Tuesday 5 September 2017

5 Soft Skills for Virtual Assistants


Awesome Communication Skills
Most people that have worked in admin roles, or as an Executive Assistant, have great communication skills, however as a VA, where there is less face-to-face time with a client, your written and verbal communication skills need to be well above average and into the exceptional range.  Most clients are terrible at communicating what they really need and often their instructions are ambiguous and confusing.  That’s where you need to be great at paraphrasing and getting to the root of what they really mean instead of what they “think” they said.

Great at Juggling and keeping organizing
Think back across your working life.  If you have had roles where you have reported to numerous bosses or worked for a few different departments of a company then you are going to be great at juggling the tasks of a virtual assistant .  If you like variety, then this is the job for you.  VA’s are super organised as we are working for many clients at the same time and it’s important to keep everything running seamlessly.  You want every client o feel like they are your only client and that they have your full attention at any given moment.

Techie Skills
Now it’s true that it is the advances in office technology that have made the job of Virtual Assistant possible and for that reason VA’s have acquired a reputation as being very tech savvy and up to date with all the latest apps, software and gadgets to automate our lives.  Whilst this is true of some VA’s, not all of us are Technological experts.  At the end of the day, you can only be as tech savvy as your clients and if you happen to be working for a client who can barely send email, then being up with the latest gadgets and tricks is not really going to help.  But it certainly is a help if you like technology and finding new ways to use it.

Like solitude
Working as a VA does have it’s downside and it’s upside.  If you like living in your own head space and peace and quiet,  you will absolutely love working as a VA.  Depending on your point of view and where you sit on the introvert/extrovert scale, VA work can be a little isolating.  Introverts love it,  but extroverts soon suffer from people withdrawal.  They miss the banter with work colleagues and daily hubbub of an office, but extroverts don’t despair. That doesn’t mean you can’t be a VA, that just means you need to have plenty of coping mechanisms in place.  Join a business breakfast group, organise a once a month catch up with other VA’s in your area.  Get out and about to networking  events , or consider a co-working space to keep you energized.

Be a Great Sounding Board.
Being in business for yourself can be daunting.  It is also daunting for your clients, who also have moments of doubt and lack direction.  This is where sometimes a VA is a great sounding board.  Because we are also in business for ourselves, we “totally get it” when a client just needs to mull over an idea with someone to decide which direction they want to go in.  Whilst a great business coach will help you with this also, the relationship with a client and a VA is very personal  (much like an EA/PA and their boss) and sometimes you both just need a friendly ear and to be a sounding board.  I never mind lending an ear to this type of conversation. Remember this works both ways.  I’ve learn’t a lot of f my clients over the years and vice versa.
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The Exceptional Assistant
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Sunday 27 August 2017

The Lifesavers and Timesavers

The Lifesavers and Timesavers

Virtual Assistants have a reputation for being very tech savvy.  It seems to come with the territory and the nature of how we work.  However, trust me, not all of us are up with the latest gadgets and apps on the market.  At the end of the day, we can only be as tech smart as the clients we work with. There are millions of apps, and sites out there that make useful tools but here are just 5 of my all time favorites and they are not just for VA’s.

rememberthemilk.com
You know the ten thousand things you are trying to keep straight in your head and all those “To Do” list you keep writing and losing?  Remember The Milk helps you keep track of those and keeps them handy in one little app.  You can set up schedules for ongoing tasks and little reminders for one of jobs.   Whilst there are lots of apps and software that does the same thing, I particularly like this one.   It’s cute and very user friendly. 

coffitivity.com
Working from home can be very isolating.  If you find it difficult to work in complete silence and like the sounds of low level background noise to make you feel sane and not quite so alone, you may enjoy Coffitivity.  It plays the sounds of a busy cafĂ© whilst you work.  I can also recommend Ecosounds.net which offers the sound of the ocean as well as rain or forest noises if nature is more your thing.  (Great for a relax or meditation too!)

Spotify.com
This site has changed my life.  If you love being able to have all your music with you no matter where you go in the world.  Spotify is for you.  Listen to your favorite album, artist or create a play list of your own or check out some of the playlists people have uploaded for great mixes for parties, a romantic dinner or a wind down over Sunday breakfast.  Love it!

 Fivverr.com
I have whiled away many hours just searching through all the cool items on Fiverr.  Fiverr is the world's largest marketplace for digital services. Some very talented people offer their services on Fiver for as little as start at $5, (hence the name).  Everything from getting photo of a dog holding up a sign with your company logo, to a professional radio announcer style voiceover.  I promise you hours of fun.

www.timeanddate.com

I have clients that travel a lot and sometimes the people they want to Skype or call don’t live in the same city that they do.  Organising a meeting with a person can always be a little bit stressfull and I always get nervous that I might have got it wrong.  This handy tool helps me to know I got it right every single time.  Just plug in the date and time of where you are and it the city where your attendee is located and the softeware will do the rest.  A life saver!