How Annette Lackovic, Australia’s #1 female sales expert is building on her success with the help of virtual teams
Virtual Success Show
Want the transcript? Download it here.
Episode breakdown
In this episode, special guest Annette Lackovic, Australia’s #1 Female Sales Expert, shares her first-hand experience in working with virtual teams and how they have contributed to the growth of her business. This episode is full of insights and tips from Annette on how to overcome some of the common traps entrepreneurs can fall into when onboarding new virtual team members.
- Why perseverance is key in those first few weeks of having a support assistant?
- Why it’s important not to shy away from those ‘tough’ conversations?
- Why open and honest communication is pivotal in building a solid working relationship with your virtual teams?
- How important the connection is that you have with your virtual team and ensuring there is an element of fun in your work day?
- Understanding your support assistants skills and passions and fostering these to help them grow within your business, and ultimately grow your business?
- Why it is important to take the time to train your virtual team from the outset, to remove any unrealistic expectations you may have of them and their abilities, and vice versa?
- When’s the right time to bring a support assistant on board part-time vs. full-time?
- Why you really can’t afford NOT to have a support assistant?
People work in their genius when they feel loved, feel appreciated and that's when they're happy to contribute as well.
In this episode
00:00 - Introduction
Barbara opens the show with Matt, sharing how each week brings new lessons in virtual success. She expresses excitement for the episode and warmly welcomes guest Annette Lackovic, introducing her as one of her favorite people.
01:24 – Perseverance is key
Barbara recalls how Annette struggled with her support assistant in the first weeks, even doubting the hire. Annette admits she expected too much too soon while overwhelmed with work, leading to frustration. Open communication turned things around—Annette gave direct feedback, and her support assistant reassured her she also wanted to work faster. With patience and honesty, their working relationship improved and became a strong fit.
05:33 – Tough conversations
Annette shares that she addressed her concerns with her support assistant through email instead of a call to avoid sounding harsh. She made sure to clean up her language, knowing her support assistant wouldn’t perform well if she felt threatened. Matt then asks if the issue was about her support assistant’s speed or doing the wrong tasks.
06:33 – Open and honest communication
Annette explains that the early challenge was her support assistant’s speed, later shifting to task prioritization. She realized her support assistant’s perfectionist nature meant she wanted to get things 100% right before moving forward. Using tools like Asana helped set clear priorities. Annette credits their success to two things: treating her support assistant like a valued team member and balancing constructive feedback with daily genuine praise. She believes people perform best when they feel safe, appreciated, and part of the team.
09:05 – Let’s have some fun
Barbara and Annette highlight the importance of building a strong relationship with a support assistant beyond just tasks. Daily communication, regular check-ins, and even lighthearted moments like sharing fun icons on Skype help strengthen the bond. They stress that appreciation and connection fuel better performance, noting how this approach enabled them to successfully complete three major launches in just two months.
10:45 – Helping your support assistant grow in the role
Barbara and Annette emphasize the importance of guiding support assistants on their growth journey, rather than expecting instant expertise. Annette discovered Gem’s passion for graphic design and nurtured it, allowing her to take ownership of launch graphics while feeling part of something bigger. They highlight rewarding extra effort, building a supportive culture, and balancing productivity with fun. Barbara stresses that support assistants aren’t machines and downtime strengthens relationships. Matt adds that treating support assistants as if they’re working right beside you is key to long-term success. Annette and Gem’s strong partnership has thrived over just eight months.
15:30 – Avoiding unrealistic expectations
Annette admits her initial frustrations with her support assistant were due to her own unrealistic expectations, not the support assistant’s performance. She forgot that training takes time, especially during busy periods, and pressured her support assistant too soon. Matt stresses that onboarding a support assistant is like hiring any employee — they need time to learn the role, the business, and how to work with you. Annette adds that even small details, like sales language, require adjustment and patience. Ultimately, she feels deep appreciation and joy in watching her support assistant Gem grow, take ownership, and achieve milestones — growth that both Annette and Gem acknowledge with pride.
19:10 – Part-time vs. full-time
Barbara and Annette discuss the impact of moving a support assistant from part-time to full-time. Annette explains that full-time support is invaluable — it provides reliability, stability, and frees her to focus on revenue-generating tasks. She notes many business owners hesitate due to budget concerns but stresses that going full-time shows true commitment to business growth. Barbara adds that hiring full-time from the start gave her consistent support, which later allowed her support assistant, Lala, to grow into a leadership role. Both highlight that investing in full-time support assistants not only strengthens the business but also creates opportunities for the support assistant’s long-term growth and retention.
23:28 – You can’t afford NOT to have a support assistant
Matt, Barbara, and Annette stress that hiring a support assistant is essential — if you think you can’t afford one, you may need to rethink your business model. They explain that outsourcing low-value but necessary tasks frees up time for higher-value work, making the investment worthwhile. Matt highlights the differences between part-time, full-time, and project-based support assistants, suggesting that project work (like websites or video editing) can be outsourced separately, while core assistant roles should be full-time. Barbara adds that her The Virtual Hub now provides expert teams for project-based needs, creating a one-stop shop. They also emphasize the “critical first 6–8 weeks” of working with a support assistant, where effort is high before the workload lightens, and persistence is key to long-term success.
27:00 – Wrapping things up
Annette highlights three keys to success with a support assistant. First is building a strong connection by helping them understand the vision of the business and ensuring they communicate well with customers. Second is developing a relationship where the assistant feels part of the team, valued, and appreciated, which makes them more open to feedback. Third is practicing patience during the early teething stage and staying focused despite challenges. She also emphasizes the importance of accountability and using tools like Asana to manage tasks efficiently and avoid confusion. Barbara and Matt close by stressing that the show is about more than just hiring support assistants—it is about creating long-term success with them.
