website, mobile, live chat, email, and social media pages so that people will be able to access you where, when, and how they prefer.
  4. Use email marketing for special events/occasions – Put the personal data of your customers to good use like a reference for a happy birthday email, happy holidays, membership anniversary dates, along with a discount or offer to make them feel valued.

“Be dramatically willing to focus on the customer at all costs.” - Scott D. Cook, Founder, Inuit
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  1. Leverage your social media presence – Assign a customer service VA to monitor people’s comments, mentions, questions, etc. Especially if millennials represent a large portion of your customer base, as social media is extremely popular among them.
  2. Reach out to old customers – For those who haven’t purchased from you or used your service in a while, a simple message such as “I hope you have enjoyed product X. If you’re interested in Y service, give us a call any time!” will do.
  3. Use easy-to-fill-out feedback forms – To improve processes or reinforce working methods. Get customer reviews and feedback by sending emails with a link to a survey.

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” – Walt Disney
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Dealing with Negative Feedback

  1. A thick skin in a good way – Don’t take things personally as it’s impossible to please everyone all the time no matter how great your business is. Having thick skin allows you to remain calm and turn provoking situations around into something that benefits both parties.
  2. Address problems right away – To provide excellent customer service, your customer reps should be confident in tackling tough problems—doing follow-up calls or emails after a purchase or if problem arises.
  3. Avoid the urge to compete or argue – If the customer gets rude, hurtful, or too personal, then try to address him or her politely, but firmly. People will remember that your company doesn’t tolerate insulting behavior.
  4. Understand that every customer is different – Every buyer has his or her way to express concerns and handle issues. Take the time to acknowledge them one by one on their specific issues.
  5. Consider reputation management services – Continually be on the lookout for how your company is perceived, especially online where word spreads quickly. A good online presence is marketing that comes for free.
  6. Allow customers to vent – When they do this, you’ll learn more about the problem, and you give them a chance to exhaust their pent-up anger and energy, putting you in a better position to solve the problem.

“Getting in your last words may help you win the battle. However, even if you do win the battle, there is a good chance you will lose the war.” Kelley Robertson, Robertson Training Group
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Guiding the Customers Well

  1. Create self-service options – If your automated system is too complicated for your customers, then make it easier for them to reach a live person via phone or chat.
  2. Let customers explore and discover the product on their terms – Make it easy for them to experience your product or service and discover answers or solutions by themselves.
  3. Automate communications – Ensure that your communications are scaling with your customer base based on product usage patterns. This helps you communicate to the right users at the right time for the right purpose.
  4. Master authenticity – Know everything about your business, including its limitations. Instill your fundamental cultural values to everyone.

“This may seem simple, but you need to give customers what they want, not what you think they want. And, if you do this, people will keep coming back.” - John Ilhan
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If you would like to learn more ideas for improving customer service, talk to us and we can discuss your customer success strategy and overall business objectives. Our experienced customer service virtual assistants (VA) can help you with handling inbound/outbound phone calls, email, chat, and more.

Virtual Assistant Talent is a top-notch virtual assistant staffing agency helping professionals from different industries such as the real estate, insurance, small business, coaching/consulting, and executive leadership.

CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 and discover how our highly qualified and trained virtual assistants can help in your everyday tasks and objectives.

Reference:
www.nextiva.com
www.typeform.com
www.teamsupport.com



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Top 10 Skip Tracing Tools For Your Lead Generation Activities https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/top-10-skip-tracing-tools-lead-generation-activities/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/top-10-skip-tracing-tools-lead-generation-activities/#respond Thu, 02 Aug 2018 05:32:06 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=5085
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Technology has taken over the world by storm. Social media sites alone are flooded with billions of information from every person’s post or status. Why not use this valuable and digitally available information to grow your business and clientele?

Top 10 Skip Tracing Tools For Your Lead Generation Activities

People who are active users of search engines and social media platforms have literally created digital resumes and have left digital footprints with every click. The World Wide Web (www) houses all of these traces and activities.

What is Skip Tracing?

So, as a business owner, how do you put this information into good use? This is where online skip tracing comes in. Skip tracing is a method used to search and verify a person’s demographics. The process involves using tools and sites to gather and validate as much data as you can on a person or business of interest.

Who Utilizes Skip Tracing?

Many working individuals, professionals, entrepreneurs and businesses use skip tracing for different purposes. It can be used for…

  • Lead generation
  • Sales marketing
  • Debt collection
  • Business ventures
  • Real estate


#SkipTracing is very similar to #research – it requires time to achieve desired results.
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Save your valuable hours for the juicier aspects of managing your business and leave your lead generation and data gathering troubles by utilizing skip tracing services. Your Lead Generation or Skip Tracer VA is trained in scouring the web for digital footprints so you don’t have to learn and do it yourself.

Free Skip Tracing Tools

  1. Search Engines – Google, Yahoo! and Bing are the top 3 search engines that people use. Before looking for unpopular or paid sites, use these search engines first to locate your subject by keying in his full name, address and other information you have prepared.

These search engines also have an Advanced Search where you can specify whether you want results to be exactly as you’ve entered them or find pages that contain such search words.

