How do you offer email services? I obviously know how to email...but how do you offer this as a service to your clients? Do you take on their email account and respond accordingly...how exactly does one market this service?

Hi NikAssist:

Sorry I don't know your name, but I currently offer email management to my clients. There are some that I respond to emails on their behalf and then there are some that I review emails, filter out the spam, and include the important ones on a list throughout different times during the day.

This way a client can review the important emails and either a) assign the task to you as a VA to follow-up on or b) he/she can respond to the email.

I think as far as responding, it may take awhile for you to build trust with the client since you are in fact responding on his/her behalf. All of my clients who I process email management for - I only respond 2 out of 3 for. And of course, there is another service in which if they "try" to manage 10-13 email accounts in one day - you can always sort those into folders and organize for the client.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

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Aspiring VA - Jean
http://network.govirtualwithjean.com

That is kind of what I figured it would be. I definitely have the skills to handle this type of service as well. I am so excited to redo my website and start marketing it!!

Thanks so much!

Nikia

To offer the email management to your clients - how do you see their emails?

That's what I'd like to know, too. How do you view your client's e-mail; does it require a special program to interface with theirs so that they have access to responses you've sent or items you sort to other folders for them to be aware of or handle later?

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Marian ~
VirtualAdminOptions

I manage 3 email accounts for my client - the accounts are hosted through Google, so even though they are domain specific for the business - I can access the emails through gmail.

My client hates emails - so I sort, label and monitor the email accounts on her behalf. Even on the low volume days, it's a task in front of her that distracts from her focus and drive. We've set up expectations of response times, forwarding, etc.

On another account, I create a weekly digest of all the responses to a specific newsletter mailing.

It's what I consider an easy task - but for the client, it's a huge weight lifted.

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Crystal Coleman, The Northern Edge

I monitor about 5 accounts...2 are with a client that are Ecommerce sites...I read and forward to appropriate people and then I have an account on his server that his emails come to and I read and put in appropriate folders for him and handle ones like requests for information and appointments (which I schedule his appts for him and note what they are about and he can just read the subject of the meeting and he just goes (I have full access-shared-to his outlook email and calendar and all he has to do is sync so he matches-and I send him Text reminders to sync his calendar to his iphone and he is good to go).

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Rebecca Thompson
CLR Virtual Connection * fanTABulous fan pages

Originally Posted by e-IndyOffice

To offer the email management to your clients - how do you see their emails?

Hi There!

There are several ways I manage my client's email. One client I have monitors all of her email in her personal Outlook inbox. Therefore, I remotely access her PC using remote control services such as GoToMyPC or LogMeIn.

Another client, he gives me all of his POP settings for the various emails he manages with username/login information and I setup the email in my personal Outlook inbox, organize folders, mark the important emails, type a list in Google Docs for him to review on his end. He responds to all his emails. I don't respond to any.

The last client I manage emails through is from Google. I respond on behalf of the client's behalf and can obtain emails through POP3 settings as well. I just label them into one category as they come in or various categories. Hope this helps!

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Aspiring VA - Jean
http://network.govirtualwithjean.com

Hi All, Newbie here!

I've been doing so much research over the past couple of weeks. I have thought about offering email services too! I've reviewed the websites others referred to such as log me in, but I haven't found one quite like HyperOffice. I am also looking for project management software and they seem to have it all. You can send email on your customer's behalf by just dropping down on the menu button that has their email name. You can make edits to their calendar as well and send them SMS message updates. I'm so on the fence right now as I'm just starting out and don't know exactly what type of clients I will have; however, I am very tempted to just go with the product that has the most so that when I get that special client, I'm already setup and ready to go.

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Gia S.

Originally Posted by misssjean

Hi There! There are several ways I manage my client's email. One client I have monitors all of her email in her personal Outlook inbox. Therefore, I remotely access her PC using remote control services such as GoToMyPC or LogMeIn.

Was it difficult to overcome client objections to having this kind of access, or were they preconditioned to working with VAs? What kind of counter argument did you offer to their concerns?