Email Etiquette

Communication is the key to success with anything we do, especially with our clients and suppliers.  It is amazing how many people take it for granted and think nothing of sending off that ‘Quick Email’, but before you go ahead please spend some time thinking about the etiquette of sending off that email.

• All emails need to be professional but not too formal
  Emails should be addressed personally to your recipient.  They should be professional but not too formal that your recipient feels they are being criticised or told off.

• Use English and not text speak.  Ensure spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct
  Incorrect spelling, grammar and punctuation can give a very bad impression of you and your company.  E-mails without grammar can also be difficult to read and may change the meaning of the email conversation.

• Don’t write in CAPITALS
  WRITING EMAILS IN CAPITALS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ AND CAN BE SEEN AS A FORM OF SHOUTING.

• When replying to an email include the message thread
  When you reply to an email, include the original mail in your reply.  Leaving the thread of the email conversation will save the recipient time and frustration in looking for the original email in their inbox

• Attach your contact details as a signature, telephone number, website, email address
  Don’t make it hard for your reader to contact you.  There is nothing worse than receiving an email and making the decision that you are going to call the sender if you have to go hunting for contact details.  Use your signature feature so that your contact details are on all emails.

• Add a disclaimer to your emails, this can be part of your signature
  It is important to add disclaimers to your internal and external emails, this can help protect your company from liability and rude and unscrupulous emails.

• Don’t over use the Reply to All
  Only use Reply to All if you need your email conversation to be seen by each person who received the original message.

A Good News Story for one of our Clients

myPA have had some very good news today.  We have been helping a young man prepare for some interviews within the Banking Sector.  Our task in this process was very simple, we helped him print and bind his presentations.  We heard today that our client has been offered the job.  The interview panel were very impressed with the presentation and handouts.  Good luck from all at myPA.

Communication

We can communicate with each other in so many different ways, but as a virtual assistant, with our clients, any break in communication or miss-understanding between the two can spell disaster.  Communication is key, from the simple talking and jotting down a few notes about a project to the full on project management support that a VA can offer, this all requires excellent communication and listening skills.

We take for granted the communication we once had between office staff and managers before starting our own businesses, but we knew that this is what kept the office and business running smoothly and effectively.  This is why as a VA we must also learn to communicate effectively with our clients.

Right from the beginning of a client/VA relationship, the communication between the two must be equal.  If there are miss-understandings or one of the parties is not listening fully, then projects can fail.  As a VA is not always located in their clients’ office (and they are also not the only client) there are many opportunities for conversations and requests to be forgotten or to be misjudged.  It is good practice therefore, after a meeting or discussion about a new or on-going project, to complete a correspondence document detailing what was spoken about and the main points required to fulfil the tasks agreed upon.  This is then sent to the client and kept for your own records to look back on if needs be.  It can also be a useful document to pass onto other members of your team if they have to work on the same project.

In the virtual world, communication between VA’s and their (remote) clients has been made even simpler with online project management systems.  From a simple task to a large, intricate project requiring many peoples’ inputs, an online system enables you to communicate with every person involved just by updating the task log after each task has been worked on.  By giving your client their own log-in details, they can be kept up to date at the click of a mouse – simple and effective communication.

There is no replacement for a face to face meeting now and then to fully get to know a client, VA and indeed the projects you will be working on.

Its all about Training

I love my life as a Virtual Assistant.  On the whole you never know what you are going to do from day to day or week to week.  Last week I spent the day much of my time reformatting reports for clients and setting up signatures in outlook.

This week I have been sent on a training course.  One of my clients very kindly sent me on a Software Testing Training Course organised by ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board).  It was a very intense and interactive course that offers a foundation in testing software.  This is now a service that I can offer my client to ISTQB standards.  My training will also form part of his Quality Assurance programme.

Julie’s Update

I am in the process of writing my next book and would like your help. When you set up your home office or business, what problems did you have or skills did you find hard to understand at the beginning? A good example would be, When I am out with a client and I get a sales call should I take the call.

These questions and statements are exactly what I am after. Any help and questions greatly appreciated.

I would like to thank you in advance.

Training Course for Admin Support and budding Virtual Assistants

I am so excited, I am running a Training Course for new Virtual Assistants on Saturday. Only three places left. The next course is for the partners of small businesses to help them get to grips with admin within their company. Two types of course, face to face and then a boxed course.

If you are a business owner or know a business owner, and/or office worker who has been made redundant or wants a change of job, please pass on my contact details. Julie Farmer, 0845 859 1720. if you want some help in getting you business admin under control let me know.

What a year 2012 is going to be.

My Book is Here and the next one has been started

It’s finally here, my book entitled ‘Becoming a Virtual Assistant and avoid the mistakes I made’. It’s has taken me a while to get it ready for print and for the kindle, but at last you can get a copy from me directly or from Amazon.

The book is about how to set up your own Virtual Assistant business and learn from the mistakes made by other VAs and business owners. It is a blue print to start your own VA Business.

I have already started on my next book, title yet to be decided. It will be a text book style book aimed at partners of small businesses so they can help their partner with the business. If you would like to know more please let me know or drop me a question if you have one. Naturally the book will be around best practice in running a home office.

Christmas Card Special Offer – Hand written just for you

myPA are making plans for Christmas, I know its not that far away, only 12 weeks, which means it will be here in a minute.To save you time and help you and your business get ready for Christmas, we are offering a new service called ‘Christmas Cards’.  I know not very original, but the service is.
We will: Address your Christmas Cards by hand or via address labels to your business contacts and friends Use your branded Christmas Cards if you have them or we can purchase Christmas Cards on your behalf Ensure your Christmas Cards are posted in time for the Christmas post
For more information please contact us on christmascards@mypavirtualservices.com If you would prefer not to receive any further promotional emails from myPA please let us know and we will take you off our list.

Money Monday

Its Monday tomorrow so what is the plan? How about making it a MONEY MONDAY. Check out your numbers. How much money in the bank, how much money owed to you and how much money do you have to invoice today. It’s all about the numbers.

Quickbooks Training – 1 on 1 is the only way to go

I love training and I spent 5 hours doing one on one training on Quickbooks. My favourite kind of training.

I would like to do more of this kind of stuff.

It’s so sad when your student starts of saying they don’t know anything and they don’t think they will understand anything. My student has been speaking to other trainers and they have scared her into thinking that could never understand the software.