How to Work With a Virtual Assistant

How to Work With a Virtual Assistant (A Client's Perspective)

If you're wondering how to work with a virtual assistant successfully, it comes down to clear communication, trust and knowing what you want to delegate. Start with a few simple tasks, agree how you'll communicate and give your VA time to understand your business. As the relationship develops, you can gradually hand over more responsibility.

I've been a Virtual Assistant since 2011, so I've seen these working relationships from the VA side. One of my clients, Nathan from The Neurodivergent Coach, wrote a blog about his experience of working with me as his Virtual Assistant. His post inspired me to share my perspective too, looking at what makes a good virtual assistant relationship and how to make it work successfully.

Read Nathan’s blog post: Relationship Building With Your Virtual Assistant

What Makes a Good Virtual Assistant (According to My Client)

A good Virtual Assistant is reliable, responsive and easy to work with. Clients need someone they can trust to complete their work, communicate clearly and ask questions when something isn’t clear.

In Nathan’s blog, he explained how much he valued quick, thoughtful replies, especially during busy weeks and how important it was that I could adapt to his needs in a way that felt neurodivergent-friendly.

If you’re wondering what makes a good virtual assistant, it’s not just about admin experience or software skills. It’s about how you show up, how well you communicate and how you support your client in a way that works for them and for you.

Your Virtual Assistant Onboarding Process (A Simple Start)

My virtual assistant onboarding process is simple. Before a client officially says yes, I like to have a conversation about their business, what they need help with and whether I’m the right person to support them.

It often starts with a message via LinkedIn or email, where the client checks if I have availability. I reply with an introduction, attach my portfolio and share my rate upfront to keep things clear. I leave the door open with a line like, “Let me know a few dates and times if you’d like to set up a call.”

If they’re interested, we book a discovery call. This is where I ask more detailed questions about their business, the support they need and how they like to work. We might have two or more calls before we properly get started. Sometimes a client knows they need support but isn’t sure which tasks they can hand over. These early conversations give me time to understand how their business works, identify which tasks I can realistically take on and agree where it makes sense to start.

If we’re both happy to go ahead, I send over a contract, confirm the start date and we agree on the first tasks I’ll take on. If you're setting up your own VA business, a contract helps protect both you and your client and makes expectations clear from the start. Read Why Virtual Assistant Contracts Matter for Your Business to find out what you need to consider before you start working with clients.

Taking things slowly in the first month helps build trust and gives me time to learn how my client works. It also gives us time to put the right systems in place for a smooth workflow.

The first invoice is often smaller too, which can ease the pressure for both sides. When I start working with a new client, we don't know each other yet. They don't know how long different tasks will take me and I don't know what it will be like working with them.

I itemise my work, so the client can see exactly what I have worked on and how long those first few jobs have taken. This helps them understand the time taken and ensures they have an adequate budget to pay me for ongoing work. 

There is also trust involved on my side. I don't know yet whether a new client will pay their invoice or whether they will be reasonable to work with. That is why I prefer to start with a few smaller tasks rather than having a huge amount of work handed over immediately.

For me, this early stage is all about relationship building. I am wary if someone I barely know wants to throw a large amount of work my way straight away. Most of my new clients have a LinkedIn profile I can look at, have come by referral and we will usually have had a few conversations before we start working together. That gives me a chance to get a feel for their business, how they communicate and whether we are likely to work well together.

Tasks to Expect (And How They Grow Over Time)

Image description: A simple to-do list for planning, scheduling and virtual assistant admin tasks. Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash.

What Tasks Can You Outsource to a Virtual Assistant?

The tasks to outsource to a virtual assistant will depend on the client's needs and the VA's experience and skills. They could include social media scheduling, creating graphics, writing newsletters, bookkeeping, organising meetings or general business administration, for example, I originally supported one client with writing a few social media posts. Over time, that grew into helping with planning, strategy and generating new content ideas.

