Good communication is one of the most important parts of building a strong relationship with your Virtual Assistant clients.
When you keep your clients informed, they don’t have to wonder what’s going on. They can relax knowing that you’re on top of things.
Good communication also builds trust. And when clients trust you, they’re more likely to continue working with you, recommend you to others, and think of you when they need additional support.
Are you practicing good communication in your day-to-day client work? Let’s look at four ways you should be communicating with your clients so they always feel informed and supported.
4 THINGS YOU SHOULD BE COMMUNICATING TO CLIENTS
1. Your Progress on Projects
Have you ever texted a friend about getting together and didn’t hear back?
At first, you assume they’re busy at the moment and will respond later. But after a while, you start to wonder whether they got your text, are too sick to respond, or don’t want to go and are ghosting you. 👻
And all that waiting can make you feel worried, distracted, and maybe even mad, right?
Well, your clients may feel the same way when they don’t hear from you regularly.
You don’t need to tell them about every little thing you do, but you should keep them updated on anything they would want or need to know.
For example, let them know when:
- You’ve received their request.
- You’ve started working on a project.
- You’ve completed a task.
- You’re waiting for information or feedback from them.
- Something is taking longer than expected.
- You’ve run into a problem that could affect the deadline.
Even a short message such as, “I received everything and plan to start working on this tomorrow,” lets your client know that their project hasn’t been forgotten and allows them to relax instead of worry.
2. What You’ve Accomplished
Your client may not always see everything you’re doing behind the scenes.
You might spend hours organizing files, answering emails, updating a website, or preparing content. If you don’t tell your client what you completed, they may not realize how much progress you’ve made.
This is especially important if you work independently and don’t communicate with your client every day.
You could send a brief update at the end of the day, once a week, or whenever you finish a larger project. The schedule will depend on the client and the type of work you do.
Your update doesn’t need to be long. It could be as simple as:
“Here’s what I completed this week:
- Scheduled next week’s social media posts.
- Updated the sales page.
- Responded to customer emails.
- Started organizing the new course materials.”
A simple update keeps your client informed while also showing the value you bring to their business.
3. Anything That Could Affect Your Work
It can be tempting to stay quiet when you’re struggling with a project. You might worry that your client will think you’re inexperienced or that you aren’t capable of doing the work.
But staying quiet usually makes the situation worse.
If you’re stuck, confused, or running behind, let your client know as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the deadline has already passed.
This also applies when something is happening in your personal life that could affect your work. You don’t need to share every detail, but your client needs to know if you’re sick, dealing with an emergency, or unable to complete something on time.
You could say, “I’m dealing with a personal situation today and may need an extra day to complete the project. I wanted to let you know as soon as possible.”
The same goes for planned time away. If you’re going on vacation or know you won’t be available, give your client as much notice as possible so they have time to plan around your absence.
Most reasonable clients understand that life happens and that you need time away. What they don’t appreciate is being left hanging without an explanation.
RELATED ARTICLE: Dealing with Imposter Syndrome as a Virtual Assistant
4. Questions When You Need Clarification
Another important part of communicating with your clients is asking questions.
If something doesn’t make sense, speak up. Ask for clarification, repeat what you heard, or ask your client to give you an example.
You don’t want to get halfway through a project and realize you misunderstood the instructions because you were afraid to ask a question.
You can say:
- “Just to make sure I understand, you’d like me to…”
- “Could you show me an example of what you have in mind?”
- “When you say _____, do you mean _____?”
- “Would you prefer this or that?”
- “Is there anything you definitely don’t want included?”
Repeating the instructions in your own words can be especially helpful. It gives your client a chance to correct any misunderstandings before you begin.
By the way, I once had a client tell me that one of the things she didn’t like about her previous VA was that she didn’t ask questions.
So don’t assume that asking questions will make you look inexperienced. Thoughtful questions show that you care about doing the project correctly.
If a client consistently seems bothered when you ask reasonable questions, they may not be the right fit for you. This is why it’s important to know who your ideal client is.
Clear communication begins before you start working together. Always use a contract with each new client so you both understand what to expect. Need help? You’ll find a Client Contract Kit inside the Introvert VA Club to help you create and send your client contracts.
RELATED POSTS
11 Traits of Highly Successful Virtual Assistants
