Tips to VA – Using e-Mail to your Advantage
Working virtually, a reliable email account is essential. We recommend AGAINST using an AOL, Yahoo, or Hotmail account as they appear “cheap”. People like to see an email extension, which reflects the business you’re in – something with stability.
I constantly receive inquiries asking how on earth I handle all of the emails that I receive in a typical business day. Depending on what’s going on, I can receive anywhere between 100 and 300 emails a day and send about as many outbound messages. Even if your email load is smaller the tips I provide here will still help tame that email tiger.
Tip 1: Use Outlook or Outlook Express
I prefer Outlook or some similarly robust, non-web based email program, because they simply allow more flexibility than a web-based email program. Even if you have an AOL, Yahoo, or some other conglomerate’s email address, you can usually locate instructions somewhere on their site to set up the email in Outlook – just look for SMTP settings.
Tip 2: Set up lots of folders
Just as you would keep your paper files organized by setting up folders for various topics, do the same for your email files by creating files within your “local folder”. Mine go something like this: Client Update, Weekly Update, Next Weekly Update, Clients, Contractors, and so on. Within those folders are more folders. For example, my Clients folder contains a folder for each client. Yes, I use a lot of hard drive space saving emails, but it keeps me organized and I can (usually) find what I need quickly. Outlook’s “find” command is a lifesaver when you want to dig up that specific email from that client from a few months ago.
I have another “special” folder that I call “Requires follow up”. In this folder, I place sent messages (go into your sent messages folder and drag the sent message to another folder), which are important and need to be watched. I do this if I have any doubts about the party responding quickly. Never assume that just because you sent a message to someone rapidly, that they will reply with the same speed.
When my request has been answered; that message (or the other person’s reply) goes into the appropriate folder for storage. I review my “Requires follow up” folder several times throughout the day.
Tip 3: Save all emails that seem important.
Before the virtual world, business people were conveniently divided into 2 categories: filers and pilers. Filers kept things that they thought they might need, but dumped the rest. They could fill up a wastebasket of paper in half a day. Pilers, on the other hand, saved everything. Their wastebasket was for decorative purposes only. They’d save the most trivial of things “just in case”.
The virtual world has ended this distinction. Now, you can (and should) be a little of both.
For the Pilers:
Keep all of your email; or most of it. Just create more folders to store them in. If you require more hard drive space, just go out and get it. Hard drive space is ridiculously cheap compared to even a decade ago. I maximize my Outlook window to full screen. Adjust the Inbox window so that it takes up half of the vertical portion of the screen. This is my own anal little rule: If the messages in my Inbox extend below the screen so that I can’t see all of them (about 20 emails fit on the screen), I’m falling behind and need to spend some time answering them.
In Outlook, if you click the column headings above where the email message lines appear, it will sort your emails ascending or descending (keep clicking the heading and watch the little up or down arrow on the bar), whichever you choose. I always keep mine sorted by date/time received so the NEWEST emails are on top.
For the Filers:
If you have a continuing string (you reply, they reply, you reply again, etc.) keep only the most recent message. Go back in and delete the older ones so you don’t have duplicates.
Tip 4: Respond to All Emails Quickly.
… and as soon as possible (I try to respond within two hours at the most). Even if it’s just a tiny 10-second email that says “message received, I’ll get back to you within 3 hours”, send it! Let the sender know when you will answer them and then be sure to do it at that time/day. The Internet can seem like a giant abyss; a Bermuda Triangle through which emails go and are never seen again. And given that most business people receive 50+ emails a day, it’s important that your contacts know that you have received their email, and that you are “on top of it”.
Tip 5: Use the Subject Line!!!!
ARGH! This is a GIANT pet peeve of a lot of people; particularly those who are a bit less Internet-literate than you. Some of your contacts will come from a world where memos really did have a meaningful “re” line, as did business letters. As an added bonus, you can use Outlook’s find feature to search for particular words in an email subject header. So 6 months from now if you want to dig up that email from that guy who asked you about the thing, you can probably find the email in a matter of seconds if your subject line had something relevant to say.
Tip 6: Don’t Change the Subject Line!
