How to Have Your Assistant Manage Your Email

This blog post offers a straightforward guide on delegating email management to a virtual assistant (VA) to save time and boost productivity.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by emails? A VA can help manage your inbox and free up your time!

Choosing the Right Tool: Use a platform like Gmail with delegation features. This lets your VA access your emails securely.

Creating a System:

Labels: Use labels to organize emails (e.g., Action Needed, To Read, Client Emails).
Filters: Set up filters to automatically tag emails based on the sender or keywords.
Auto-Unsubscribe: Unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters to clean up your inbox.
10% Test: Let your VA handle a small part (10-20%) of your inbox first to ensure they’re doing it right.

Creating Templates: To save time, develop templates for common email responses (e.g., inquiries, applications).

Training Your VA:

Provide examples and templates of your email style.
Have regular feedback sessions to ensure your VA understands your preferences.

Daily/Weekly System:

Start with daily sync-ups to review and improve the process.
Move to weekly check-ins for updates and adjustments.

Document & Iterate:

Create a standard operating procedure (SOP) for your VA to follow.
Regularly update the SOP with new practices and tools.

Conclusion:

Delegating email management might seem challenging, but with a clear system and good communication, your VA can effectively manage your inbox. This allows you to focus on more important tasks.

By following these steps, you can make email delegation smooth and efficient, turning your VA into a valuable asset for your productivity.