Hello reader, I am Alexis, but you already know that don’t you? In today’s entry, my focus is on freelancers, creatives, and individuals interested in going into virtual assisting. What are the skills you should consider having before making that decision? Are the skills required the right fit for you?
If you’ve gone through the previous entry, you would have been familiar with the duties of a virtual assistant, as it contains the details of how I help businesses as a virtual assistant. Briefly, depending on the kind of virtual assistant you are, which can be but is not limited to Administrative virtual assistant, virtual chief of staff, eCommerce virtual assistant, blog virtual assistant, and social media virtual assistant. Your duties can include scheduling appointments, planning events, setting reminders, planning travel, bookkeeping, managing price and inventory, product listing, social media management, compiling reports, creating presentations, blog management, sourcing for vendors, and so on.
To effectively carry out these tasks and be at the top of your game as a virtual assistant, there are important skillsets required, soft skills and hard skills. Top soft skills you should have as a virtual assistant include: Integrity, listening ability, communication, teamwork, problem-solving ability, flexibility, time management, customer service, and ethics. Remember that this is not an exhaustive list but is considered a priority if you intend to be a virtual assistant.
Top soft skills to have as a Virtual Assistant
Integrity: Like I always say to my clients, the moment we reach a business agreement, a relationship has commenced between us. For any relationship to thrive, it must be found on the bedrock of honesty and integrity. To effectively work together, there must be trust between the two parties, trust that both are going to deliver on their part of the agreement and own up if a situation arises to renege on said agreement. As a virtual assistant, you must be honest about your abilities, and in cases where you do not have the required skillsets, admit, and let your client know you’re willing to learn on the go. That way, the deliverables are made clear.
As much as possible, avoid excuses. If you make a mistake, you must be ready to own up to it, apologize, and fix it. You can’t deliver on a task at the agreed time? Be upfront about it, give an alternative option, and work towards it. Be accountable. It is important to know that integrity is a key skill in every industry and is not restricted to the Virtual Assistant industry. You are privy to the private affairs of your client, and you must be trustworthy to keep it.
Communication: Communication, the 8-letter words is the bedrock of any relationship, especially that in a virtual workspace. The absence of physical meetups means that other parties in the workspace are privy to just what you share. The ability to understand your situation depends on how well you convey it. Understanding your client depends on your ability to effectively communicate, and your effectiveness as a virtual assistant relies on a proper understanding of your client. Ask questions, keeping in mind that there are no stupid questions. You need to know all there is to know about your client. Meeting deadlines and expectations requires being upfront about it, and this can only be achieved through effective communication.
Listening ability: Isn’t it said that blessed is he who is blessed with discernment? As a virtual assistant, you’re tasked with taking initiative and to take the right initiative, you must be able to effectively discern. To achieve this, it is important that you listen. Proper listening gives you the chance to understand your client, even the things they are not saying directly. Listening to your client allows you to keenly observe them, their patterns, and preferences. This allows you to make informed choices in their absence on their behalf.
Teamwork: No man is an island. This applies to you and your client as well. As a virtual assistant, you’re a part of your client’s team and often, you are responsible for ensuring the seamless running of the team. You must learn and embrace your role on the team and acknowledge individual efforts while recognizing their strengths and weaknesses.
Problem-solving ability: Problem-solving ability is another important skill as a virtual assistant. During your relationship with your client, you would encounter a lot of challenges that would require solutions. You must be able to carry out research and seek the opinion of experts to find answers. Create action plans with strategies that help you stay on top of the problem, outlining steps to take towards solving the problem. Part of sharpening your problem-solving skills is being an avid reader. Reading exposes you to different situations and gives you experiences without having to repeat the mistakes made. As a virtual assistant, you must be able to read!
Flexibility: Life is not meant to be rigid, and this also applies to you as a virtual assistant. You must be able to adapt to varying circumstances. There are a lot of situations where things wouldn’t go as planned. It is left to you to come up with an alternative means to achieve your goal without compromising on quality. Effective communication culture among your teammates would allow for flexibility as changes can be promptly planned if every member of the team is forthcoming.
Time management: We all have the same 24 hours, what makes the difference is how well we utilize it. Aside from communication, this is probably my favourite skill. Virtual assisting means managing your client’s and your own schedule. In some cases, as an independent contractor, you have more than one client at a time. How do you meet deliverables on time without proper handling of your time? To be a successful virtual assistant, and lead a stress-free life, you have to be able to plan your time productively. Ways to do this include: Planning ahead of time by creating schedules you stick with, having a to-do list, learning to prioritize, setting clear goals, and mastering the art of delegation. As an excellent team worker, you are privy to the strengths and weaknesses of your teammates so delegation would not be an issue. You see, these skills are interwoven and work for one another.
Customer Service: See, what leaves lasting memories in our interaction with people is the way we were treated. You do not want your clients to remember working with you with a sour taste in their mouths. It is important that you have excellent customer service. My catchphrase: “It is business, nothing personal”, reminds me every time to keep my feelings out of interactions with clients. This is not easy, especially when you are starting out, but it is something you have to learn. There are times when your clients would piss you off so bad you want to shout and exchange words, giving in to this urge would be a huge mistake as a professional. You have to master the art of stating your displeasure without being aggressive or unwelcoming to your client.
Right work ethics: There is the saying, “dress the way you want to be addressed”. For me, it has been modified to: “work the way you want to be addressed”. Before setting out as a virtual assistant, it is important you have your values defined, and boundaries set. Know that which you wouldn’t compromise on, and let your client recognize your working style, and see you as a disciplined individual. Let your word be your word and be known never to compromise on quality.
Hard skills you should have as a VA
Now to the hard skills, some of the important things to have before starting out as a virtual assistant include:
- Ability to carry out research.
- Social Media Management skills.
- Presentation skills.
- Experience in bookkeeping and accounting.
- Familiarity with current technology.
- Ability to use required software.
The virtual workspace cannot be navigated without being tech-savvy.
You probably do not have all these mastered as you consider virtual assisting, but you have to be willing and open to learning. It is a key aspect of being a successful virtual assistant and let’s be frank, nobody has it all figured out. We learn as we are exposed to more challenges.
So dear intending virtual assistant, I believe you now have an understanding of things to note as you commence on this journey. Remember, I am here rooting for you, and you got this!
Bye for now,
Alexis.
