Determining Your Hand-Off List

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,960
Hi, welcome to the podcast that explores virtual assistants, lump business owners to know,

2
00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:16,800
when they start asking themselves the question, hey, do I meet a VA? I'm Rachel Davila,

3
00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:22,800
and after 18 years as a virtual assistant going at a loan, I experienced the steep learning curve

4
00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:28,320
from the other side of the VA client relationship when I hired my own assistant.

5
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:33,840
Joining me on this podcast is a group of friends and colleagues who all have their own take on

6
00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:40,000
what busy entrepreneurs need to know to find, hire, and work with a virtual assistant,

7
00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:45,600
and mindfully answer the question, hey, do I meet a VA? Let's get this episode started.

8
00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:55,680
Hello, welcome to, hey, do I meet a VA the podcast? This is episode six, and I'm your host,

9
00:00:55,680 --> 00:01:03,920
Rachel Davila with me is Bre BV, we and Aramlee and Sydney Hubbard. And today we're going to be

10
00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:13,280
discussing determining your handoff list. So, wait, it's one of the client comes to you and says,

11
00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:20,560
I don't know what help I need. I always go to the first thing in his, what are you

12
00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:28,400
doing? What do you wish somebody would take off your plate? Well, how do you guide a client or

13
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:35,120
potential client who's coming to and saying, I know I need help, but I don't know what to hand off.

14
00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,320
The first thing I do is reassure them that they don't have to have all the answers,

15
00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:42,640
that it'll come up through conversations that we have, and as we get to know each other and have

16
00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:47,680
conversations about what's going on in their business, we'll find out those areas and find ways

17
00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:52,880
that we can hand them off and what that will look like. So, I start with, it's okay that you don't

18
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:58,320
have those answers. Yeah, I kind of do the same thing. I don't, hey, let's, you know, don't worry about

19
00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:03,840
you know, a list so much as, hey, which is a bigist pain point. You call me for something.

20
00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,920
Let's start with that. Even if it's like a 10-minute little fix for me,

21
00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:14,000
does that make your life so much better? Okay, let's start there. And then just like Bre,

22
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:19,280
kind of work through it and eventually you find more and more pieces. I also do much more project

23
00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:24,560
oriented versus ongoing. So it's like, hey, you came to see me for a project. Let's take care of that.

24
00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:29,680
And as I'm working for the project, I find other pieces that they are needing help with,

25
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:36,000
and then, you know, one project spawns into multiple projects. Yeah, but I definitely,

26
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:41,200
most of my clients don't know, hey, here's my list. Go do it for me. It's not the thing.

27
00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:48,320
Yeah, those things, what are you avoiding, right? And I always find too that the more you work with

28
00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:56,640
somebody, the deeper and wider it goes as well. Sydney, how about you? I think that I tend to focus on

29
00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:02,960
on a client's why. Why did you start this business in the first place? What do you enjoy most

30
00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:09,840
about what you're doing? And for me, my job is trying to help them get back to that.

31
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:18,480
So I think a lot of times people can get so caught up in the nitty gritty things that make a business run,

32
00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:25,680
that they lose sight of why they actually started their business and what they enjoy about their business.

33
00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:35,040
So I think that focusing on that and then it can help with a sense of understanding around, oh,

34
00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:40,480
I like this and these are all the things that I have to do in order to make that possible.

35
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,880
I find too. I don't know if it's the same for you. Sydney is like, when you start asking them

36
00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:49,280
those questions about their why and getting them connected to it, they get excited about their business again.

37
00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,720
And they're like, okay, yeah, like, let's do this. So that by the time you actually have a

38
00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,560
couple of things that they've handed off to you, they're like excited about doing it.

39
00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:04,880
Yeah, exactly. I love it when they come with this list of things,

40
00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:14,320
and because I always say to them, I'm like, within the flow of any one thing, anyone project,

41
00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:21,120
anyone, you know, process, there's things that they do like doing and then there's like the

42
00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:27,040
things that stop them because it doesn't go with their way. Like, I love talking to the client.

43
00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:31,920
I love doing this, but then I have to send them all of it. It's the, I don't like doing that part.

44
00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:40,400
And so I love when we start kind of pulling apart their processes. And I go, well, V.A. can help with this.

45
00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:46,960
And it be a can help with this. And you just see them, the release on their face coming

46
00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:54,160
to do the things that stop me of my tracks because I can do the things that I love doing.

47
00:04:54,160 --> 00:05:00,480
And you could take the things that I don't. That kind of relief on their base.

48
00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:08,720
So like when somebody comes to me, I'm like, what is that list of things that you do

49
00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:15,760
or want to do or can't get to do because you're doing all these other things.

