With many companies having to transition into the digital space to do business, the need for cost-effective staff is at an all-time high. That’s where virtual assistants come in. A virtual assistant is your secret weapon for delegation. They can handle the time-consuming, menial tasks that take up too much space on your plate, leaving you with more time and energy to focus on the important things.
Many ingenious entrepreneurs have been making use of virtual assistant services for years and now, the rest of the world is catching up. With such a high demand for what they have to offer, there has never been a better time to become a virtual assistant.
To succeed as a virtual assistant, however, takes more than just expertise and equipment. In fact, it may be the intangible factors that play the most pivotal roles in a VA’s path to success. Here are the most essential intangibles that a VA must have to thrive and perform.
1. A Strong Desire to Learn
The “V” in VA doesn’t just stand for virtual. It also means versatile. That’s because a good VA is expected to be able to adapt to their client’s changing needs. One minute you’re tasked to organize and answer emails, the next you’re asked to make an infographic for your client’s Instagram account. You have to be able to handle both and deliver quality output within the deadline.
2. A Penchant for Time Blocking
Speaking of deadlines, delivering results and finishing tasks on time is crucial for VAs. This is why time management is so important. Often, a virtual assistant’s daily docket is filled with tasks that have concurrent or overlapping deadlines.
In order to finish everything within the client’s preferred timeframe, a VA has to practice time blocking. This enables them to organize tasks depending on urgency, difficulty, and other time-sensitive factors.
3. A Can-Do Attitude
When a client asks you to do something for them, the last thing they want to hear is “I can’t.” That’s pretty much a deal-breaker. If you can’t do it, they’ll just find someone who can. Being able to tackle any challenge, no matter how difficult it may seem at first, is the mark of a successful VA.
But be careful not to over-extend yourself. If a task really does fall outside your skillset and you have no way of learning how to do it in time, then it may be best to leave it to the experts.
4. A Willingness to Take Constructive Feedback
Nobody is perfect, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying. To get to a higher level, however, you have to identify your weaknesses and shortcomings. And there’s no better way to do that than by receiving and listening to constructive feedback. Client feedback helps VAs see things they may have missed. It illuminates blind spots, giving you a better overall picture of what you’re good at and what you need to work on. So embrace feedback. Don’t shy away from it. Use it as motivation to do better.
5. An Independent and Proactive Working Style
Micromanagement is something that your clients won’t have time for, so as a VA, you are expected to be capable, independent, and pro-active. Hand-holding is a big no-no. Sometimes, your clients will be too busy to reply to your inquiries, so you’ll have to figure things out for yourself. But that’s okay. You’re a VA. It’s part of the job.
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