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Virtual Assistants: Step Up Your Game

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Properly Trained Virtual Assistants – also known as Administrative Consultants – Can Be Powerful Small Business Resources

Guest Post by Vernessa Taylor
Virtual Assistants Education and Training Helps Small Business

Virtual Assistant vs. Administrative Consultant

It is virtually impossible to provide small business customers the level of service they expect if you lack professionalism, an appropriate skillset, and real-world practice doing things the right way. It doesn’t matter your nationality, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. All that matters when you present yourself as the virtual assistant of choice is that your skills are up to par. There is a baseline that should be the plumb line of any VA business endeavors. Your clients will (or should) expect you to measure up.

Virtual Assistants can step up their game with education, training, professionalism, and the right tools of the trade. Here are some suggestions for making the role of virtual assistant a true game changer and not a monkey wrench thrown into the workings of already cash-strapped small businesses. This starts with education — formal or informal — and training.

The Language

If Virtual Assistants were seen less as “secretarial support” and more as professionals in their realm of expertise, would the bar be raised, the standard level of service set higher? Danielle Keister seems to think so and has built an entire cottage industry around what she terms “administrative consultants,” totally eschewing the very notion of a “virtual assistant.” She makes two points that virtual assistants could use as foundational, taking the essence and adapting as a kind of personal mission. [1]

  1. The best way to describe administrative support is that it is the collection of ongoing tasks, functions and roles that keep a business organized, moving forward and humming along smoothly. …
  2. The “virtual assistant” term only confuses people. It creates misconceptions that make establishing a business-to-business relationship much more difficult than need be and causes a whole host of misunderstandings and misalignment of expectations. The word “assistant” itself inherently puts you in a subservient role in the eyes of clients.

Perspective

While it is unlikely that Virtual Assistants will forego their titles in favor of the one Keister prefers, the industry could undergo some changes that ensure the type of quality control that helps beat this small business recession. Pete Ekizian makes this connection when he reminds business owners not to surrender their responsibilities in the name of outsourcing.

Virtual Assistants are small business resources. Because of this, Internet Marketer Stella Anokam recommends small businesses outsource tasks to freelancers — like those found inexpensively on Fiverr — but also teaches those businesses how to qualify virtual assistants — before they engage them. Business owners peek under the hood, looking in every corner, which doesn’t leave any place for unprofessional, unqualified workers.

Education and Training

Study to show yourself approved . . .

Knowing the difference between education and training is a good place to start. Here are some simplified meanings that show the distinctions.

Education involves strategic planning, critical thinking, problem solving, analyzing, understanding, and grasping general concepts.

Training involves acquiring knowledge of how to perform a specific task.

Back to the Basics: Reading and Writing

Are the basics a no-brainer? Not according to Marcie Hill who just compiled a set of startling facts on literacy that, unfortunately, holds true today for a high percentage of adults. Not to imply that today’s Virtual Assistants are illiterate; the point is that a strong grasp on the basics is foundational and a key to ongoing success.

Writing

  1. Take a refresher in grammar usage. Text messaging, 140 character brevity, and communication shorthand have stunted the use of grammar in personal communications. It returns to its rightful place in business communications. In other words, it just won’t do to not know how to “speak correctly” and translate correct speech to a written form.
  2. Keep the links to your favorite online dictionary and thesaurus handy. Fanciful spelling and license with words goes out the window when your client asks you to take his cryptic notes and write-up his recent meeting with his client.
  3. Brush up on (or gain mastery of) writing skills, including composing letters, writing reports, and preparing documentation.

Resources such as the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers tips, techniques, and even podcasts that will move you in this direction. The OWL has remained one of my all-time favorite resources over the years.

Reading

Educate yourself by seeking out opportunities (online or offline) to gain knowledge in key areas related to working with a diverse clientele. Examples include:

  • communication
  • project management
  • relationship building
  • customer relationship management
  • negotiation
  • contracts
  • document management
  • interactive web technologies

Go for depth and breadth;, you can gain the training to specialize in an area as interest is piqued or the times demand that you know (which they do, already).

Invest in Your Own Training

Indisputably, these are tight economic times. Every dollar has to count. Even so, training is an investment that should yield a return when the training received is put to good use. Not all training costs a lot of dollars or rupees or drachmas or shillings or euros or . . . This entertaining but informative slide show highlights the types of training Virtual Assistants need in order to be competent and competitive.
Virtual Assistant Training

Slides Courtesy Virtual Assistant Inc.

Investing in your own training means
developing related skills or “skillsets.”

One such important skillset is research.