  1. Social Media Platforms – Sharing information online is now easier and faster with the help of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social media profiles are like online resumes. Users add everything from their full name up to current employment. Check ins and posts also confirm their current location.
  2. Blog and WordPress Sites – Another tool where people share almost everything is a blog or a WordPress site. These sites are usually made by the owner himself or herself and usually include an “about me” page. Bloggers share their day-to-day experience, stories from the past or a recent travel stunt.
  3. Online Directories – Skip tracing tools and techniques such as SkipEase and Spokeo pull up information from telecommunications services providers so you can either search for your subject’s full name or telephone number to get or verify additional information.
  4. Email Checkers – Check if your lists of email addresses are valid by using email checker sites like www.email-checker.com and www.emailsherlock.com.

Paid Skip Tracing Tools

  1. LocatePlus.com – This site offers unlimited person search for less than $2.50 per day. LocatePLUS online investigative databases allow users to access billions of public and non-public skip tracing records and information from any internet browser.
  2. SkipSmasher.com – Founded on 2004, Skip Smasher is the only top people-search data service that is owned and operated by a licensed private investigator. It uses a unique approach of being limited to searches just for finding and identifying people, phone numbers, addresses and more.
    Customers use the services for a range of purposes from skip-tracing to fraud investigation/prevention to service of process and vehicle repossessions. Users must submit an online application to start.
  3. SkipGenie.com – Skip Genie prides itself as the “Ultimate Skip Tracing For Investors” – a virtually exclusive way to easily reach home sellers and negotiate deals. Users can locate hard-to-find sellers within minutes by getting landlines, mobiles, emails, and addresses. This skip trace software starts at $47 per month.
  4. TLO.com – TLOxp provides insights for: Debt recovery, Identity authentication, Investigation, Corporate risk management and due diligence, Threat assessment, Fraud detection and prevention, and Legislative compliance. Its advanced linking algorithms scour billions of public and proprietary records on an estimated 95% of the U.S. population.
  5. BellesLink.com – BellesLink is made for Real Estate Investors, Skip Tracing Pros, Lawyers & Investigators, and Repossessors & Forwarders. The site is perfect for any business that needs to skip trace current phone numbers and addresses. Flat-rate price is $99.95 per user/per month.

With all theses available tools, the likelihood of you finding people is very high. Imagine how long it would take you to gather all of this information on your own?

But, using a Lead Generation Virtual Assistant or Skip Tracer VA will save you time that you can spend making more money for your business. The VAs can help perform skip tracing tasks for you and generate highly qualified leads that you can convert into sales.

Virtual Assistant Talent is one of the leading providers of talented and efficient Online Assistant Services. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to learn more.

We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Business Outsourcing related success stories, please leave a comment below.

References:

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Top Ten Advantages of Hiring a Virtual Bookkeeper https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/top-ten-advantages-hiring-virtual-bookkeeper/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/top-ten-advantages-hiring-virtual-bookkeeper/#comments Tue, 23 Jan 2018 00:25:13 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=5074
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Small business owners know that it can be easy for bookkeeping tasks to pile up and consume their valuable time. Worst-case scenario is that mistakes can happen and you’ll have a hard time recovering hundreds or even thousands of revenue buried in your sheets.

The good news is there are virtual bookkeepers to keep you worry and stress free. Find out the advantages of hiring a bookkeeper and how they can help you make sure that your finances are in good hands.

What is a Bookkeeping VA?

A bookkeeping virtual assistant (VA) is an independent contractor who provides accounting services online or from a remote location.

Virtual bookkeepers are professionals who can take care of your bookkeeping needs using software such as QuickBooks and Peachtree. Saving time and money are few of the reasons to outsource bookkeeping.

Difference of a Bookkeeping VA from an Employee

Using a bookkeeping virtual assistant for your tax filing need is like using a regular in-office employee.
But why outsource your bookkeeping services? The major difference is that you SAVE MONEY and TIME.


With a #VirtualBookkeeper, you pay for the hours you need and nothing more. A regular #bookkeeper might spend downtime on your dime.
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24 Tasks the Outsourced Accounting / Bookkeeping VA Can Perform

A reliable online bookkeeping assistant can do:

Accounting

  • Budgeting
  • Inventory Management
  • Cash Flow Projection
  • Year End Accounting
  • Implementing record keeping and accounting procedures
  • Overhaul existing accounting systems

Bookkeeping

  • Balance Sheet Management
  • Maintaining Cash Flow
  • Excel Accounting Data entry
  • Bank and Credit Reconciliation
  • Trial Balance Maintenance
  • Maintaining Accounts on QuickBooks and Peachtree

Payroll Processing

  • Spreadsheets
  • Report Creation
  • Spreadsheet Design and Maintenance
  • Import, Export and Sorting of Data
  • Inclusion of Charts, Graphics, and more

Financial Services

  • Financial Management
  • Account Servicing
  • Accounts Reconciliation
  • Daily Petty Cash Management
  • Sales and Purchase Order Management
  • Revenue and Expenditure Management
  • Business Plan Development
Top Ten Advantages of Hiring a Virtual Bookkeeper

