I've been speaking and writing about the use of Virtual Assistants and Consultants now for several years. You are listening, and many real estate professionals are taking steps to incorporate them into their business. Most of these relationships work beautifully for everyone involved, however there are always going to be exceptions to the rule. Here's how to avoid the major potholes on the path to hiring and working with an awesome VA.

Just this morning I received this e-mail from one of my students, and I've republished it because it illustrates the primary frustration that some professionals experience with their first VA hires:

Michael:

I took your class on virtual assistants before the Re/Max convention this year. I was excited before the class about the aspect of using VAs and started trying to use them even then.

I would like your advice on what I have found to be my greatest frustration in using VAs. I have found that there are, as you have said some wonderfully talented people to use as VAs. The biggest problem I have run across is they tend to overextend themselves. They take on too much, are not talented in the area of delegating themselves and can't get all they have promised done in the time they have promised. This has been my experience with 2 very talented VAs I have tried using this year.

Any advice?

Rebecca Levine
Re/Max Best Associates
1-800-511-RELO

What is happening here is simple. Like most new industries, it is next to impossible to exactly match supply with demand. As I continue to speak and write about the use of Virtual Assistants and Consultants, more business professionals are taking action (which is awesome)! Now, even those VAs who used to wonder when their next client would appear, suddenly find themselves overflowing with work. And a few just don't know when to say "no more." Balancing is a key skill for any entrepreneur. Without that ability the results can be over commitment, unmet deadlines, and frustrated clients (i.e. you).

What compounds this issue is the ease with which you can hire a VA. Often times, partnerships are forged after just an hour or so of speaking on the phone or exchanging e-mail. With Virtual Assistance, the typical steps you would normally take with a face-to-face meeting with a prospective onsite assistant are often skipped. In the excitement of gaining access to incredibly talented help, you may permit standard and appropriate "due diligence" to go out the window.

Here are some simple steps you can take to choose a talented VA, and ease your burden over the long haul:

1. Ask For Current Client References - a minimum of three to six that have at least a 3-month history (longer is better) with the VA doing the same kind of work you are asking them to do.

2. Ask each one of those current references for details - Ask what they like about the VA's work and (candidly) where they have concerns or would like to see improvement.

3. Ask For Previous Client References - a minimum of three to six that are no longer clients of the VA. Follow up on these are critical. Previous clients may have additional knowledge about situations or concerns that have not yet surfaced with current clients. In the same way you would check previous employers on a traditional employee, check previous references on a VA through their client base.

4. Ask For The "Contingency" Plan - how they plan on taking care of your work when they are not able to do it either expectedly (i.e. vacation) or unexpectedly (i.e. illness or accident).

5. Ask For How They Plan On Avoiding Overwhelm - ask them what they do to prevent becoming overwhelmed. Ask about their current workload and their policy for taking on new clients -- listen very carefully to their responses on this one.

It's A Two-Way Street

Any relationship you have is by definition, a two-way street. This means you have certain responsibilities as the client utilizing VA services. To help keep things flowing smoothly:

• Don't Encourage Overwhelm - don't ask the VA to do something outside their specialty. Most professional VAs will not take on projects outside their niche area. But they will often recommend a peer or someone that does specialize in what you need. If a VA agrees to take on something outside their areas of specialization, or says “Oh, I can LEARN that for you” -- this is a huge warning sign for potential future overload.

• Have A Written Agreement - that explicitly states their duties both in terms of tasks and schedule.
  (EDITOR'S NOTE: I plan on offering a sample VA agreement template in the near future)

• Communicate Clearly And Concisely - be clear about what you need them to do and be brief yet explicit about conveying that need. Maintain regular communication with the VA and respond to phone calls and e-mails from your VA promptly. If you require them to request items they need multiple times, you are requiring more of their time than expected, and that affects their ability to schedule for your projects and the projects of other clients.
  
  Realize that VAs bill for the time they are on call to you and your projects and vendors. Many business professionals are highly "verbal" and will talk a VA's ear off and then scream bloody murder when they get the bill. Remember, their time is valuable, and you are paying for it. Use it wisely.

• Pay Your Bills On Time - most professionals do, unfortunately there are some flaky ones that give the rest of us a bad name. If the VA is constantly struggling to get paid for work they have completed it takes them more time out of their day that they could be doing productive work.

Your VA is part of your high-powered "team" and all successful teams are based upon uncompromised mutual integrity. Integrity simply means, "being your word" — do what you said you were going to do and when you said it would be done. When all parties maintain these standards, it is the basis for an awesome "win-win" relationship and a team that supports your vision of success.