scale Archives

Posts

the data driven real estate podcast myoutdesk virtual assistant smiling

DATA DRIVEN Real Estate + Scaling Business with Virtual Assistants

For real estate professionals dedicated to driving success in their business using data. MyOutDesk CEO Daniel Ramsey is interviewed by PropertyRadar’s Sean O’Teele. PropertyRadar & The Data-Driven Real Estate Podcast makes discovering new deals, clients, and customers fast, easy, and affordable!

Scaling Business with Virtual Assistants

Link to Podcast

Daniel founded MyOutDesk during the last global financial crisis of 2008 to help businesses leverage the remote workplace and scale businesses with virtual assistants. Daniel has helped over 7500 clients scale their businesses and grow profitability. He’s had the opportunity to work with many of the largest sales organizations, technology startups, insurance, real estate, and healthcare companies. MyOutDesk specializes in four major areas of business: Marketing, Administrative, Customer Service, and Prospecting.

Each show is posted on the Data-Driven Real Estate Podcast #12. Catch pre-show research and continue the dialogue online after the show!

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

Did You Know? MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Pioneers of virtual assistant services, our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

September 18, 2020/by Jeremy

a man working at a computer a with virtual icon of a shopping cart and exclamation point over it ecommerce virtual assistants

When you need to scale up customer service… but your AI just doesn’t quite cut it yet

Administrative, Cannabis & Legal Marijuana, e-Commerce, Financial Planning, Franchise, Healthcare, Human Resources, Inside Sales, Insurance, Marketing, Marketing, Mortgage, Property Management, Real Estate, Technology

There is no doubt that the presence of AI in today’s businesses has helped companies operate smoothly when teams cannot afford more customer service employees. For some, businesses are finding that their retention rates are dipping while using AI customer service software.

So what is the perfect balance in incorporating AI, yet still fostering genuine client relationships?

Despite tremendous success in AI software like Siri & Google Assistants by the big-5 tech companies, most AI solutions out there made by tech start-ups lack the programmatic ability to respond in a genuinely human way to queries.

An “unsupervised” AI bot has led businesses to receive sudden surges in negative feedback, bad reviews, and increased churn. Every customer in the world, including myself, will always choose “talk to a person” or “connect to a representative” as the first choice over a call.

When small teams don’t have the time, there’s an additional solution to continue improving their AI customer service – with a human touch. When a customer service representative administers AI tools at a full-time capacity, that is how the best synergy happens and all customer expectations can truly meet satisfaction.

Enhancing the Digital Learning Curve

With dozens of AI bots on the market, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to automate your customer interactions. Your customer begins their interaction thinking they’re chatting with a person, and when they realize it’s a bot, their level of satisfaction drops precipitously.

It’s natural to look for automated solutions first. After all, IT solutions are often more cost-effective than hiring team members.

Many aren’t yet aware that competitive businesses are assigning a full-time virtual assistant to pair with their digital customer service technologies. Virtual assistants are providing the human touch needed for up to less than 70% of the cost of a traditional full-time employee – often in the same tier of low overhead costs as some popular digital software subscriptions.

Increasing Retention Rates + KPIs, with “hybrid” virtual solutions

Businesses find that they can finally deliver the genuine customer satisfaction that all buyers expect – when the power of virtual AI meets the power of human virtual assistance – fortunately at a lower amount of overhead costs than a full-time physical employee (allowing the best profit margins).

An experienced, qualified Virtual Assistant provider is capable of supplementing the rest of client service needs. They can handle customer onboarding and training processes, along with Tier-1 support and Help Desk tasks.

A virtual assistant is fully in charge of administering customer service technologies (open, manage, and close tickets) – delivering that genuine customer satisfaction that all buyers demand.

As Shep Hyken mentioned during our special webinar, “If your employees and customers are nervous, uncertain, and even scared, you owe it to them to communicate at a much higher frequency and much more empathetic than you ever have before.” Communication is key, and this is why AI tools need to couple with fast human response, which can all be afforded by a virtual assistant.

There’s nothing more important to a growing business than your customer experience

In today’s service economy, excellent service is the deciding factor for most businesses. If teams do not focus on creating a good experience across each and every interaction, you will lead to negative feedback, bad reviews, and increased churn.

Despite the hype, commercial AI is still maturing. While it can be useful for basic key-phrase recognition and providing canned responses to common questions, ultimately it’s confined to the limitations of a predefined workflow. AI cannot yet think outside the box and adapt to situations that require a degree of empathy and comprehension—and it often falls apart when asked even simple questions outside of what it is programmed to recognize.

