Virtual assistants are great at reducing the amount of time you spend on mundane, repetitive tasks and increasing your productivity at work. There are so many things that your virtual assistant can do that it’s difficult to keep track of them all! These seven tips will help you make the most of your virtual assistant so that you get more done, faster and with less effort on your part. You’ll be able to free up time to focus on the big picture instead of being bogged down in the day-to-day operations that can often slow down even the most well organized business owner. 7 Ways to Automate Your Virtual Assistant for More Productivity
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1) Use Email Filters
If you’re doing a lot of work that involves dealing with emails, it can be a real time-saver if you set up filters in your email program or online service. This way, if you get an email asking you to do something new, all you have to do is press a button and everything will be taken care of. You’ll also never forget any requests because they’ll always pop up immediately as new emails.
2) Use Tools
There are several tools available to help you improve your productivity and manage your time, including those with virtual assistants. One of these services is Zapier, which allows users to automate workflows between apps by setting up zaps that perform specific actions when certain criteria are met. This eliminates a lot of time-consuming back-and-forth communication between you and your VA.
3) Send Messages at Key Times
A virtual assistant can be very helpful, but he or she will struggle if you don’t give him or her explicit instructions. One way that many business owners automate their VA is by setting up specific times of day (or week) when they send important messages. By doing so, you ensure that your VA always has something new to do, and never have time on his or her hands—which means less opportunity for distraction and more time actually completing tasks.
4) Schedule When Replies Should be Sent
To save time, it’s a good idea to automate your virtual assistant so that emails are sent at set times of day. For example, if you have a lot of people emailing you with questions or comments, it’s helpful to send these responses out in batches first thing in the morning or last thing at night. You can also use scheduling to make sure important messages get attention when they need it most; perhaps you want urgent messages responded to within an hour, while less important ones can wait until business hours resume.
5) Delegate Tasks
Do you have tasks that are easy enough that a virtual assistant can do them, but not so time-sensitive that they require your immediate attention? Yes? Then delegate! VA work is much more cost effective and efficient than hiring full-time employees. And if it means you can focus on other parts of your business without distraction, even better. Plus, with online collaboration tools like Skype and Google Docs, it’s easier than ever to keep in touch with your assistants from anywhere in the world. Here are some ways you can delegate
6) Use an Appointment Calendar
The easiest way for a virtual assistant (VA) to juggle multiple tasks is by using an appointment calendar. When you have a clear plan of what your day looks like, you can work on one task at a time without getting overwhelmed. Plus, when one task is finished, your schedule will be marked as free so you can move on to another project. This also helps prevent double-booking mistakes.
7) Set Specific Approval Times
For some projects, it can be helpful to set a specific time of day when you want your virtual assistant (VA) to send you a draft. This way, if something comes up and it’s not going to be completed by then, you can let your VA know. This is especially helpful if your VA is abroad or in another time zone. If you don’t want to get an email every five minutes from your VA asking if they should resend their work, try setting an approval window so that they only need to ask once. A good rule of thumb is to have them send their draft at least three hours before they expect a response from you; that way, you can have plenty of time to review their work before responding with any changes or feedback.