Feel Free To Share

10 Benefits of Bookkeeping Services from a Virtual Assistant

  1. Pay only for the work needed – The virtual bookkeeping assistant can come in handy when you have only a couple of tasks to be done, when you need it done.
  2. Cost-effective solution – Save money by not having to spend on office space and supplies (computer, furniture, utilities, etc.), employee benefits, and other things that come with full or part-time employees.
  3. More time for you – Outsourcing accounting services can save you hours crunching numbers on your desk. Think of all the things that you would have time to focus on now! You can have more time with your family, or more time investing in your business.
  4. Be updated on payments – You can also give your bookkeeper VA access to take care of your invoices on creditors and suppliers. He or she can also check the effective balances of your accounts online to help with the flow of the business.
  5. Organize income sources – In a growing business, it’s ideal to maintain each of your client’s account as its own profit center so you can measure their individual performance. But organizing each of these accounts can be cumbersome. An efficient VA is well-versed with one or two small business accounting software that can track all transactions.
  6. Fully managed and monitored – When you hire a virtual bookkeeping assistant from a virtual assistant outsourcing company you are also assigned a project manager to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
  7. Monitor Your KPI’s – Know your company’s financial standing. There are three key reports that must be submitted to the business owner: cash flow statement, income statement, and cash disbursement schedule
  8. Certified and trained – Virtual Assistant Talent (VAT) will give you VAs with a strong education (VAT assistants have college degrees) and a competitive work experience and skill set.
  9. Keep track of the flow of money – One of the top benefits of outsourcing bookkeeping is that you get to keep a clean and orderly record book. Tracking receipts, noting accounts payable and receivables, taking care of quarterly tax returns are just a few of the things a bookkeeper is responsible for.
  10. Focus on your core function – Bookkeeping is a vital back office task that becomes a casualty if your have more core functions to attend to. At first you will assume this responsibility but as you gain traction, it’s better to go for outsourced bookkeeping services for small business.

If your business does not observe efficient bookkeeping processes, you will be at risk of compromising all the efforts you have done to grow your company.

Managing a business alone is a difficult and understandably time-consuming task. Hiring a virtual bookkeeper can help you make sure your books are being done accurately and timely. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to learn more.

We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any business outsourcing related success stories, please leave a comment below.

References:

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How To Hire A Great Social Media Manager https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/hire-great-social-media-manager/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/hire-great-social-media-manager/#respond Wed, 06 Dec 2017 14:10:37 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=5228
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Depending on the needs of your company, bringing in someone to jumpstart your social media marketing is something that you shouldn’t decide in a rush.

Whether you are running solo or have an expanding business, hiring a great social media manager can be an amazing addition to your social efforts. The value comes from his or her social marketing know-how, deep understanding about connecting with your audience, and knowledge on how to best utilize the social networks.


From 2010 to 2013, the number of social media jobs grew 1357%. ~Buffer
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What is a Social Media Manager?

The main role of the Social Media Manager is to represent your business across all social networks. He or she is responsible for the overall content and social marketing strategies for the purpose of increasing brand awareness, engagement, and traffic.

This type of marketing manager is usually a “jack-of-all-trades” who handles a myriad of roles with superb social media marketing skills:

  • Specialist – Creates and distributes content on all social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), manages company reputation, provides social customer care, and facilitates partnerships with key influencers.
  • Coordinator – Monitors and updates social media channels, engages with the community in real-time.
  • Analyst – Collects and analyzes data, tracks the performance of social media campaigns, and tailors efforts to the right audience.
  • Graphic designer – Creates visuals by assembling images, typography, and other materials to make social content engaging.
  • Video marketing manager – Facilitates and leverages product demos, interviews, testimonials, and other storytelling methods in video format to reach out to the audience with emotional connections.

The Importance of Hiring a Great Social Media Manager


As of 2015, a search on LinkedIn for “social media” jobs has nearly 60,000 results — and that’s just in the United States. ~Buffer
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Social media helps you get found online. Nowadays, having a website is just not enough. You need to CREATE A BUZZ on your social media or you’ll fall short of customer service satisfaction.

  1. Your online presence is an extension of your existing brand and uniqueness you want people to experience when they interact with your business. The social media manager will often be the first point of contact for a potential customer.
  2. Deliver top-notch customer service and stay competitive. Presenting yourself and your business out there gives people the feeling that you care enough to get to know them better and their needs.
  3. Listen to what’s going on social—as soon as you find out what people are saying about your brand, you can start addressing their pain points and engaging with them, drawing them in to your products or services.
  4. Grow our audience and following. Having social media presence is a great way for people to go straight to your online shop. They may not know your company URL but going through your posts on your social media pages will send them to your website.
  5. Lead generation – Social media marketing strategies that generate leads such as promotions and social advertising using Facebook ads.
  6. An international company, for example, may need an expert who can coordinate efforts across time zones, languages, and cultures.

hiring social media manager

10 Factors to Consider in Hiring a Social Media Manager


#SocialMediaManager is not a position that should be taken lightly or seen as an entry-level job. A #socialmedia expert handles a variety of responsibilities from content creation to analytics.
Click To Tweet


1. Outline the scope of work.

Understand the skills you’re looking for and the timeframe for when you need to run social media campaigns for the business.

Include the level of expertise needed and the challenges you want to solve. Indicate any timelines or target dates that are relevant to your goals.

2. Knowledge of how social media works from a business perspective.

Managing a business page is not the same as sharing a post about your weekend with a group of friends on Facebook.

The candidate must know how to run an effective campaign on social pages, how to utilize the admin features, how to optimize and schedule posts, and understand individual channel algorithms.

3. Ask for track record and samples of work from past clients to see if they write in a way that aligns with your brand voice.

Consider the growth of followers of the pages they’ve managed and the posts they have written. Do the examples show an understanding of how business and social work together?

4. Enthusiasm for social media. Look for someone who has a real passion for the work.

A great social media manager has the capacity not just to be consistently active on social media but also to keep up with the constant evolution of online marketing.

Being a “digital nerd” doesn’t automatically qualify someone to be the ideal social media manager. You also need to be interesting, engaging, and enthusiastic.