Fresh on the heels of Tip 6: once an email thread is started, please don’t change the subject line. When you’re replying back and forth and someone suddenly changes the subject line on you it’s maddening. I do this occasionally if the subject of the conversation changes and the original topic has been dropped, but very rarely. In that case it’s better to just start a new thread with a fresh, clean message.
Tip 7: Answer EVERYTHING That the Other Party Asks For
This seems obvious; but it is hard to do, when a contact inserts a number of questions into one paragraph. Sometimes, the questions will not even be different; they will just be the same question that has been worded differently.
For example, a contact might write something like this: Hi there, I’m really interested in your virtual services. I need someone who can write the content for my web page. Do you have someone who can do this? Can they do it within two weeks? How long will it take? Can I choose the person who does this? Would it be possible for them to have it done by the end of October? Thanks!
There are 5 questions there, each one, conveniently, with a question mark. Many people – particularly those who are not Internet-savvy – will sometimes not add a question mark to their questions; which means that you must make sure that you carefully read the entire email to make sure that you’re answering what needs to be answered.
Here’s how I ensure that I do this: I hit reply, and then move my cursor to right after the first question, change font color and answer there. Move the cursor again to right after the next question, and so on until I’ve answered all of their questions. It’s much quicker and you’re sure not to forget anything. Here’s an example:
Hi there, I’m really interested in your virtual services. Thanks! We’re interested in having you as a client! I need someone who can write the content for my web page. No problem! Do you have someone who can do this? Absolutely! Can they do it within two weeks? Certainly! How long will it take? Between 1 and 2 weeks. Would it be possible for them to have it done by the end of October? Yes, I think so. That’s 3 weeks from today, so it means we need to get started right away. I can send you our standard agreement and we can get moving today. What is your fax #? Thanks! Our pleasure!!
NOTE: To make these color-embedded notes in an email message, you must be in HTML format. To do this, in Outlook, click “Format” and then “Plain Text (HTML)”.
Tip 8: Copy and Paste
What a blessing that is. I personally use this a lot. If I need to send a message to several people, but I just don’t have time to type and retype the same answer, then I type that response once, copy it, then reply to each person individually. This saves countless hours!
Tip 9: Know Which Emails You’ve Read
You’ll have to dig around your settings a bit – in my OE the command is in Tools, Options, Read. Click off the button that says, “Automatically mark messages read after x amount of time”. I manually mark my messages read or not read. That way I can quickly look at my Inbox and know what still needs to be taken care of and what can wait.
This won’t work for everyone, but when I get up and am enjoying my morning coffee, I sit and catch up on emails. I do the same (without the coffee 
about 15 minutes before I turn in for the night. I answer anything urgent and just skim the rest leaving them for morning.
Tip 10: Clean Out Your In, Out, and All Other Email Boxes
Once you’ve “dealt” with a particular email, make a decision immediately to delete it, file it, or leave it for follow up in a few minutes, then do it right away. It keeps your Inbox freed of clutter. Do the same periodically with your other boxes. I “clean house” on my mail boxes about once a month. I permanently delete, from client and contractor folders, strings that I think are done and issues resolved, or just not needed. I empty my deleted items box once a week and I save only one week’s worth of sent messages.
Because I’m so diligent about filing away my sent and received messages, I pretty well know that if it’s sent and I didn’t save it to a folder, or if it’s deleted, I won’t need it anymore and can safely get rid of it. I keep the week’s worth of sent items just in case. If you do need to save something that might be important later, you can save that message into that contact’s folder in Windows Explorer like this: Highlight the message to be saved, click “File”, “Save As”, and this will open up a browser window where you can locate that contact’s folder (or create a new folder for that contact). It’s also a good idea to get a copy of the Outlook Express Backup Wizard and periodically backup your email.
I also don’t do joke forwards and delete most of the ones I receive – unless they’re a “10″.
This won’t work for everyone, but when I get up and am enjoying my morning coffee, I sit and catch up on emails. I do the same (without the coffee about 15 minutes before I turn in for the night. I answer anything urgent and just skim the rest leaving them for morning.
Your Email Signature
We recommend a signature something like this:
Gayle Buske
Phone: 888.827.9129
Fax: 262.364.3022
Email
http://www.TeamDoubleClick.com
“Providing the people …virtually!”
