Curious...HOw do you communicate with your clients and keep up with projects? Letting them know your status, time worked, etc.

Strictly email?
Via Telephone?
A software / program such as Basecamp? Something free like a googled document or spreadsheet?

Just curious.

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Alyssa Avant
http://alyssaavant.com

Hi Alyssa,

I communicate with my clients via telephone, email and Skype. My retainer clients receive a time worked and what was accomplished report from me weekly or monthly, depending on the client needs. I use the free PayMo.biz timing and reporting service.

Every client will be different and will have different needs. You want to establish your communication practices right from the start so if you decide to communicate by email only, you can establish that right now verses having to establish it later on in your business growth.

Some VAs strictly communicate by email and some of us use all of the above.

For instance an Attorney client I have prefers to communicate by telephone, my real estate client prefers email. I choose to communicate the way they wish too.

Hope that helps!
Andrea~

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|

I'm on the same page. I generally communicate the way my client perfers. Once client is a talker and struggles to communicate when she needs to write, so we have regular calls to discuss projects, tasks and what needs to be done.

Others via skype and email. All of us have a prefered way of communication, me personally if I can I communicate by email but I adjust to my clients needs.

I also use a central repository for documents, follow up and projects so my client can access it at any time, I have currently started using PBworks so see how it works and so far I like it. Customized workspaces for each client, various levels of security and it costs $20 per month, free for clients and contractors that you ask to join.

I also use Freshbooks to track my time on projects for clients as well as invoicing. When I invoice my clients I don't send them a detailed breakdown of what I've done just an overview, but they can log in at any time and see how long I've spent on anyone project for them.

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Renee Shupe, Become a Techie Virtual Assistant
eMail Marketing & Aweber Training Starts May 15! - Save 50% using VAFAweber

Alyssa,

I connect via email, Skype, and phone, and it depends on the client. I have several that we do Monday am conference calls so that we are on the same page with projects. While the phone is the general communication choice, Skype is becoming more popular. One of my clients does a video Skype conference so that we can see each other during the conversation.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

I use email, phone, and skype, with skype being the preference. I can use audacity to record the call so there is a record of what was said. I learned long ago to always cover myself. When in business it's always best to have some sort of record.

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Serita Diana, the List 2 Close Assistant
REVA Academy

Hi ... The clients will typically be happy if the updates are done via e mail or msgr ... or status reports .. some clients will need to talk and some require time trackers to go with it.

The client who know me ... don't request time trackers ... they are just OK if am online ... new clients give a deadline and require reports ...

One or two request time trackers ... exact to a second! Purely depends on the client.

Best Regards

Hi Serita, how do I find audacity?? Thanks!

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Jána :daisy:
www.virtually-supporting-you.com

Hi Jana!

Here is the Audacity link where you can download Audacity. You can edit, record, and always have a record. Good luck!

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Serita Diana, the List 2 Close Assistant
REVA Academy

I communicate via my skype phone. I have a skype number and I can call anywhere in Canada and in the US for such a cheap price.
I used to use my cellphone before or land line and i had a customer from Texas that I was doing her website and just calling her cost me so much that I didn't really made any profit out of this job. Now I don't have any land line anymore and use my skype to call everyone.

Thank you Serita, I have a lot to download and try out this weekend. This is great!!

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Jána :daisy:
www.virtually-supporting-you.com