5. Creativity.

Whether you have the bandwidth of a steady flow of content or not, the candidate must be creative enough to repurpose your materials or create new ones that will inspire curiosity, humor, and spirit in your posts and updates.

6. The ability to multi-task.

Multiple conversations, questions, and networks often happen online. Make sure that your social media VA can juggle these all at once. Planning ahead is also critical and having immediate access to the right tools is important.

7. Have go-to resources for content.

Curation is a one of the most time-consuming tasks of social media marketing. Great social media managers know where to find amazing content that would interest followers.

8. Knows how to allocate budget for social media advertising.

Ask the candidate to describe a plan for where to allocate your budget and how they would know if it’s successful.

For example in Facebook ads, depending on your company and your market, a minimum $500/month is a good start.

9. Prep for the interview.

Know the right questions to ask and be open to expert social media guidance along the way. This will inform your decision and help you pick the right person.

Ask them:

  • What social media platform(s) are best for your business? (and have them explain why)
  • Ask them what their first goals would be
  • Have they ever had to handle a social media/online reputation crisis? If so, how did they handle it?
  • Do they have a blog and do they currently write content for social media channels?

10. Use a job post to attract the right freelancer.

Make your hiring announcement as specific as possible to attract the top talents that you’re looking for.

For example you can put in your job post that you are looking for a social media expert that has a sales know-how, a solid foundation in marketing, and an understanding of today’s social-media-savvy customers

We hope that all these tips will help you in narrowing your list of potential and qualified contractors. If you are seriously considering hiring a social media manager today, Virtual Assistant Talent can help you.

Visit the following link to see how a social media manager VA can help you and what to expect from our social media packages.

We offer free consultation to discuss your business needs with the social media virtual assistant (VA), HR manager, and project manager us. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to learn more.

We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any social media related success stories, please leave a comment below.

References:

blog.bufferapp.com
krusecontrolinc.com
upwork.com
digitalmarketer.com

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A Complete Guide to Revamping Your Website This Holiday Season https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/complete-guide-revamping-website-holiday-season/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/complete-guide-revamping-website-holiday-season/#respond Wed, 29 Nov 2017 15:59:32 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=5200
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A web design update is a great way to attract more visitors, improve user experience, and boost your conversions. Your business needs it—and your patrons will thank you for it.

Give your online store a new and improved look this holiday season to keep up with the rush and shopping habits of your customers. Follow this guide for some website revamp inspiration!

A Complete Guide to Revamping Your Website This Holiday Season

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12 Reasons Why You Need a Website Redesign

1. You have set new marketing goals for your site

Business owners often change strategies to meet certain goals, so each time you adjust your marketing plans, make sure that your site aligns with these new goals.

Ask yourself…

  • How often do you modify your marketing strategy?
  • Do these updates affect your conversion funnel?

Updating your website layout is important if you often change marketing strategies to meet your business goals.
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For example, if are now to provide more lead generation content (like “How-to” blog posts), you should include CTAs on your homepage and other high-traffic webpages.

2. Slow site speed

Site speed is one of the leading factors that can make your site visitors stay longer or leave right away.

The user-experience you offer can affect your online presence, so if your website is slow, chances are, you’re using a slow hosting platform and it is poorly developed. Remember, users are not patient—they expect instant activity at the click of a button.

3. You aren’t getting the results you want

Now, it doesn’t matter if your website is all tart up and functioning well. If you still aren’t getting the results you want, it’s close to being useless. Your website exists to build your digital presence and customer base, and if you aren’t happy with the return, then it’s time to redesign.

Here are a few things to guide your website redesign process:

  • Does your call-to-action (CTA) convert visitors into leads and customers?
  • Is your site too text-heavy or full of technical/corporate jargon?
  • Do your landing pages motivate people to learn more by navigating deeper?
  • Does your website’s look and feel match your company’s voice?
  • Does it speak directly to your target audience?

Analyzing your conversion rates such as visitor-to-lead and lead-to-customer can provide you with a clear idea of what needs to be adjusted on it.

4. An overcrowded homepage

Ever read a website with just pure, never-ending text with no images? Overwhelming, right? And quite boring, too! A common mistake entrepreneurs make is putting excessive content right on the homepage of the website.

It’s understandable that you want to fit as much information as you can to sell your products or services, BUT it can increase your bounce rate too. You have only a few seconds to capture the interest of an online visitor, so you must be direct to the point with the message on your homepage.

A web designer virtual assistant (VA) can put together a layout that will express your core value proposition and single differentiator in the marketplace. Then, your landing pages will showcase additional features that the users may find relevant as they move down the sales funnel.

5. Your website just doesn’t work

Your site might still not be as user-friendly as it could be as there can be other elements of it that aren’t effective—and they can make your online store a bit dysfunctional.

Answer these questions to help with redesigning the website functionality:

  • Is your site navigation confusing?
  • Can a visitor easily find the most basic things YOU want them to find?
  • Are your product and service offers completely up-to-date?

6. You still don’t have a responsive design


In 2016, 82.5% of the US population were mobile users. ~ eMarketer
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With this in mind, consider that most first-timers coming to your site are on their mobile devices. And it will only increase in years to come.

A responsive design provides customers with a great experience regardless of the platform they are using. This allows you to accommodate them all whether they are coming from mobile, table, or desktop.

This should also be a top priority for your company, because your competition already has an advantage over you if they have a responsive design.

7. You want to execute a better content strategy

With the constant changes to the algorithms of search engines, you’d be smart to incorporate an efficient content plan for your website. It can improve everything from customer retention to SEO.

