How To Be A Virtual Assistant?
They say time is gold and for busy people, getting access to instant help is vital. According to PC Magazine, a Virtual Assistant (VA) is “An individual who works at home performing administrative functions for clients. Virtual assistants (VAs) communicate with clients via phone, e-mail, instant messaging or some other collaborative software.” And note, these people perform a variety of challenging tasks. In addition to that, for businesses operating in the modern world, social media is no longer a choice. That is why the need to have a VA team is imperative for every business as their purpose is to field the routine activities that keep your business running, but take up valuable time that could be used to grow your business even further.
However necessary, one must know how to be an effective VA:
- Patience
A VA speaks to diverse people with different personal struggles, it is important to remember that the client’s emotion is valid and as VA patience is a virtue. It is all about helping and leading the customer to a solution.
- Discretion
Since VA’s work remotely, it can be difficult to keep track of the data that goes in and out. This is why it’s critical to have virtual assistants sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and other security documents. Make it clear what data is to be kept hidden and safe from the outside world.
- Honesty
As a highly ethical Virtual Assistant, honesty is still the best policy. A good VA should know when to accept mistakes and to be accountable for them.
- Great organization skills
You could be helping clients by arranging meetings, conference calls, or events. You might be able to help them organise their data or content to increase their efficiency and sales. When you have multiple clients that you’re juggling, being organised is the only way to keep your work-life balance in check.
- Time management
Managing yourself and working to strict time frames to complete personal and professional tasks makes us more disciplined, effective and efficient.
This is not an exclusive list of how to be an effective VA because there would be a lot of things that need to be considered, most of which come through experience. For companies, having a VA is a necessity thus, providing an excellent platform for communication is the most important thing.
