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.
____________________________________________
The Exceptional Assistant
Want o find out more or join me on the next Virtual
Assistant Introduction Program. Sign up
here:
http://eepurl.com/czjF7T
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