41 Rewards for your Virtual Assistant
November 30, 2008
This Virtual Assistant Blog is not just to help Virtual Assistants that want to specialize in Internet Marketing be more successful. It is also a blog to help people that hire virtual assistants hire the best virtual assistants and get the best return on investment.
So what if you hire a Virtual Assistant and they turn out fabulous? What if they make you gobs of money or go that extra mile and simplify your life more than you thought possible?
To retain any virtual contractor long term, you cannot just assume they are happy and ignore them. If they are good, find a way to reward them and encourage them to do EVEN better. This does not have to be gifts. I am listing some free things you can do below as well that will show them you really appreciate the work.
Here are 41 Ways to Reward a Virtual Assistant
The Obvious Virtual Assistant Rewards
- Increase hourly rate
- Give bonus
- Send gift card to AppleBee’s, TGI Fridays, Olive Garden….
- Send flowers
- Send a gift certificate to Office Max, Staples
- Send Webcam
- Send box of promotional items branded with your company logo.
- Send movie tickets
- Send Starbucks Cards
- Send Sweets, Cookies
- Do they like to read? Amazon or Borders Cards
- Buy them a nicer office chair
- Send them a card and hand written note.
- Send something for their kids if they have young kids.
- Digital Photo Frame
- MP3 Player
- Have pizza delivered
- Massage (By a professional, do not offer to do it yourself.)
- Send real cards on all major holidays
- Nice Pen set
- Something engraved for office
- Wine – Be sure they like it first.
Free Things to Reward your Virtual Assistant and show you care.
- LinkedIn Testimonial
- Letter of Recommendation/Recognition
- Refer a client to virtual assistant, assuming you do not need them full time.
- Give Award – Maybe Virtual Contractor of the Month?
- Upgrade the title of their role, if they have one.
- Give them a call to check in on how they like working on your projects.
- Video testimonial and post to video sharing site.
- Link to virtual assistant’s website from your company website as a partner, resource, etc.
Rewarding Big Impact Virtual Assistants
What if your Virtual Assistant does some marketing work that causes a big sales jump or work that creates major savings?
- Offer long term contract
- Weekend in Bed and Breakfast
- Upgrade their computer and software
- Pay for additional marketing training or online learning.
- Vacation to Beach
- Trip to your office for team building and to meet everyone in person.
- Home office makeover
- Ski Classes
- Attend Conference
- Blackberry on company plan
- Spa
The bonuses a good sales person gets are often killer. Why not other people that make a difference, even if they are virtual assistants? The people I know that are successful online spend a lot of time testing various virtual assistants to see which one’s work out. That that turn out exceptional get the red carpet treatment because you do not want to lose them and start over looking.
- Thank You!Comments
6 Responses to “41 Rewards for your Virtual Assistant”
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Again, Ron, you posted some excellent tips to really say thank you. Better than the run of the mill coffee mug with chocolates branded with all of your company logos – that’s so BLAND.and basically thoughtless. And, isn’t the true gift the thought and the value you place on another.
As someone who works with business owners, I would LOVE the gift of clarity, I wish they would really have a focus and understand their goals and communicated it in a way that provided inspiration and focus. The “lost in space” type of communication where the direction changes every week is exhausting and no gift can compensate for that.
Thanks Maria.
Even a coffee mug is better than forgetting you are out there
I agree that most small business owners are struggling to find what works and change before giving something a chance. Maybe the downside of so many options and so much information. Or just poor planning.
What you mention is why I only take clients willing to commit to a six month effort on something – and it has to be specific. Sure, you tweak it if you do not get the results you expect, but you cannot just throw it all away and do something else without giving it a chance.
Thanks for posting this. I would love any item off of your list! The best part was the chuckle I got when I read “Massage (By a professional, do not offer to do it yourself.).”
Create an amazing day!
This is one of the best posts I ever read about how to reward your VA’s. I wish my clients can read this!
I especially love the – Free Things to Reward your Virtual Assistant and show you care. I find this more valuable than the rest
How timely! Yesterday I was chatting with my friend and she told me all about this new dress she’ll be wearing to her company’s spiffy X-mas party. So I got nostalgic about being an employee – getting company T-shirts, mouse pads, theater tickets and, once, sharing a giant gift basket sent by an overjoyed client.
Your list cheered me up (I hope at least some of my clients get a hold of it and take note). I also think, that when it comes to the FREE rewards you mentioned, it’s ok to ask a client directly (for a link on their website, a LinkedIn recommendation, etc).
Oh, since some of VAs’ clients are small business owners and solo-preneurs, they might feel “lonely” and under-appreciated as well. So maybe VAs can use some of your suggestions to reward their clients for being… well… their clients
[...] imagine how glad I was finding out that there is not one, not two, but 41 ways to reward a virtual assistant! My favorite, the pizza reward, is included. But I especially liked the free ones, keeping in [...]