  • How to perform it
  • Where to find relevant sources
  • How to analyze it
  • How to cite it
  • How to write it up
  • How to present it

Related to conducting research when requested, it is also important to know where to find research that has been conducted by others. That is, how to find answers relevant to your field of work that have already been packaged in a ready-to-use format.

Lastly, develop new skillsets by finding out what is in demand, then acquiring the training you need.

Training Tools
Red Carpet Strategies for Luxurious Client Care
Complete Administrative Consultant Biz Success

Gain Virtual Intelligence

In order to gain virtual intelligence about what small businesses are using to carefully weed out the unqualified, look in the places where the clues are scattered. Reading up on the recommendations made to those who will hire you about will yield rewards for the diligent.

  • One such place is Anokam’s Fiverr Outsourcing Guide.
  • And fellow Virtual Assistant Alicia Jay offers sage advice to her business clients — The Three C’s to Consider When Hiring A Virtual Assistant — which is appropriate for business owners everywhere thinking about hiring extra virtual hands.
  • Don’t miss finding out what NOT to do, either. Some tips on how to avoid infractions that harm, more than help, small business customers can be found in Virtual Assistant Comment Spam; and GrowMap shares many tips on why it is important to comment the right way.
  • TIP from Gail at GrowMap:  Make it a point to pay attention to what niches others operate in and what their specialties are. Connect with other virtual assistants and researchers via Skype, IM, email or phone so you can share quick suggestions and resources.

Numerous other sources scattered around the Internet will clue you in about what small businesses desire in a Virtual Assistant.

Final Thoughts

Education and training position virtual assistants to serve as qualified small business resources. Virtual Assistants can step up their game by acquiring solid, in-demand skill sets and striving for professionalism.

Thanks for reading today.

Any lessons you’ve learned and want to share?

  • Are you a virtual assistant?
  • Have you engaged in formal training?
  • How have you taught yourself?
  • Are you a small business owner who uses virtual assistants?
  • What have been your experiences?

References

[1] Danielle Keister is the Founder of the Administrative Consultants Association.
[2] Virtual Assistant Training Slideshare Presentation by Virtual Assistant Inc.

Image Credit: Re-commercialization Therapy for Hikers by Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig/HikingArtist.com via Flickr, licensed Creative Commons.

As a Technology Consultant, Vernessa Taylor works with both online and offline business owners. She writes about small business systems such as project management and customer referral systems at CoachNotes Blog. Follow her on Twitter @CoachNotesBlog. More articles by Vernessa here on GrowMap.

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Vernessa Taylor | CoachNotes Blog

Technology Consultant at Local Business Coach Online
Vernessa Taylor is a micro and small business champion -- helping professionals, solopreneurs and consultants choose and use automation and smart technologies to build and manage their businesses. A techie with a quirky sense of humor, she writes serious stuff at CoachNotes Blog. Connect with her on Google+ and Twitter.
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Comments

  2. Hi, nice article. Using VA’s can really help lessen office expenses. We offer some really inexpensive VA services at Virtual Assistant Talent.

    Reply

    • One thing I have to say, John, I love the setup of the VA “hire me” sites I have visited. Cheap prices, feedback forms, prices … but what I don’t see are examples of work performed, audio of voices (to check out understandability), sample contracts, etc.

      I also don’t understand the “setup fee” that many of these sites have. Can you shed some light on this?
      Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Social Media: Equalizer for Mobile Small Business VendingMy Profile

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  3. Great article, but do you know where you can find VA with good experience but does not charge that much. I been thinking about going over to Elance and find someone to do some work for me, but I need a responsible person.
    Robert T. would love you to read ..Handwritten Direct MailingMy Profile

    Reply

      • Thank you so much for chiming in Alicia. We never mind. 🙂 Sorry it took me so long to answer. I absolutely agree that you need to get a recommendation from someone trustworthy!

        Ask Alicia or Vernessa or Michelle Mangen or me. Don’t go hiring just anybody you find on a freelancing site – especially if they are going to be doing anything critical – and almost everything is critical! It is your business and your reputation on the line.
        growmap would love you to read ..Bloggers: Promote Your Blog HereMy Profile

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  4. VAs can help business owners in handling the more on the administrative part of their business. In that way, they could actually free up themselves and be able to focus more on expanding their business. Some of these aspects are expanding their operations, marketing offered products or services and other important strategies to improve the business operations. So having a VA is indeed a great help.
    Christina would love you to read ..Step2 Naturally Playful Countryside Cottage Review – Old-Fashion Playhouse FunMy Profile

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  5. I found that virtual assistants are what you pay for…..cheap. You are better off just hiring a personal assistant who you can create a personal relationship with and your life actually becomes easier rather than creating more work for your self by having to constantly monitor a virtual assistant.