Team Double-Click? provides virtual assistance for small and home-based businesses. We are a virtual staffing agency, working with over 1,500 of the best virtual office professionals the world has to offer.
~ Virtual assistants
~ Transcription
~ Editing and Creative writing
~ Project management
~ Marketing
~ Graphic design and Illustration
~ Web Design and Search Engine Optimization
~ Literary agency
This lets everyone know what you do every time you send a message and can help bring in business. We recommend using a TeamDoubleClick.com email address and the same signature line every time you send an email.
The Successful Virtual Administrative Assistant
We continually, despite how well we screen and interview, find people in administrative and other positions that need to be replaced for poor job performance. Now, I know from being self-employed and owning businesses for the past 15 years that not everyone is going to be a good employee/contractor. In fact, statistically, only about 30% of all applicants for any given position stand a chance at being good at what they do. Staggering odds. Yet, I continue to hold hope that 100% are good. That’s my nature – I trust everyone at face value until they show me otherwise. So it never ceases to surprise me when we find poor performers amongst us. Maybe it’s naivety, maybe it’s my eternal optimism.
So this week, I’m dedicating this article to what makes not only a successful administrative assistant, but a successful VIRTUAL administrative assistant. In other words, what are the successful ones doing that the unsuccessful ones aren’t?
The successful virtual administrative assistants…
Are communicating regularly with the clients we place them with
Are keeping regular business hours. Yes, working virtually does allow for flexibility of hours. BUT, it doesn’t mean you can shirk your duties without repercussions.
Following through with their promises.
Sending in their daily reporting.
Letting us and their clients know immediately when there’s a problem.
Giving us and their clients a heads up when they have a planned day off – as soon as they know about it.
Are not treating their position as a hobby to be taken lightly.
Are treating their position as a JOB and taking it seriously.
Are taking a proactive approach to potential problems.
Are taking ownership and responsibility for their work.
Are not blaming others for their shortcomings.
Are not blaming others for work that didn’t get done.
Are continuing to learn more about the software?s they’re required to use on a regular basis – Word, Excel, etc.
Respond quickly to client requests.
Promptly return phone calls from clients.
Make themselves available when the client needs them.
Realize that to EARN flexibility from the client, they themselves cannot be rigid.
Don’t make demands of the client, rather offer suggestions for improvement.
Are offering to help the client grow his business realizing that this will make their position that much more secure and will allow their position to grow in the process.
Are keeping their clients apprised of their marketing efforts, offering suggestions or solutions when necessary.
Are up selling the client – letting the client know what other duties they might do to lighten the client’s load.
Are being respectful of the client, realizing s/he holds the purse strings.
Are exercising patience with a demanding client.
Are reporting their time accurately.
All of these things and many other factors, which I’ll address in another article, weigh into being successful as an admin/virtual/freelancer/contractor. But first and foremost, you must realize that despite its outward appearance – this is a JOB. The client will expect you to treat it as such and not as something to be done when you decide you have time.
Our clients, for example, don’t make any outlandish requests – just normal, everyday duties that they’ve hired us and you to do and they expect them to be done. That’s really not too much for any client to ask, is it?
Team Double-Click? provides virtual assistance for small and home-based businesses. Visit Team Double-Click?s Web site at http://www.teamdoubleclick.com or click on the banner:
Become a More Valuable Admin
Being of value to your client or your boss is invaluably important to job security. But how does one go about creating value? You become more knowledgeable and indispensable. Learn as much as you can about what your boss/client does.
Ask questions. Most people are flattered to know that you care enough to ask how they do what they do and why they do it.
By learning more and asking more, you will be able to answer questions about the client/boss to his or her potential clients. If you can help him or her along this is way, you will inevitably become indispensable.
Make suggestions. If you see ways to improve a particular process or task – whether it creates greater efficiency or saves money – you’ll look like the hero.
Offer to save the client/boss money. Everyone – I don’t care how rich or poor they are – likes to save money. Don’t recommend something you know to be a waste. Instead, offer a better, cheaper, more efficient option.
Practice good will. It goes a long way. A good example: This week a client asked about finding a particular list for him. No problem, I’d researched something similar for another client. I gave him the contact information so he could check it out and perhaps buy the list (from another vendor). He asked,
“Well, how are you going to make money on this?”