A web redesign can help if you’re planning to make some big changes to your content strategy like boosting your blog production or making room for more ebooks, and other downloadable pieces.

8. You’re eyeing an effective website layout

So, if you’re already considering a redesign, most likely you’ve learned a fair amount about what does and doesn’t work well in the process. It is recommended to take the interactive approach instead of implementing one massive goal all by yourself.

A web design VA can help you use the information you’ve gathered about what works on your current site and together you can plan accordingly. You can have your tech assistant handle all the small changes and every little detail.

9. It’s difficult to contact you

Since most people are using mobile devices to shop online, having a phone number on your landing page is a must. In this way they can do a quick screenshot of the web page to contact you later or while they’re on-the-go.

Aside from that, potential customers feel more comfortable when there is a way for them to reach you, inquire more before making a purchase, or speak to a virtual support.

10. Your third-party tools are outdated

As time goes by, you may need to replace or remove some of the third-party tools you’ve embedded in your site such as shopping cart widgets. You need to determine first which ones aren’t up to modern functionality standards.

To do this, have the Tech VA examine the following…

  • Are these third-party tools still working?
  • Are new-and-improved versions now available?
  • Are they slowing your site speed down?

Nothing drives customers away like outdated features in terms of function or design or just don’t work at all, so make sure you talk with your webmaster to handle these tools.

11. Poor product / service graphic presentation

Poorly designed imagery can give the impression that you don’t care about your brand or your customers. While stock images will do in showing your products and services, people may want to see authentic visuals of what it’s like to use your products, or to work with your services.

Avoid using or low-quality images. There are many alternatives to stock photography, from photos taken on an iPhone to inexpensive illustrations done by a graphic designer VA.

12. Your competitors push you down in the search rankings

Well, you don’t need to change your site every time one of your competitors changes theirs. But if they make changes that improve their rankings and end up pushing you down in searches, it’s likely time to do some redesign on your end.

Maintaining a findable and high-ranking website should also be one of your goals. An SEO Virtual Assistant can help you by conducting an audit report on your site and analyzing what adjustments you can make.

8 Factors to Consider in Revamping Your Website

  1. Functionality first – Put your customer’s hat on and browse your site as any visitor would. Is it easy to get from the home page to the product you’re looking for? Are answers to your most common questions readily available?
  2. Do a thorough site audit – Have an expert perform a complete SEO audit. The analysis will guide you of what you should keep and what you can remove such as inbound links or long-forgotten pages.
  3. Consistency is key – Though revamping your website gives you a new look and feel, you don’t want to stray too far from your current branding.

When doing the #WebDesign, maintain the same theme colors, typography, and imagery so that customers can still recognize your business when they visit your site.
Click To Tweet


  1. Draft a detailed plan for your content – This is also the best time to generate new content for your website. Use the SEO audit to find out what generates the most attention and what doesn’t. Expand on the article topics and posts that do well.
  2. Don’t forget the redirects – Maximize all the pros from your previous site and carry these over to the new one. Hold on to valuable content and set up a redirect so your inbound links and established SEO aren’t completely lost.
  3. Interactive desktop experience – Instead of cramming in information in a whole landing page, designers can make it more visual, elegant, and entertaining with width-hugging videos and interactive platform.
  4. Don’t overdo it – Redesigning a website isn’t a strategy that you want to use often since it requires a lot of time, money, and effort. Your revamped website should have the staying power to last for years. It’s important to make sure your regular marketers and content management team can update it easily within the existing framework.
  5. Pros do it best – Don’t struggle to finish a mediocre do-it-yourself job if you’re not equipped with in-house web design experts. Understanding where you need to outsource is crucial, especially if it will create a better and stronger output that will give you the results you need.

Revamping your website can seem like a complicated task, but it can be very rewarding along the way. Start planning your re-launch that will help boost your company and online presence.

As soon as you develop a solid plan and identified goals for your new website, get the right talent to work on the revamp. A topnotch web design virtual assistant (VA) can do the following:

  • Design and create your website
    – Blog and personal sites
    – Real estate sites
    – Portfolio, multimedia, news and magazine sites
    – Business and e-commerce sites
  • Web maintenance
  • Custom logo design
  • Custom product design
  • Additional custom pages
  • Mobile-responsive web design upgrade
  • Additional revisions depending on your web project requirements

Virtual Assistant Talent offers free consultation to discuss your website requirements with the Tech VA, HR manager, and project manager us. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to learn more.

References:

hubspot.com
huffingtonpost.com
upwork.com
blog.livehelpnow.net
americanexpress.com

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How To Market Your Business During the Holidays 2017 https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/market-business-during-holidays-2017/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/market-business-during-holidays-2017/#respond Wed, 18 Oct 2017 02:38:31 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=5056
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‘Tis the season of celebrations and joyous gift giving and business owners are leveraging these feelings to put their brands on focal point for all shoppers.

How to Market Your Business During Holidays

Find out how you too, can come up with successful holiday marketing campaigns that will effectively stimulate prospects to do business with you…

Identify Objectives in Marketing Your Business During Holiday Season?

Think about what you want to accomplish this year. Do you want to get…

  • more awareness
  • more customers
  • new customers
  • more sales per customer
  • higher spend per customer
  • more loyalty (or to bring back former customers)
  • lower costs/spending
  • or a combination of these?

When you know your goal/s for this year, you can then start marking the key dates for the best time to promote your business.