50
00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:23,280
And as I take them off their plate, then it is that kind of deeper. It's like, oh, I didn't know

51
00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:31,520
it could hand that off. Okay, here you go. And yeah, I love that moment that epiphany that they get

52
00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:39,040
as they start to hand things off or their life. I didn't even think about that piece or that

53
00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:45,920
piece or that piece and then it just, it just gets easier and easier for the client. So

54
00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:54,720
one of the things that I do with clients is I make them do a brain dump. I'm like, get it all out

55
00:05:54,720 --> 00:06:00,400
of your head and on to paper. All those things that you are, you know, that you're currently

56
00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:05,360
doing and don't want to do. The things you even you love doing and don't want to hand off

57
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:12,320
and like the stuff that I call them procrastinations and tolerations, so things that you wish you could

58
00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:20,800
get to, but you other things come first or there's things that you're doing because you tolerate

59
00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:27,440
the task instead of it's not a get to or I don't like it. It's more like in the middle like,

60
00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:37,200
I don't do it, but if you could take it on then that'd be awesome. Is there a process that you do

61
00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:46,000
in working with the client to really get them to deepen the hand off? Because I know that some clients

62
00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:53,840
tend to come and they, they don't want to say they they hoard the ideas they can't let it go

63
00:06:53,840 --> 00:07:01,520
because maybe perfectionism plays a part or they don't think they can let it go, but really they can

64
00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:11,040
and should what some of your process and in kind of going, I can take that, you can give it to me.

65
00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:17,360
It's okay. What's kind of your process for that? Fear plays a big factor too, right? Like what

66
00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:23,680
happens if I let it go and it drops and not knowing what that looks like? So for me, I'm similar to you

67
00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,360
like do a brain dump but also track throughout the day, the things that like them happen

68
00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:32,160
the things that they don't and what let's start with some of those easier things so that they can kind

69
00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:37,040
of get to a feel of what the flow looks like. They can get a feel of what the communication style

70
00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:42,160
that they want our need is. They can get a feel for what what it feels like when that's done and

71
00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:47,600
they didn't have to do it so that it kind of helps with that momentum and keeping conversations

72
00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:51,920
like talking about what's coming up in your business, what's coming like having a good communication

73
00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:56,000
and meetings where you talk things out, that's where like those little nuggets like you were saying

74
00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,400
come up and you can be like, oh, did you know that we also do that or we could help with that?

75
00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:04,560
Or did you consider this and sharing those ideas and kind of going from there?

76
00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,120
Yeah, I do the same kind of thing. I just kind of keep talking to them pulling it through

77
00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:17,440
mentioning things. I also noticed that the more I get them to talk about themselves and you know,

78
00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:24,560
that they kind of relax it's no longer just a quiet partner kind of, now becomes a hero

79
00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:31,760
or friendly. Even if we're not friends or like, they share stuff about their kids and whatever,

80
00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:36,640
then they start talking more and they relax a little bit more about, hey, I'm not hoarding

81
00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:41,440
at all because now I kind of trust you. Now I can kind of hand this off to you and if you're

82
00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:47,840
going to have a problem, you let me know. I've also noticed that when I do say things like, hey,

83
00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:54,560
this is a timing issue for me. They're like, okay, there's no big deal for the timing issue,

84
00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:58,880
but then they start to realize, okay, she's going to say something if she has a problem. She's not

85
00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:04,880
going to disappear because she doesn't know or you know, drop the ball because she's going to say something.

86
00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:11,040
And that kind of gets them to relax a little bit more. And I kind of feel like the more I know

87
00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:15,840
about my clients on the personal side, then they kind of, they don't hoard. They don't seem to hoard as much.

88
00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:23,200
I agree with everything that you guys are saying. I think that trust is a big part of it and

89
00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:32,480
something that I do is remind them that I can start something and then they can take over and

90
00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:40,240
finish it if they want to. I think sometimes having a starting point is all a client needs

91
00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:48,720
to just have that push and or to just have a foundation. And I think also consistently

92
00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:56,400
checking in with here's what I have is this what you want because I can make adjustments and I can

93
00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:03,440
change. And so I think that eases the fear of, oh, what if it's not something that I like? Well,

94
00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:08,960
it's okay if it's not something you like because I can change it. So I think being flexible

95
00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:17,520
can help build that trust. When I think that a hand-off list from getting started,

96
00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:25,680
point of view, is really just a getting started kind of to do list. These are the things like

97
00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:34,640
you said the pain points, the things that are getting in the way of the why. And it can also be

98
00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:45,360
the, well, if I start with this project, it's not urgent, it's not scary, it's not overwhelming,

99
00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:52,880
it can help build trust. But a hand-off list kind of is that getting the ideas out of your head

100
00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:59,920
and on the paper so you can kind of look at like what projects can I start with to build trust?

101
00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:09,280
What are the things that would really make my life easier until I have that momentum, that trust,

102
00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:17,840
that communication down those kinds of things? Having a hand-off list can also kind of help you

103
00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:26,640
prioritize those things that, you know, especially when you're like, this is important, this is

104
00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:36,000
important, but you only have so much hours in your budget to do those things each month or at a time,

105
00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:44,720
it can be make it easier to kind of look up. Well, if three takes this on, then I can take this on

106
00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:54,240
and we're building trust, you know, I'm using my hours wisely, all those kinds of things.

