Podcast Interview – How To Hire A Virtual Assistant For $7 An Hour

If you’re doing something you’re not supposed to be doing then it’s costing you money.

And with that statement, Ray Wood perfectly summed up the value of hiring a Virtual Assistant.

Ray decided to schedule an interview with Brett Russo after a chance encounter with a common friend, Geoff Grist who acquired the services of a Virtual Assistant from Brett’s company Outsource Workers. Listen to the podcast where Brett Russo talks about the secrets of hiring a virtual assistant.

In order to listen to the podcast, please click on this link.

Ray Wood is a life- long entrepreneur who comes from a real estate family. He is the proprietor of several businesses that are engaged in real estate, sales and management training and software development. Ray is also the author of the bestselling book, “How to Sell Your Home for More”.

As a realtor, Ray knows the job of an agent can be overwhelming. There are many tasks to attend to and these can take away valuable time from attending to activities that are more focused to making a sale. Principal owners of real estate agencies are likewise besieged with having to deal with non- essential tasks which deprive them of time best allocated for growing the business.

In his conversations with those in the industry, the best option for realtors would be to hire a Virtual Assistant. It is a cost- effective strategy in that hiring one will not break the bank. Having a Virtual Assistant onboard will also improve productivity because the realtor can now dedicate his time on income- generating activities.

But there have also been instances where the arrangement with the Virtual Assistant did not work out.

Ray decided to interview Brett Russo of Outsource Workers to find out the secrets of having the best Virtual Assistant for your business.

Here are some of the interesting highlights of the interview:
When asked about the tasks that can be outsourced to a Virtual Assistant, Brett drew up a list of basic responsibilities a Virtual Assistant can manage. These include:

  • E-mail filtering
  • Respond to e-mails
  • Appointment setting
  • Calendar management
  • Update CRM
  • Organize and send contracts
  • Send “Thank You” cards to clients and associates
  • Manage social media

Brett assures Ray that the virtual assistants hired by Outsource Workers have been strictly qualified. They all have university degrees and have been tested for proficiency in computers, English and basic office skills such as e-mail management and letter- writing.

In addition, all qualified virtual assistants undergo basic training for real estate. Training is conducted via Skype Video or through Team Viewer which allows close collaboration and more precise instruction.

Team Viewer gives the Virtual Assistant access to the trainer’s computer which makes instruction more interactive. Instead of asking the Virtual Assistant if she understood the instruction, she is asked to do the process herself. If she can complete the process at least three times, she can be qualified to handle a client.

Brett places special emphasis on training as all video instruction are captured via screen shot software and archived in a training library. The videos are accessible to the virtual assistants as an immediate reference.

For Brett the key to a successful arrangement with a Virtual Assistant is building a good relationship. Brett makes sure the virtual assistants he hires are happy with their decision to join Outsource Workers. Here are a few of their benefits:

  • They are hired on a full- time basis.
  • They are given special days off on Australian holidays without being docked salary.
  • Clients are encouraged to acknowledge the exemplary work done by their Virtual Assistant through small tokens of gratitude on special days of the year.

If the virtual assistants are happy with their working conditions they will continue to render excellent work and service to the clients of Outsource Workers. Thus, loyalty will no longer be an issue.

Outsource Workers charges AUD$7 per hour for their virtual assistance services. The amount a client pays per month will depend on the scope and volume of work. A real estate agent can hire a Virtual Assistant to work for 10 hours a week while a principal of an agency will require a full- time Virtual Assistant.

Ray believes the charge of AUD$ 7 is very reasonable and will greatly contribute to the success of any business but especially those in real estate. Ready to hire your virtual assistant? Request a consultation today.

The podcast was originally published on Ray’s website here.