    Reply

    • Like everything else in life, the quality of virtual assistance varies greatly and the best are anything but cheap. Many are paid in excess of $50 per hour and at least one I know pays her sub-contractors $20-$25+ an hour depending on their skills.

      Quality and cost depends on the person you hire – not whether you refer to them as a virtual assistant or a personal assistant.
      growmap would love you to read ..Small Business Internet Marketing: Where to StartMy Profile

      Reply

      • Hi Gordon,

        I think I would avoid a business called CheapO anything without a REALLY STRONG recommendation from someone that it isn’t what is sounds like.

        I can highly recommend Vernessa Taylor, Alicia Jay, and Michelle Mangen. With them there would be very little ramp up time because they are so experienced and have comprehensive skill sets.

        If you’re thinking of someone less talented or more entry level, there is a company that is offering interns for free during a trial training period. They pay the interns because they vet them and believe that most of the time they will end up staying on full time and they will come out ahead financially.

        Now if I can only find that link again to remember who they are!! Help anyone?
        growmap would love you to read ..Small Business Brand Advocates Drive Free WOMM Word of Mouth ~ Benefits of B2I2C MarketingMy Profile

        Reply

        • I can’t think of the name of the company you’re referring to either!

          Gordon, I’ve found that a common misconception is that you need to hire on a VA full-time right from the start. In my experience, business owners who begin a relationship with one when they start to notice that they could use a little help are better off in the long run. Get someone in place before you absolutely NEED them- before you feel overwhelmed.

          A good way to start the process is to make a list of ALL of the things you do in your business. This may take you a week or more as there are things you do at this point that you don’t even consider! Now take that list and put a star next to the things you absolutely HAVE to do yourself. The rest of that list can be handled by a virtual assistant.

          If you’re concerned about cost you can start out small. Choose some things from that list that are top priority that will help free up your time. Begin working with a VA on a part-time (or even trial) basis to work on those things.

          I’d be happy to help you in your search to find someone reliable and trustworthy. I trust the people in my network and know VAs who specialize in all different kinds of things:)
          Alicia Jay would love you to read ..Making Connections With Your ClientsMy Profile

          Reply

    • Hi CheapOair,

      Herein lies a very real problem and partially sparked the idea for this article:

      having to constantly monitor a virtual assistant…

      If a small business — especially one with an online presence — is serious about it’s output and offerings to a local or global market, managing their virtual assistant is a part of quality control.

      Gail is certainly right: it doesn’t matter what you call them, the common denominator is assistance — you are ultimately responsible for what they put forth on your behalf.
      Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..All Sales Are Final. (Your Refund Policy Sucks!)My Profile

      Reply

  6. Great article
    The human being is being replaced.

    Chris
    Owner
    Cel Financial Services
    Please visit my website at Fillmore Income Tax for your tax needs.

    Reply

  7. I have just recently got a virtual assistant. She is great and has helped me save time and delegate things better. Great article.

    Reply

  9. loved this blog…found it really helpful as i`m training to become a virtual assistant,found it especially interesting when you said that to get virtual intelligence i need to look in places where the clues are scattered and read up on the recommendations made to those who will hire me .

    Reply

    • Yes, those “clues” can even help you focus your training as you’ll have a heads-up on what types of assistance small business owners, internet marketers, and even other virtual assistants are seeking.
      Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Virtual Assistant Comment SpamMy Profile

      Reply

  10. I’ve hired a VA before, for a brief period of time because I had too much work pending. It was satisfactory but it could’ve been better with more versatility in terms of work. But we can’t blame them with the kind of pay they are getting, both sides could use some improvements on their part.

    Reply

    • Hi Linda,

      Yes, it goes without saying that a virtual assistant must have clear direction from the small business owner as to what work is to be done. Having good skills and being good at what they do is their part; the business owner has a part to play as well.
      Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Virtual Assistant Comment SpamMy Profile

      Reply

      • Interesting that so many assume virtual assistants are cheap labor. The ones I know are paid well because they are worth it.

        I agree wholeheartedly with Vernessa. Businesses have to be actively involved with consultants, virtual assistants and any other people working with their company. Far too many assume that they don’t have to do anything at all and that creates unnecessary challenges for anyone working with them and leads to results that will disappoint them because they were not clear what they expected.

        There is not ONE way to do anything and it is up to the business to provide what their consultants and assistants require to accomplish the desired tasks.
        growmap would love you to read ..Google Personalized Search Results: Blinkers On? How to Remove Them by Getting UNPersonalized.My Profile

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      • Hi Bruker,

        That is understandable … working with someone who is in a different location is not for everyone. Many of today’s small business owners remain “hands-on,” which is quite all right!

