Hiring and training an assistant can seem like a Catch-22. You would hire and train someone to lighten your work load if you only had time to do it.
However, by not taking time to hire and train an assistant, entrepreneurs end up spending more time doing recurring tasks and less time doing their genius work. Why have a business if you’re not able to spend time doing your genius work?
I’m going to walk you through the easiest and fastest way to delegate to an assistant for almost any recurring task in your business.
Warning: Once you read this, you’ll have no excuse for not hiring help nor having enough time to do your genius work.
What you need
1. ScreenFlow Software
ScreenFlow is software created by a company called Telestream. It’s $99, though there is a free version. The free version leaves a watermark on the video, which usually isn’t a problem if you’re making a video for only one or two people to watch.
2. 5 Minutes
How to do it
1. Choose the task
Choose 1 recurring, preferably weekly task you currently do for your business.
2. Record yourself completing the task
Next time you do this task, record yourself doing it using ScreenFlow. Narrate the process of completing the task; explain what you’re doing as you’re doing it. Talk through any details that are important to remember or places where your assistant could get tripped up.
Export the video and either send it to her using a service like YouSendIt or post it as a private video on YouTube.
Time to complete (beyond completing the task, which you do anyway): 2 minutes.
3. Have your assistant give it a try
Have your assistant watch that video the complete that task the following week, without hitting the “submit” or “send” button if that applies. Check her work, see if she has questions. Fill in gaps and explain things she missed or didn’t understand.
Check-in time: 2 minutes.
4. Have your assistant do it again
Have her do that task again next week. Check her work. See if she has further questions.
Check-in time: 1 minute.
Next week, that task is on her plate and off of yours.
That should do it.
With only 5 minutes more than it takes you to normally complete a task, you trained your assistant to take it over for you. She’s happy because she has a clear explanation on what to do and how to do it. You’re happy because it’s one less thing you need to take care of.
How are you going to use this tip in your business? What have been your most effective methods for training an assistant? Please share!
Brilliant! Never thought of this and it will be a huge help as I just hired a VA to do my newsletter.
Thanks, Jenny!
Yes! This is perfect for newsletters and blog posting.
I have to say I use jing to do this very same thing – but I don’t just train assistants – I also train clients. It’s so fast and easy and it rarely leaves any questions! Plus they have it to refer to over and over if they forget a step 😉 Love it!
Haha, Sammi! I’ve used it to train clients, too! You make a good point–it’s easy for them to watch it over and over and keep it handy if they forget a step.
Love this! I think it will also be extremely handy for getting new recruiters up to speed as well. So many uses. Maybe “how to make a bed” for my kids:).
I love that–train your kids. I’ll have to keep that in mind for my future use 🙂
Thanks Jenny! This post inspired me to search for a service that works on a pc. I can definitely see this as a great tool for training clients. I had searched for something like this before and didn’t realize it was called screencast.
I found this page which references alternatives. I can’t speak to any of them personally, but I have heard of several of them before. http://alternativeto.net/software/screenflow/?platform=windows
Yes–it would be a great way for you to train your clients.
Brilliant way to train and just in time – got a new/former assistant helping me bridge to a virtual assistant next.
Oooooo, aaaaahhh, I love this idea!! I’m a teacher so it would be easy to “train” someone just by showing them what I’m doing….great idea!!