In my experience, clients don't always realise how much they can hand over at the beginning. As I learn more about their business, I can often spot other areas where I can help. At the same time, the client becomes more confident about delegating work to me.

This is why I like to start small. As trust builds, the work can naturally develop into a longer-term working relationship.

How Do You Build Trust With a New Client?

Building trust with a new client takes time. In the early stages, you're both learning how the other person works, so it's important to ask questions, communicate clearly and be responsive to email and phone calls during your working hours. 

I don't expect to understand a client's whole business straight away. As I complete more tasks, I learn their preferences, how they communicate and how they like things done. The client also learns what they can trust me to handle without needing to be involved in every detail.

Once you've completed a few tasks successfully, the working relationship usually becomes easier. You need fewer explanations, you become more confident making decisions and the client becomes more comfortable delegating work.

Nathan shares 12 practical tips from his own experience of working with a Virtual Assistant, including communication, trust and building a strong working relationship. Read his post:  Relationship Building With Your Virtual Assistant. 

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant?

One of the main benefits of hiring a virtual assistant is having someone you trust to take care of regular tasks, giving you more time to focus on other parts of your business, but getting to that stage takes time, particularly if you've never delegated work before.

Knowing how to delegate to a Virtual Assistant doesn't always come naturally. That's why I like to ask new clients what they would like help with and which tasks are taking up too much of their time. Sometimes we need to talk through their workload together before we can work out what they can realistically hand over.

When the relationship works well, it can develop from simply completing tasks into a real working partnership, which I much prefer. Over time, I get to know the business better and can offer ideas, feedback and suggestions rather than always waiting to be told what to do.

A strong working relationship can also benefit the VA. Happy clients often recommend you to other people. I've gained new clients through referrals because someone I've worked with has trusted me enough to recommend my services.

As the client's business develops, the support they need can develop too. For me, the best VA-client relationships are the ones where both sides benefit and the way we work together continues to evolve.

How Do You Work With a Virtual Assistant Successfully?

If you want to know how to work with a virtual assistant successfully, start with clear expectations and good communication. Agree on the first few tasks, explain what you need and give your VA the opportunity to ask questions and understand your business.

Don't feel that you need to hand over everything at once. Starting with a few tasks gives both of you time to learn how the other works. As trust develops, you can gradually delegate more and give your VA more responsibility.

For Virtual Assistants, a successful client relationship isn't just about completing admin tasks. It's about problem-solving, communicating well and becoming someone the client can rely on. Finding the right clients who value your support, trust your input and work well with you can take some time but over time, those strong relationships can lead to repeat work and referrals.

FAQs

Q. How do you work with a virtual assistant successfully?

If you're wondering how to work with a virtual assistant, start by being clear about what you need help with and how you like to communicate. Start with a few tasks, give your VA time to understand your business and answer questions as they come up. As trust builds, you can gradually delegate more.

Q. What makes a good virtual assistant?

What makes a good virtual assistant is a combination of reliability, organisation and clear communication. Skills and experience are important, but clients also value someone who asks questions, solves problems and adapts to the way they work.

Q. What tasks can I outsource to a virtual assistant?

The tasks to outsource to a virtual assistant will depend on their experience and skills. Some VAs come from a traditional PA or administration background and offer diary management, meeting organisation, newsletters and general business admin. Others specialise in areas such as IT, systems, social media, bookkeeping or design. Look at what you need help with and find a VA whose experience matches those tasks.

Q. Do I need a virtual assistant?

You might need a virtual assistant if regular tasks are taking you away from other parts of your business. Repetitive tasks are particularly good to outsource because your VA can learn the process and complete them at the same time each month.

In the early stages, make sure you have enough time to check their work, answer questions and make any adjustments. Working with a new VA isn't usually a case of handing over a task and expecting them to run with it immediately. Give them time to learn how you like things done and, as the relationship develops, they should need less input from you.

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