My response?
“I won’t and I don’t need to – all I did was refer you to someone who could help you out.”
He would have gladly paid me $100 for the referral – even offered to. But, my offer of good will in not accepting that $100 will net me a lot more in future business than just $100 one-time. I don’t want him to think that every time I do a favor he owes me money. I want to build up that favor bank so he owes me favors and has no other option but to pay those favors back in the way of referrals and/or future business. And, because he now knows I’m not going to rip him off, he’ll keep coming back forever!
Let the client/boss know what else you can do. Listen to him rattle on about his thoughts, ideas, and business philosophies. When you hear some little tidbit that you can help with – mention it! You’ll get more work and he’ll have more faith in your abilities.
Be willing to accept suggestions. Of course, this one’s a no-brainer.
Don’t whine! When a client/boss asks for something, don’t whine about it – just do it. If they think they have a whiner on their hands they won’t want anything to do with you.
If you work as an admin or assistant of any kind, you need to be able to enjoy serving other people. That’s the basis of your job – realize that use a corresponding attitude
Improve your skills. If you’re so-so at using Excel, being a whiz will carry you far. Most software programs have tutorials build right in. Use it! In your own time, run through the tutorials and practice, practice, practice. Join a chat group if you need to learn more of the software’s functions. Then let the client/boss know what you can do. It’s always impressive when someone says,
“I know how to do this now, and may I help you?”
A good share of being a good admin is putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Ask yourself on a regular basis,
“How would I want this done and what response would I expect from someone working for me?”
Your answer to that question is exactly how you should handle the situation/request.
Team Double-Click? provides virtual assistance for small and home-based businesses. Visit Team Double-Click?s Web site at http://www.teamdoubleclick.com or click on the banner:
Taking Notes
Now, I’m not Super Woman. I’m just Super Organized and work extra hard and long because I enjoy it. Today’s tip is something I’ve done for years no matter where I worked: Go to Wal-Mart, or wherever you shop, when they have their back-to-school sales, and pick up a bunch of 10 cent notebooks. While you’re there, buy a pen that you absolutely love – one that almost calls out to you to pick it up and use it.
Open the notebook, uncap the pen and put them on your desk next to your computer. It should have it’s own little spot and it should stay right there. This is your notebook and no one else is allowed to move it from your desk – or take your pen. Hand out a memo if you have to, hold a family meeting, but be sure that notebook stays firmly planted on your desk. As a side note, my daughter is allowed to make an occasional drawing or picture for me in my notebook. She enjoys it and I love looking back through my notes to see a “Hi Mom” from my little girl.
Every time the phone rings or someone talks to you, pick up that beautiful pen and start writing in your notebook. Write down who is calling, glance at the clock and note the time while they introduce themselves. Then catch the highlights of the conversation and/or the things you need to do that come out of that conversation.
When you’ve completed that task or if there is nothing to complete (if it was just an FYI), make a big checkmark next to the item. Move a line or two down before starting your next note. This makes it easy to look back at references you made or to serve as a reminder of what still needs to be done. I refer back to my notes on a daily basis.
When that notebook is full, mark the date range that it covers on the front and file it away. I save my notebooks as a sort of journal for at least a year. I’ve actually had to dig back to notebooks from months ago to locate a phone number or some other tidbit of information. Most recently, I used my notes to help the UPS man. He came to our door asking if so-and-so lived in the house on the corner. Since the man had just moved in, I wasn’t sure. Then while talking to the UPS man, I remembered having had a brief phone conversation with the neighbor in question when we were having mutual phone problems. As I spoke, I jotted down his name and number. Not something I’d ordinarily save if it were on a piece of scratch paper. Not that you’re going to need to bail out the UPS guy on a regular basis, but you can see how the information you jot in your notebook may be valuable to you later as well.
As an added bonus clients (and most other people) are incredibly impressed when you can pull up the most obscure information from the depths of your notebook. I freely admit that my memory stinks, but my notes save my behind on a regular basis. Having the information other people need or can’t find also add value to you as a worker, in any position, whether you’re a writer, a researcher, marketing assistant, or general admin.
