E-Newsletters Stengthen Your Team

05/26/2010

0 Comments

 
A Virtual Assistant can strengthen a team by enhancing communication, in a practical manner, between project managers and the members of their team. They utilize an online network to become part of the team, either based locally or over long distances.

In the past, using instant messaging, emails, skype and web pages to keep the flow of information going back and forth between team members was a good idea. However, omissions can be made and some key people might miss out on important information, or busy schedules may prevent some people from sharing their information. One of the best ways to improve and streamline communication is by drafting an e-newsletter and distributing it on a regular basis, be it weekly, monthly, or quarterly.

It can be quite the challenge to find enough time to create a newsletter, but project managers don't have to do it alone. The most time efficient and cost effective manner is to break the job up into smaller pieces; host a brainstorming session; assign segments of work among team members; and then use a virtual Assistant to format and distribute the e-newsletter.

A stronger team has been born. Everyone is up to date on the latest project information without having to spend their time drafting newsletters, writing emails or sending memos back and forth to each other. Instead they send regular updates to the VA who in-turn creates the next issue of the e-newsletter.


Add Comment
 

New Official VA Badge

05/18/2010

0 Comments

 
I am now an official active member of the Virtual Assistant Forum and I am looking forward to getting to know them all. They have a lot of seasoned VA (Virtual Assistant) members and they all seem very friendly, knowledgeable and willing to share their good advice.
 
What is a VA?
Virtual Assistants (VAs) are independent entrepreneurs providing professional administrative, creative, managerial, technical, business office and/or personal support services. VAs use the most advanced means of communication, and the newest and most efficient and time saving office products and work delivery, regardless of geographic boundaries. Virtual Assistants work from their own offices, on a contractual basis, and abide by an established Code of Ethics requiring integrity, honesty and due diligence.(Alliances for Virtual Businesses)

Maintaining strong alliances through networking and social groups are necessary for a VA business to succeed and I think this forum is exactly what any VA needs, whether they are new to the business or a seasoned professional.
Add Comment
 

Business Writing - Watch Your Tone

05/07/2010

0 Comments

 
Writing your business correspondence in a confident, polite, sincere and unbiased tone makes your letters or reports easier to read and puts you in a more favorable position with the reader.

Confident  

If you have prepared yourself to write knowledgeably about your subject then you will be better able to assume a confident tone in your writing. Organize your documentation with the intent of persuading your reader to accept your point of view and then put your points down in order of importance.  When you are fully prepared and confident in your written word and sure of your abilities or product the reader will be more likely to agree with your findings.

Don’t however be overconfident as this can easily be interpreted as arrogant or presumptuous and a definite turn off.  Instead of saying, “my product is exactly what you want” you could say “your needs can be better met by using my product.”

Courteous and Sincere 

Your letter or other forms of correspondence should have a polite and sincere tone. These two go hand in hand because without sincerity in tone courteous would sound condescending.  Instead of saying, “Before I was rudely interrupted I was going to explain our new benefit plan in detail.” Re-phrase that and say “Before you implement our new benefit plan, you should keep the following details in mind”.

Politically Correct or Unbiased Tone

Unbiased language treats all people equally. All words, remarks or ideas should show equality, which means respect for all. Discriminatory language based on factors of race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability, interrupts the flow by coming between you and your reader. Use neutral job titles and genetic pronouns such as; letter carrier instead of the mail man or administrative assistant instead of Girl Friday. But, if you try too hard to be politically correct with your terms and call the paper boy a Media Distribution Officer you run the risk of disrupting your whole point of view.

A confident, polite, sincere and unbiased tone sets the stage that allows your points to flow smoothly off the page and be highly regarded as an honest and expert opinion.

 

 

Add Comment