Relying on AI as a front-line customer interaction tool alone can be dangerous. So rather than attempting to replace human assistance with AI solutions, it’s better to combine them for optimal customer service. The modern workplace is increasingly collaborative, and human assistants remain intrinsically more capable to foster relationships than AI alone.

There’s a place for automation, and there’s also a place for real, human staffing – and VA providers such as MyOutDesk virtual assistants are the top-tier solution for your high-tech help desk & customer service roles for a fraction of what business would pay locally.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

August 20, 2020/by Daniel Ramsey

a businessman standing in front of a wall with a shadow of him with a cape

Scaling by Organizational Excellence: Levels of Leadership Competence

Accelerator, MOD Virtual Assistants

According to the Corporate Executive Board (CEB), only 13% of company executives have confidence in the rising leaders at their firms.

Many businesses do not have a developed method to identify their prospective talent. To address the issue, offices need to reflect on their strategic leadership competencies. As low engagement and high turnover are extremely costly for businesses, this is how companies can prevent this inefficient waste of talent.

It takes more than just required skills to determine the right fit. Talent must also fill the important competencies for leadership. There are 8 key predictors of top leadership competence. The most crucial characteristics for talent positions for businesses are:

Results-Oriented
Strategy Oriented
Collaboration & Influence
Team Leadership
Organizational Development
Change Leadership
Understanding of the Market
Inclusiveness

In addition, many leading businesses find that an eighth — inclusiveness — is essential to their performance.

Download the Levels of Leadership Competence Scorecard

Included: Free “Grow Virtual” Business Strategy Call

How to Use the Scorecard

Advanced = 5 Points
Intermediate = 3 Points
Needs work = 1 Point

You cannot succeed unless you measure success. With the leadership competency scoreboard, you can understand how to strengthen your leadership team.

First, start with the key leader — you (the CEO).
Rate your competency and be honest with yourself. You will be able to identify managing talent to work with you on building your business’ success.
Management
Allow your managers to rate themselves. You will rate them too and compare these scores.
Measure areas of improvement
This is the most important step. By identifying areas of need, you can build a plan. Should you hire new leaders or conduct training, you will improve your business synergy.If you use this formula, this exercise helps your company prevent turnover and identify areas of improvement.

By creating a growth map showing each of your employee’s strengths, you’ll be able to align your key talent to match your business needs and see what you need to balance.

You’re in the game of finding the best talent — a candidate that isn’t only qualified but can meet your goals & objectives.

Scaling with Organizational Excellence

To scale, your business will shift to what we call the “They Do It” stage. We’ve written all about this in our international bestselling book “Scaling Your Business”. Get a free copy of our bestselling book today.

It is an exciting place to be. In the They Do It stage, the production of the company is no longer reliant on only you, the owner. Freedom is born here. A They Do It entrepreneur can take a day or two off (or a whole month), and the business continues to sell and move forward with the systems in place.

MyOutDesk virtual assistant services provide you with the flexibility, scalability, and cost-savings to adapt quickly to today’s changing business & market conditions. Skills are not our only consideration when hiring Virtual Assistants, we also consider their character, personality, and commitment to the job. We review their job history, and we gather information from their references (3 work & 2 personal references) with an FBI-grade background check.

See how smoothly you can start scaling and growing your business with virtual solutions through MyOutDesk.

MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

June 22, 2020/by Jeremy

Work from Home Experts tell all: How to effectively SAVE & SCALE your operations with Career Virtual Assistants

MOD Virtual Assistants

From marketing to administrative tasks and even sales, the help of Virtual Assistants offers a ton of benefits. The demand for virtual assistants is multiplying. To help you make the best decision for your business, understand the benefits of virtual assistants here.

(To learn more about virtual assistants, schedule a FREE Business Strategy call with MyOutDesk today!)

Top talent Virtual Assistants bring you a huge return on investment.
Claim a free business strategy consultation & Thrive Guide

These are compelling reasons to hire a virtual assistant, and for many jobs ranging from administrative work to telemarketing, a Virtual Assistant working remotely is a perfect fit. Here’s what career Virtual Assistants know they contribute when working full-time with clients.

1. Increased flexibility

Regardless of the industry, you’ll experience incredibly busy periods, as well as slower periods. Your goals may also change throughout the year, impacting the types of tasks that need to be addressed. In order to achieve this level of flexibility, a virtual assistant is an ideal solution.

This strategy will allow you to pinpoint opportunities that’ll likely lead to increased productivity and growth — all while you continue to develop new growth ideas and techniques.

MyOttDesk Virtual Assistants are selected through a stringent talent-matching process. They are a professional talent pool with experience serving real estate, healthcare, finance, commerce, utilities, and much more!

MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs

2. Cost-saving strategies

When considering hired help, you must compare the potential cost-saving benefits associated with a virtual assistant. When hiring a full-time employee, you’ll need to consider costs related to onboarding, benefits, and other hidden costs.

In contrast, a virtual assistant can help you overcome busy periods without needing to pay someone during slower periods. Although you’ll still need to pay for their services, a virtual assistant is an investment — the type of investment that can significantly boost long-term revenue.

Claim a complimentary business strategy consultation

3. Enhanced efficiency

The old saying, “Two heads are better than one,” could not be closer to the truth. When hiring a virtual assistant to address x, y, and z, those tasks no longer require your attention. Learning to delegate such tasks is one of the most effective ways to boost overall efficiency.

Also, a virtual assistant can help you become much more organized so that you can easily access the files and documents you need when you need them. From bookkeeping to CRM management, a virtual assistant will provide the level of support you need.

4. Consistent customer service

Some weeks seem as though they are hitting like a ton of bricks. As you try to catch up, prospective business is not addressed as it should be. Whether following up with last week’s clients or are sending out client documentation, you can INSTEAD spend your time on more dollar-productive activities and leave the rest to a mighty Virtual Assistant.

In turn, your clients/customers are not getting the attention they expect — and your business could suffer. Virtual assistants can address all of your customers’ questions and concerns, all while you focus on driving your business forward.

5. Greater lead generation

Just imagine being able to grow your client list while you strengthen your relationship with current clients. Perhaps you have a contact list that you have not yet used for marketing purposes? If so, a virtual assistant could create an email or telemarketing campaign to gain more leads and, in turn, grow your client list.

If routine, non-dollar productive tasks are steering your business into a rut, it’s time to eliminate these tasks off your plate. MyOutDesk has been serving business professionals across the country for over 13 years, becoming one of the top service providers in virtual assistant services.

Survive and Thrive

We are here only for your success. That’s why we are offering zero-obligation strategy calls with free access to our guides and books.

Schedule your free business strategy call today. We’ll map out a plan for attaining:

The CEO Mindset. Lead by example, double down, and gain market share.
Refreshed value. Understand what people want and need now, and how your business can respond to these demands.
Becoming an exceptional force – all while reducing operational costs. Reduce operational costs with virtual assistants, a forgivable expense through the SBA. Restructure to a remote workspace and create new plans with a CEO’s mindset.

MyOutDesk brings you 13 years of recession-tackling knowledge. We are committed to supporting your continued drive to champion a thriving business and support your local community during the COVID-19 health crisis. Schedule a free strategy call today.

Claim a free business strategy consultation & Thrive Guide

May 1, 2020/by Jeremy

scale the podcast with myoutdesk daniel ramsey

Scale The Podcast Hits 110 Episodes!

MOD Virtual Assistants, Podcast

Less than 6 months after launching Scale The Podcast, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve now topped 110 episodes and reached an audience of tens of thousands of business professionals around the globe with tips, tricks, advice & groundbreaking interviews on how to effectively grow & scale your business in the 21st century.

Subscribe now on Google, iTunes, or over 15 other major podcast channels to the hottest new podcast of 2019! When you do, you’ll automatically receive the latest show episodes as they come up: giving you immediate access to our amazing business growth & scalability shows.

Remember, Scale The Podcast isn’t just a show: it’s a growth mantra for the 21st century – covering every aspect of building the business of your dreams, with expert interviews on management, marketing, lead generation, sales, and of course, how to solve the chicken-or-egg staffing issues that come with rapid growth.

Don’t be left behind! Join thousands of professionals tuning in to each new episode of Scale The Podcast, and learn how to take your business to the next level with remarkable insights & interviews today! For us, the podcast is the next level in helping provide you with the best information possible to use leverage to build revenue in real estate. Scale your business – with “Scale The Podcast”!

Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform & get our newest episodes delivered right to your smartphone the moment they come out. That way you won’t miss a thing, and you’ll have all our remarkable interviews & training content available at your fingertips, whenever you need it. Listen while you’re driving, posting signs, on your way to listing appointments, waiting for clients at an open house, or just listen at home when you have a few minutes to catch up.

February 19, 2020/by Tim

a myoutdesk virtual assistant multi-tasking

6 Stages to a 7 Figure Business, Part 3 – Marketing & Blended Teams

Marketing, MOD Virtual Assistants, Scale The Series

Attracting and retaining top digital marketing talent for your team is a time-intensive process. However, it is one of the most important growth decisions you’ll make as a business owner. On the flip side of that, it will be the most expensive mistake you make if the process is rushed and you onboard bad hires. To reduce the cost and risk of growing your marketing team, consider a blended Virtual Professional team. Get a stellar marketing assistant now – take a moment to schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session today!