If you’re not sure when to start the holiday season for your business, check last year’s records for reference.


Related reading: Ways to Market Your Business Online During Holidays


Top Things to Consider

Before implementing these holiday marketing ideas, it’s best to consider factors such as budget and staff.

  1. Plan and budget in advance – Managing your inventory effectively is crucial during this season. You need to ask yourself
  • Are my suppliers reliable and available?
  • Do I need to pre-order? (Remember, it’s better to order too much than running out)
  • Do I have backup suppliers on call for ‘must have’ products/services?

Always check when your orders will arrive. Don’t worry if you have more than enough stocks if you can sell it after the holidays.

For example, if you are running a retail shop, these are the top things you need to consider…

  • Ordering
  • Processing
  • Delivery
  • Payment
  • Customer service (in-store or online)

These are the common bottlenecks of a business operation. And it may get worse during the holiday season. Isolate the problem areas and take action to improve efficiency.

  1. Hire extra staff for busy periods – Now that you have set your objectives and budget plan ahead, consider employing extra assistants to keep up with expected demand. You can get them by:
  • Putting up a ‘We’re hiring!’ sign in your store
  • Sharing a post via social media
  • Asking friends, family and your employees for referrals
  • Announcing it on your website
  • Or contacting recruitment agencies

Related reading: What a Virtual Assistant Can Do During Holidays


8 Different Holiday Marketing Strategies

  1. Promote your products early
    Starting early is the real deal. Don’t wait until after October to start planning for the promotional campaign. At this time, people are already talking about holiday shopping so that means they already expect more deals around the corner.

Use the calendar that you have set up and build audience anticipation by spreading messages about your products and services. Then, make a list of regular and potential customers to target with your various promos, discounts and add-ons.

  1. Create a personalized campaign
    As you welcome more people by spreading awareness, take the next step and invite them to physically insert themselves into your ad.

    With a customized campaign, OfficeMax drew 193 million visits with their “Elf Yourself” social media post.
    Click To Tweet


  1. Offer discounts and deals to stay competitive
    Perks such as buy one get one, free shipping and guaranteed-before-Christmas delivery dates can draw in more customers! Just make sure you are being realistic about these timelines (order-process-delivery).

One of the business marketing ideas for holiday is adding a countdown feature to your website (see #5) or app letting customers know the drop-dead dates for delivery by Dec. 25. Keep your packaging and shipping supplies in stock to help get orders out on time.

  1. Engage by hosting social media contests
    If your small business has a social media presence, let your audience know that your product or service is up for grabs! With a few rules, a hashtag and incentive such as a prize or discount on your offerings can excite your visitors and draw them into your business.


#SocialMediaContests can help popularize your brand and engage your customers during #Holidays.
Click To Tweet


  1. Upgrade your website and make sure it is up-to-date
    This is also a great time to enhance your website design. Add some holiday features and functionality such as a countdown timer for order cut-offs. Make sure your content is also accurate and up-to-date. Include important information like your store opening and closing hours over the holidays.

    Your #website is your biggest store. It never closes and your customers can buy your product 24/7.
    Click To Tweet


  1. Attract new or existing customers
    The best holiday marketing campaigns always include getting referrals. If you provide excellent service and nurture your customer base, they’ll keep returning to your store and will be happy to recommend you to others.

You can attract more people by giving:

  • Discounts
  • Free samples
  • Vouchers
  • Freebies
  • Seasonal giveaways
  • Limited coupon codes
  • Other incentives
  1. Get published
    Aim to update your company blog at least three times a week and reach out to local media outlets offering yourself as a source in your area of expertise.

Holiday gift ideas, age-appropriate crafts, recipes, getaways, and hosting/housekeeping tips are always popular this time of year.

  1. Reward customer loyalty
    Looking after your existing customers is often just as important as bringing in new ones.

There are plenty of marketing trends during holidays and it’s possible to attract customers all season long. For example, you can reward your most loyal customers with ‘members only’ gifts to keep them coming back for more. Segment marketing campaigns to send customized messages, rewards points, discounts and offers to frequent customers.

Make your customers happy by managing their expectations. If your customer service or chat support is only available during certain periods, let people know. And because your full-time employees are already planning their respective vacations, you may not have the bandwidth to do all of these during the season.

In this case, the smart move is to hire virtual assistant services to handle customer inquiries and website maintenance.

A virtual assistant (VA) can be a cost-effective solution to your business needs and processes during the holiday season.

TOP 5 AREAS Where Business Owners Use Virtual Assistants:

  1. Virtual customer support – Phone, chat, email
  2. Digital marketing / Social media marketing
  3. Web design tech assistance/maintenance
  4. Search Engine Optimization
  5. Blog management

The VA tasks can range from basic admin to technical such as the following:

  • Customer service – handle phone/email inquiries / chat suport
  • Telemarketing/prospecting – offer your customers promos, free shipping, discounts for the Holidays
  • Create flyers, product demos, and online brochures
  • Promote these across your social media pages
  • Up the quality of the images you use online
  • Add new features to your website
  • Make sure your website is mobile-friendly – test different screens and devices

…and more depending on your needs.

Virtual Assistant Talent is one of the leading providers of  virtual assistant services. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to learn more.

We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Business Outsourcing related success stories, please leave a comment below.

