There is no doubt that being a virtual assistant has many perks – you get to work from home, you do a variety of interesting and challenging work, you have flexibility to set your own hours and to take as much or as little work as you can handle, and you make a nice sum of money in the process.
However, with all those perks means there is also great competition. Luckily, there are some things you can do to stand out from the competition. Here are our top virtual assistant success tips:
#1 – Handle constructive feedback and learn from it.
It’s tough to have anyone scrutinize your work, but in this field you’re just going to have to get used it. Your clients will undoubtedly come back to you at times and want changes. In some cases they may not be happy with the work you have produced.
It’s important that during these times you remain professional – accept the feedback and learn from it. Try not to make the same mistakes twice and see this feedback as a crucial part of growing as a professional in the industry.
#2 – Be reliable.
A reliable VA is like gold dust on the internet. It’s very easy to not meet deadlines or delay answering emails when you work from home, but it’s also extremely damaging to your reputation. Business owners have strict schedules and if they rely on you to meet a deadline, you may put them in a difficult situation if you don’t.
And because you’re both working virtually there is the issue of trust – your client may feel like they can’t fully trust you if you disappear for a few days or constantly don’t meet your deadlines.
Avoid this trap by answering all emails in a timely manner. Meet all deadlines – it’s best to give a later date of completion than not meet the earlier deadline. And finally, do what you say you’re going to do.
# 3 – Have a good attitude.
People like positive people. If you’re the type of virtual assistant that communicates with clients in a cheery positive manner and has a “can do” attitude, you’ll go far. Entrepreneurs tend to be self-starters and have the ability to overcome many hurdles. These will be your potential clients, which means they would most likely prefer to work with similar like-minded people.
If you’re given a task that seems mountainous at first, take a few steps back and think it through. It may be that you can do it and it’s not too difficult after all. If you really feel it’s too difficult, then communicate professionally with the client. Be honest without making excuses – remember you are a professional. Perhaps you know another VA who can help them instead. In other words, think like a problem solver and be proactive wherever possible.
Becoming a sought-after virtual assistant isn’t difficult when you regularly show all the traits mentioned in the above article. Being able to handle feedback, being reliable and having a good attitude will pay you back in dividends in this field. It means that you may have more regular work and possibly be able to charge higher rates for your time. Word-of-mouth will also spread quickly about your skills and services – what a fantastic position to be in.