Virtual Professionals can help your existing marketing operations team.

Content Marketing: Creation and sharing of value-added content are essential to winning over prospects or customers.
Email/SMS Marketing: Marketing communication is all about making sure that your customers/clients remember you and the perfect way to do this is through email/SMS marketing.
Website Update and Maintenance: Tasks include adding new images, videos, content; adding meta tags and descriptions; linking to other posts, etc.

We know how crucial marketing is for your Business. On top of the traditional methods like flyers, door hangers, etc., online marketing has become essential in every marketing strategy today. We know how much time and effort it takes to juggle all your social media platforms, emails, website, blogs, etc.

Marketing Virtual Assistants can handle all of these things for you! They can create posts for your social media platforms, establishing your expertise in your market, and ensure that there is always engagement for your audience. They can handle your email and drip campaigns, creating and setting up sends to ensure that you keep in constant touch with your database, updating them with the latest goings-on in your business. They can also do your blogging, be it writing out specified content that you curate or posting pieces you have created yourself. They can help create targeted ads for social media or even flyers for you to print out and send.

Do you have an open house or event that you need to spread the word about? Specific listings that you would like to highlight? Do you have topics related to the Real Estate industry that you are an expert on and would like to share that expertise, thus establishing your reputation as a reliable source? Your Virtual assistant can help you do all of that and more.

Marketing is a crucial yet time-consuming branch of your business. These days to make any impact, you need to ensure that all your campaigns are running steadily and that any and all leads coming in are being put in the proper funnels. Running a winning marketing branch needs dedication and consistency that you may not have the time for. As a business owner/entrepreneur, you are not simply a marketer. Having a Marketing Virtual Assistant may be what you need to establish a strong marketing arm for your business. Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session today!

February 19, 2020/by Abby

smartphone on a laptop with four wooden blocks symbols phone email messaging and phone

6 Stages to a 7 Figure Business, Part 1 – Lead Response Times

MOD Virtual Assistants, Scale The Series

Respond faster! A fresh lead has your business top of mind and is already a good way down your sales funnel—take advantage and close the deal. The MIT/Kellog studies show that the contact rate is 100x more from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

75% of prospects do business with the company that contacts them first. However, the average response time to an online lead is 44 hours, and 50% of online leads never get a response! Why is there such a large disparity? Overcome it when you schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now!

It may well be that most Real Estate professionals do not have the time to focus on their lead response time. With all the responsibilities to fulfill within the business, the lead response often falls to the bottom of the list when it should be a priority.

Even if you can’t sustain the prompt response of 5 minutes or less, any improvement will improve sales.

Virtual Professionals can cost-effectively manage your ‘800’ number, ‘Chat,’ and online landing pages driving huge improvements to Qualification Rate and Contact Rate. Virtual Professionals also allow you to respond during off-business hours.

It’s important to follow up diligently! If you can’t reach the lead within 5, 10, 30 minutes, etc., make sure you’re calling periodically to ensure contact. Amazingly, 30% of leads are never contacted. Virtual Professional Inside Sales Agents (ISA) can ensure that leads are contacted and followed upper your organization’s standards. By making a few more attempts, you can experience an increase of 70%.

A study by the Harvard Business Review revealed that contact within an hour of inquiry, you have 7x more of a chance to have a productive conversation compared to reaching out after over an hour, and compared to someone who waits 24 hours to contact a lead, you’re 60 times more likely.

According to the National Association of Realtors, in real estate, 64% of buyers and 66% of sellers end up working with the agent they speak with first. Those who are first-to-the-draw have a tremendous advantage.

For example, let us tell you about one of our clients Amy and her ISA Virtual Assistant Rex. Rex is in charge of calling leads as soon as they enter their system. His speed to lead is essential, and this sense of urgency was instilled in him from his first day with Amy. Aside from being tasked to make at least 100 calls a day, he is also given new leads that he must reach out to within 5 minutes of their query. Rex set 199 appointments in his first year alone, and out of those, Amy has closed 142 transactions. This is 7 million in trackable sales volume and over $200,000 in GCI!

Amy, like many business owners we work with, could not take everything on herself. She realized that her team needed someone who could focus on their speed to lead time. So she hired and trained a Virtual Professional who could pick up the slack so she and the rest of her team could focus on what they needed to accomplish.

Let us know if you want to get past this pain point and schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session today.

February 5, 2020/by Abby