Wake Up and Partner With a VA

 Is your to-do list keeping you up at night? Are you counting tasks rather than sheep to fall asleep?

 1. Wade through emails… 2. Finalize the presentation for tomorrow’s meeting… 3. Get handouts ready for Wednesday’s meeting… 4. Make follow up calls…zzz 5. Schedule sales meeting…zzzzzz …. 6. Buy anniversary gift….7. Call my kids….zzzzzzzz

If it’s been a long time since you laid your head down on the pillow at night without a care in the world, I assure you – there is hope! You can have sanity and sleep, too.

Perhaps you’re one of the reported 70% of sales managers overburdened with paperwork. Maybe, you’re an independent sales professional without corporate backing. Whatever the case, if you’re spending more of your time on administrative tasks and less time in front of your clients it’s time to make a change. It’s time to partner with a VA.

 No, I don’t mean the Veteran’s Administration. And, I’m not talking about the state of Virginia. I’m talking about a virtual assistant, also known as a VA.

 So what exactly is a VA and what can one do for you?

 A virtual assistant, or VA, is an independent business professional who can help busy sales and marketing professionals handle administrative tasks so they can focus on growing their business. Utilizing the latest technology your VA can: manage your email, manage your calendar, tweak or create a presentation, make travel arrangements, be your own personal concierge, write letters, follow up on trade show leads, handle literature fulfillment, and even prepare your expense and call reports. The possibilities are endless once you start to see how many tasks you really can delegate.

 "I don't know what I'd do without my VA. As a sales professional who works out of my home and travels extensively I don't have an on-site staff to keep things moving. I can rely on her to prepare marketing materials, organize my contacts, send out letters, and keep me on track with special projects. Delegating routine tasks and special projects to my VA allows me to spend more time growing the business," says Mark Loudenslager, VP of Sales, Cathay Pigments USA.

 Amidst the Internet craze, millions of email exchanges, and web and teleconferencing many sales people have literally ‘lost sight’ of their clients. In a day and age where we thrive on customer relationship management, personal sales calls have taken a back seat to technology. Further, today’s economy has forced more layoffs and corporate downsizing which has impacted the availability of internal support systems and other such resources. The lack of internal resources has forced companies to rely on already overburdened staff to pick up the slack.  Staff such as sales people who are now spending more time doing administrative tasks than they are generating sales. Where does the madness end?

 Partnering with a virtual assistant affords you the luxury of spending more time in front of your clients and less time behind your desk. Because VAs are independent professionals they come equipped with their own office, their own equipment, the latest software programs, and the know how of running a successful business. They don't, however, come equipped with added expenses like payroll taxes, expensive benefit packages, paid vacations, holiday pay, or "free time" (that you pay for) for talking to co-workers. They're only there when you need them. Sometimes they're even there when you don't think you need them!

 "Since I work with clients who are trying to improve both their sales numbers and get some of their life back, a Virtual Assistant is a crucial element in any future plan. My suggestion is to try using a VA for just one month and you'll be hooked for life! It's an amazing thing for someone in sales to actually have the time to visit clients and build relationships as opposed to being buried in paperwork everyday." says Scott Stratten, President of Un-Marketing.com.

 It’s time to wake up and get back in the field! Get ahead of the competition and you won’t find yourself saying “Oops, I could have had a VA!”

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 © 2008 Kelly Poelker

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelly Poelker is a certified Master Virtual Assistant, President of Another 8 Hours, Inc. and Co-Author of Virtual Assistant the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA (http://www.VA-theSeries.com) To learn more about how to utilize a virtual assistant visit her website at http://www.Another8Hours.com.

 Article may not be reprinted without express written authorization. Contact Kelly Poelker at info@another8hours.com for permission.