References:

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10 Reasons Why Hiring Virtual Customer Support is The Smartest Idea https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/10-reasons-hiring-virtual-customer-support-smartest-idea/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/10-reasons-hiring-virtual-customer-support-smartest-idea/#respond Wed, 11 Oct 2017 23:16:47 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=5043
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Do you often find yourself taking a lot of different roles to propel your business? Is customer service one of them? Do you feel you shouldn’t be doing it but can’t easily let go?

Well, it’s time for a change! You don’t have go through all the traditional motions in order to build an amazing team. Think outside of the box and revolutionize the way you build and run your company.

For starters, you can outsource from areas with lower average wage, saving on the payroll. Find out how hiring a customer service virtual assistant can be a smart move for your business…

10 Reasons Why Hiring Virtual Customer Support is The Smartest Idea

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What is Virtual Customer Support?

A virtual customer support is simply a personal assistant who works remotely to do basic business tasks. He or she can be your virtual secretary taking care of all the repetitive admin work that normally forms part of your day-to-day activities. Virtual assistants or VAs help you leverage your time so you can focus more on profit-producing, high priority activities.

Top 10 Reasons Why Hiring A Virtual Customer Support Is Beneficial

  1. A Very Cost Effective Way to Add Help

Obviously, the number one reason is you can save money. When you outsource virtual assistant who is working from his or her own location, you don’t get to spend on overhead expenses in the process.

Think about the primary needs you don’t have to worry about when you don’t need a physical office–rent, utilities, office furniture, supplies, and other necessary things for your customer support team.


Talented #virtual professionals are already built tough to operate independently.
Click To Tweet


  1. You Can Better Manage Your Time

Rather than being tied to your desk answering customer queries, you can have your calls taken for you. Using a virtual CSR can be very beneficial to your time and you can still stay in touch with what’s been happening throughout the day. You can also prioritize the issues based on what needs to be attended to first.

  1. Ability to Work Anytime When Needed

Because of the availability and affordable cost, the dedicated provider of virtual assistant services can be a huge improvement to your business. Customers can get help even when the owners and other office staff are off from work.

With virtual executive assistants, a business can easily cover the 24-hour time span during the day. This will allow customers to access full support any time they need.

  1. Improves the Quality of Your Customer Service

General admin assistants offer support with everything from basic tasks to project management. Today’s virtual support agents can provide you with a resource that is knowledgeable, experienced, and profitable.

The type of VA you hire should depend on what skill sets you need to achieve your business goals. If you have multiple customer support needs in your business such as taking orders and technical support, you should tailor your job request to find the person that is right for the job.


I found that using a #VA was so much more productive that it was well worth the additional investment. ~Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson
Click To Tweet


  1. Customer Inquiries Are Always Handled

Worrying about the office receptionist going on vacation? Calls not always answered during and after business hours? Worry no more.

Outsourcing your phone/email support ensures your customers receive the help they need when they need it. This will make them more satisfied with your service!

  1. Reduces Workload on Full Time Staff

Keep everyone happy by outsourcing your virtual customer service representative. Your full-time employees already have enough work to fill up their work plate and adding more can make them resent their jobs (see #8).

  1. Maintain a Professional Brand

A prompt service will always give clients and customers a good impression. Calls that are answered quickly and professionally give your business a great image that they love.

A virtual customer service assistant not only brings professionalism to your client base, but they also represent the name of your company and will either take a message or relay the call to you or anyone in your team.


FACT: There are a million things that need your focus and #CustomerSupport can easily fall low on the priority list.
Click To Tweet


  1. Reduces Turnover Rates

A stressful environment is one of the factors that trigger employees to seek work elsewhere. That’s why every employer or business owner strives for creating a happy and relaxing workplace for his or her people.

For example, the daily grind of commute can put your staff in a bad state of mind before they even get to the office. Cutting the lost free time, cost of gas, and bus fares, from daily travel out of the equation can make your team work happier everyday.

Adding a virtual customer service agent who work from the comforts of his or her home can help you retain the support you need for your business operation.

  1. Flexible and Scalable Enough to Suit Your Business

The good thing about working with independent contractors is that you can easily scale the size of your support team to suit shifts in your company operation.

If the need arises, you can expand your staff for specific assignments or long-term projects. Better yet, you can choose to condense your customer support team into a streamlined operation by assigning multiple tasks to these talented VAs.

  1. Accelerates the Hiring Process

Many of the HR Managers have observed that the traditional hiring process can be a very time-consuming task compared to hiring an online assistant.

This is because they have to juggle several face-to-face interviews and long waiting periods between candidates. Sometimes, it can take up a couple of months to fill a position when hiring locally.

But hiring online customer service only takes about two to three days. You can review their CVs and setup an interview via phone or Skype – a much faster way to build your team, right?

If you are overwhelmed by the clutter in your life and work, you can start utilizing virtual customer assistants to help with your daily activities.

The Virtual Customer Support Assistants Handles the Following:

  • Appointment Setting
  • Calendar management
  • Making calls on your behalf (inbound/outbound)
  • Prospecting
  • Customer support
  • Voicemail management
  • Email management
  • Chat/phone/email support
  • Data Entry
  • Conduct Research for White Papers
  • Search for Call for Speakers
  • Database/CRM management
  • Create Power Point Presentation
  • Bookkeeping
  • Personal online errands such as restaurant reservations, travel booking, online shopping
  • Transcribe audio or voice
  • Other miscellaneous tasks that you need to be handled

Virtual Assistant Talent is one of the leading providers of talented and efficient customer service virtual assistant services. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to learn more.

We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Business Outsourcing related success stories, please leave a comment below.