107
00:11:54,240 --> 00:12:01,280
And it still gets it off your plate to open up the space to kind of go, oh, that thing that I thought

108
00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:08,240
was a whole another project was really just to step in this one or, you know, didn't turn out to be as

109
00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:17,280
necessary as I thought it was, I can delay that and use different hours for kind of things. So I think

110
00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:26,240
taking the time to create a hand-off list, to get the ideas out of your head and on a paper and then

111
00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:35,440
communicating them in the discovery call process or those first, you know, later on in the season,

112
00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:42,240
we'll talk about interview processes, but I know for me, the hand-off list kind of comes into play

113
00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:49,120
in that first 30 minute call where you're kind of going, are the tasks that you need the tasks that I do?

114
00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:57,280
Are we the right fit? I think having an idea for that is one way that a hand-off list kind of

115
00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:06,240
comes into play, but it's not always the do-all be-all because I know for me, if it's not something

116
00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:13,600
that I can do, I can refer out or I can bring on a team member to kind of take on a task that

117
00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:20,240
maybe all the other things on the hand-off list I can do, but some other things I can't.

118
00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:34,240
How do you guys kind of use the hand-off list in terms of, I guess maybe expectations,

119
00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:44,400
setting expectations with the client terms of priorities and budget and whether or not you take

120
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:51,280
that client on as a client? I think also just remembering that it doesn't have to start with the

121
00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:55,840
big heavy things, like the hard things, the things you don't know how to do. Sometimes starting small

122
00:13:55,840 --> 00:14:00,160
with something you do know how to do, but it just plays on you or it's that thing you're avoiding

123
00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:05,200
was that it may be checking your email and just having somebody go in and make you a priority in

124
00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:09,680
box and that's just relieves you so much for that you know you just go and you check those emails

125
00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:14,720
and you start from there. It can be something small to get that that we'll go in and feel

126
00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:19,920
with that's like. It doesn't have to be the big complicated things when I start with a client

127
00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:24,400
and we do those first calls, we usually start with just a couple pieces at a time and then keep

128
00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:29,200
checking back, like okay let's try these three things and we'll this is how it'll look if it doesn't

129
00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:34,640
work, let me know feedback is important right and then we'll just keep altering it or see how it goes

130
00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:39,360
and then we'll go onto the next things and just kind of do it step by step, not feeling like you

131
00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:46,720
have to be a snowball rolling down a hill. Anything else before I wrap up? I think that going back

132
00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:57,520
to the question of gauge in priorities and expectations, I think that I manage that based on deadlines

133
00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:05,920
so even if a client doesn't give me deadlines I'll make them for myself and it comes down to

134
00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:11,280
what do you want me to have finished first and sometimes you need to have one piece finished before

135
00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:20,400
you can even do another piece so that comes into play but other times there's there's going to be

136
00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:32,080
things that they want more and that's where the priority is. When I think we talk about priorities

137
00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:36,560
and there's lots of different ways of considering priorities right it's like in what order do I

138
00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:45,600
want to do a project, how important is it in the overall scheme of things and when we talk about

139
00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:53,440
budget, where do you want your dollars to go that can help you prioritize your project but also

140
00:15:54,240 --> 00:16:01,760
to land's point about the pain points right a little you know a little project can cause a

141
00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:08,320
huge amount of pain sometimes like you sound like free like your inbox right if it's even just

142
00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:18,880
opening your email causes extreme anxiety you know sometimes no that's not really a high priority task

143
00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:29,520
except that relieving the anxiety you know is really the priority versus the actual task so

144
00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:37,360
I love that you guys brought all that up because you know a kind of the implementation site like

145
00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:43,280
what are the things right what are the tasks that you want me to do and like I know

146
00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:53,120
got level like taking those things on really does calm anxiety it it creates space and energy

147
00:16:53,120 --> 00:17:00,000
and focus to kind of you know I always see at the universe likes to fill a void so if I take things off

148
00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:06,320
your plate then I know you're going to get that creative download but I don't always take into account

149
00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:16,160
the ease of the anxiety the emotional pieces right I'm more of the tactical side the logic side

150
00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:23,840
but I love that you guys brought up the emotional side because you know when clients come to us that

151
00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:31,520
really is right like you said it's that pain it's like what brought you to me to get started and it's

152
00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:41,600
really more I think that emotional side then the the actual like test side so thank you for bringing

153
00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:48,240
all that up because I don't always think about it so I don't even bring clients to that point okay

154
00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:56,640
but you guys well I think it's so much and thank you for joining us today on this episode of hey

155
00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:03,600
do I need a VA the podcast if this brought up any questions for you please email us at hey

156
00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:11,840
VA podcast at gmail.com or reach out to any one of us using our connector links in the show notes

157
00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:19,600
below thanks so much for your great rest of your day thank you for joining us on this episode of hey

158
00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:26,080
do I need a VA the podcast if you found this episode helpful please leave a like comment or review

159
00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:32,000
and feel free to join our Facebook group find higher and work with a VA for more tips and tools

160
00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:47,920
if you have any questions please email them to hey VA podcast at gmail.com we'll see you next time