Make Digital Dictation Work for Your Business

Why Express Scribe is an Essential Component in a Virtual Assistant's Toolkit

Guest post by Suzanne Higham of Admin-Minded

A Virtual Assistant, as the name suggests, provides assistance to businesses remotely on a freelance and, therefore, flexible and affordable basis.

And if you hire the right Virtual Assistant, they will not only provide an extra pair of hands to ease the administrative burden, they will also be proactive and look for ways in which they can improve your efficiency, productivity, and, subsequently, your profitability.

One way this can be done is by realizing the huge potential in the use of transcription - which has been enhanced further with the introduction of digital dictation software.

Previously, the image conjured by the word 'transcription' would be old, overused cassettes of poor quality, and even couriers traveling across cities to get the aforementioned tapes to typists with looming deadlines. However, the introduction of digital recorders and audio players, such as Express Dictate and Express Scribe, has rendered these images obsolete.

Now it really is as easy as 'talking to your computer, clicking 'send', and your encrypted audio file will be transmitted immediately to your assistant, wherever in the world they may be. And if that wasn't easy enough, with Pocket Dictate, you can even convert your smartphone into a dictation-recorder, so you can dictate whilst on the move.

How This Technology Can Help Your Business

With just a little bit of imagination, you will find that transcription is not just for solicitors and doctors. It can be used successfully by sectors as diverse as trades and accountancy, IT, universities and market research agencies.

For instance, you can dramatically cut the time spent creating documents of a similar nature. Your assistant can prepare a template, and whenever you need to create a customized version, simply dictate the necessary edits, send the dictation file to your assistant, and the customized document can be produced without delay.

And to all tradespeople, estate agents, surveyors – in fact, anyone else who frequently finds themselves working away from their office or base – throw away your notepad! Whilst on-site, dictate your findings, and send them to your assistant to transcribe, ready for your arrival back in the office.

If you are attending a key meeting, consider recording the proceedings. You can be confident that all the information will be captured, and you avoid having to bring someone into the meeting purely to take minutes – freeing them up to make more valuable use of their time.

We also provide transcription services to businesses that already have their own in-house admin departments, as a helping hand during busy times and to cover staff absences. With digital transcription software, no exchange of cassettes is required, and handover is effortless.

And the benefits continue. These are just a few examples of how the use of digital transcription software can be incorporated into the daily operations of a small business to enhance efficiency and subsequently improve customer service. So why not give it a try?

Tips For Getting Started

• When dictating, try to keep background noise to a minimum. Be aware of traffic, fans, and interference from mobile phones.
• The first time you attempt dictation, do a test run with your transcriptionist so any problems can be highlighted.
• Finally, take time to source the right transcriptionist. A transcriptionist is not 'just a typist. They need to have a sound understanding of language, grammar, and punctuation. A transcriptionist needs to be able to 'think whilst they type'.

Suzanne Higham founded Admin-Minded with one goal - to provide high-quality administrative and PA services to businesses and solopreneurs to enable them to achieve their full potential. It has grown into a team of fabulous assistants with a diverse client base, including award-winning businesses and celebrities. To learn more or ask questions about ways in which transcription could help your business you can contact Suzanne at www.admin-minded.co.uk or the Admin-Minded Facebook page