References:

upwork.com
customerthink.com
aircall.io
taskbullet.com
socialmediaweek.org

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2017 Top Marketing Tasks You Can Outsource to A Virtual Marketing Assistant https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/top-virtual-marketing-assistant-tasks-you-can-outsource-online/ https://old.virtualassistanttalent.com/top-virtual-marketing-assistant-tasks-you-can-outsource-online/#comments Tue, 27 Jun 2017 02:53:22 +0000 https://virtualassistanttalent.com/?p=4850
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Each of us has the same 24 hours a day to juggle everything that we need to do. But sometimes, there isn’t enough time for one business owner to accomplish every aspect of a marketing plan.

Find out how you can outsource marketing management tasks and responsibilities to a virtual assistant for all those things that you hate doing, can’t do yourself, or shouldn’t be doing…

Top Marketing Tasks for a Virtual Marketing Assistant

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11 Virtual Assistant Internet Marketing Services

1. Prospecting

Got a long list of qualified leads? A virtual assistant can easily make calls to identify which ones are ready to purchase your product or subscribe to your service.

This way, you only spend time pitching to true prospects that you can lead down the sales funnel. An assistant can also schedule those interested prospects on your calendar to set appointments with you.


Related Reading: 137 Tasks You Can Outsource To A Virtual Assistant in 2017


2. Competitor or Target Audience Research

One of the top virtual marketing assistant jobs is competitor analysis and research. Now you don’t have to spend hours in front of your computer trying to figure out where and what your competitors are doing.

3. Email Marketing

Marketing communication is all about making sure that your customers/clients remember you and the perfect way to do this is through email marketing. Stay in touch with your existing and future target market by having a VA handle the following:

  • Create and set-up auto-responders
  • Create and set-up thank you email
  • Create, edit, and send email newsletters – packed with useful content and promotional content
  • Create opt-in forms, etc.

Remember, communication is core in building up a business relationship and it is important that you get a well-rounded VA.

Human resource virtual assistant services can be a great help if you need get down to the nitty-gritty of finding the perfect virtual marketing assistant.

4. Inbound or Follow Up Calls

Need to pursue a sale? Hire a virtual assistant to send a reminder or call to follow up with your warm leads. Answering all further questions can also take time so hand it over to your assistant. He or she can do both inbound and outbound calls.

5. Blog Management

Another integral part of marketing virtual assistant services but takes up too much time is blog management. Thankfully, a VA can do this by…

  • Researching blog topics and resources
  • Finding appropriate images/videos or case studies
  • Writing blogs and articles
  • Finding contributors for your blog
  • Researching top sites to guest-blog

Do you find it pesky to manage your editorial calendar? Have virtual assistant create one for you and then execute it.

6. Search Engine Marketing

Search Marketing is all about attracting traffic and increasing visibility through major search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Two major categories under this marketing strategy are Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Both can be achieved using SEO Complete Package Solution.

SEO is the process of generating free or organic traffic from search engines while SEM means getting paid traffic from search engines.

SEO virtual assistants can help you with tasks such as:

  • Website analysis
  • Keyword research
  • Competitor analysis
  • On/Off page optimization
  • Link building
  • Monthly reports, etc.

7. Social Media Marketing

If you are a busy entrepreneur or professional, chances are, you don’t have the entire day working on your social media marketing. After all, posting and engaging on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn will keep you busy 24/7.

Creating a buzz about your business involves plenty of tasks that you’ll need to perform on a daily basis. Work with virtual assistants who can implement social media management packages such as the following:

  • Finding and posting relevant content on social media platforms
  • Promoting your products or services
  • Engaging with customers or prospects
  • Replying to comments/messages
  • Helping you plan an effective social media strategy
  • Scheduling of posts by using tools such as Hootsuite
  • Updating your business info
  • Monitoring, management etc.

8. Real Estate Marketing

  • Create property flyers or brochures – Your real estate virtual assistant can gather all the necessary information and create marketing materials for your listings.
  • Promote open houses – He or she can also promote your properties for an open house via ad and marketing channels such as Craigslist.

9. Website Update and Maintenance

There are various web development services a VA can help you with along with your existing marketing strategy. Tasks include adding new images, videos, content; adding meta tags and descriptions; linking to other posts, etc. A web developer virtual assistant can also do regular maintenance on your website so it runs smoothly and give an excellent user-experience.

10. Content Marketing

Creation and sharing of value-added content is essential to win over prospects or customers. That’s why content marketing should not be overlooked.

Competition gets tougher everyday so you need to beef up your content strategy. Work with your VA to provide fresh, informative and interesting content to your audience on a regular basis.

He or she can help in every step of a content marketing strategy – planning, creation, publishing, distribution and performance tracking.

11. Networking

Making connections online or in person can lead to mutually beneficial relationships. Though there are some networking activities that you really do have to do yourself, pretty much all online connection can be done by a virtual assistant.

He or she can start by researching online communities for you to join as well as networking events to attend. You can even hire VAs to search for call for speakers.

Virtual Assistant Talent, LLC is the number one virtual staff finder dedicated in providing top-notch virtual assistants for Entrepreneurs, Real Estate Agents/Investors, Small Business Owners, and Professionals.

See how our highly qualified and trained VAs can assist in your everyday tasks and objectives. CALL 1-866-596-9041.

We would love to hear if these ideas worked for you! If you have questions or any virtual marketing assistant related success stories, please leave a comment below.


Reference:
www.ducttapemarketing.com
apexassisting.com
virtualhelper247.com

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