        Thanks for your comment.
        Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Virtual Assistant Comment SpamMy Profile

        Reply

        • I am having a small business and i have ten SEO under me which i operate them from my house and they work at their homes, and its fine for me because it save my time electricity.

          Reply

        • Hi Bruker,

          Better results are actually achieved when you hire highly competent individuals with advanced and specialized skills who can work unsupervised.

          Those who have a need to micro-manage their employees will only have people under them who are willing to tolerate unnecessary control over what they do. You get an entirely different type of person.

          The truly sharp people I know who accomplish the most do not choose to be controlled – especially by others who do not really even understand what we are doing.
          growmap would love you to read ..Small Business Internet Marketing: Where to StartMy Profile

          Reply

  12. I’m also a VA doing mostly SEO tasks. In my job communication skill is very important. It allows me to do the job done efficiently. In this kind of job what is important is that you never stop to learn new things to improve yourself for the better.

    Reply

  14. What a comprehensive guide Vernessa.

    I used to do a lot of work as virtual assistant . I had no formal training and I believe lost of people dont either. However, I am sure, just with any other profession, a formal training can give you an edge over everybody else.

    I was doing a lot of SEO related work as an assistant, and the best thing I liked about it was that I really learned a lot of thing that helped to take my own blog to the next level. Perhaps that was my most important gain out of the whole deal. Thanks.
    Satrap would love you to read ..How to Make Money OnlineMy Profile

    Reply

    • Hi Satrap,

      Please excuse the delayed response … Formal training could give an edge, but honestly, if you are experienced in the particular area where you are seeking VA work, that is what any client is looking for. SEO related work can be quite specialized so I’m glad you were able to pick up some tips to help you with your blogs.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 🙂
      Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Virtual Assistant Comment SpamMy Profile

      Reply

  15. Vernessa,

    What a thorough tutorial on virtual assistants!

    I have always dealt with them from the other side of the fence, having hired a handful over the past few years. From a hiring perspective what you say is spot on. There needs to be minimum skill sets and certain level of expertise in the personal assistants you hire can make or break their relationship.

    I have had both personal assistants that I had to baby through every step. If I asked them to send an e-mail and didn’t mention to make sure that they put address in the address bar, I’m sure it wouldn’t get done.

    And I’ve had personal assistance that can pretty much taken idea and run with it.

    The latter is far superior, of course, and worth being paid a premium.
    Steve would love you to read ..Email Blogging: What’s Your Opinion?My Profile

    Reply

  17. Thanks for sharing this information and resources its really help full for me with the help of this we can improve our working.

    Reply

  18. I think more than anything else, the work ethics of a virtual assistant is what matters most. Education and training are important too in the sense that the VA will be equipped with the proper knowledge needed for the job, but will he or she be able to be professional enough to accept the challenge of his/her work?

    Reply

    • Hi Dennis,

      the work ethics of a virtual assistant is what matters most

      That’s another good point worth considering. Thank you for highlighting it as being as important as education and training. At the end of day, we’d rather train an assistant than deal with unethical behavior.

      Reply

  19. I have many Virtual Assistants who work for me who very skilled and competitive. Each of them has different strengths and weaknesses and that I understood well.

    Reply

  20. I actually tried to become a virtual assistant and…..just didn’t LOVE it! If this is the line of work for you make sure you have GREAT communication and listening skills. I myself realized I like to socialize with others in the office and figured out I like working in an actual office.

    Reply

  21. Virtual Assitants are scare these days and getting a virtual assistant jobs are tedious as well.

    Reply

  22. Excellent and thorough article Vernessa. So true we must stay trained and educated on what’s new and current because our clients expect us to know “more” that they do when it comes to the tasks they want to outsource. If they have to teach us, then why hire us. I love your take on the word assistant that quite often is truly misleading. There are those that are great assistants but many of us who are leaders and understand the dynamics of running and growing a business. I will definitely share this widely!

    Reply

  24. I just recently hired one and she has been a great help to my by, just doing the basic daily tasks I don’t have the time to do. She also helps with shopping and other things as well.

    Reply

  27. It is complete tutorial on Virtual Assistants. It is right to be adept in virtual assistance we have grip on English Grammar and Communication Skills.

    Reply

  28. Vernessa, you just taught a valuable lesson to many who are looking to hire virtual assistants as well as those who are offering their services. The presentation is well done and I’m glad you included it here as well. I’m off to have a look at Alicia Jay’s post now too.

    Thanks for the advice and the resources as well.
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    Reply

    • Hi Ileane,

      Thanks for the kudos. When small business owners understand what to look for in Virtual Assistants, they don’t waste time or money (which are both at a premium). And VAs can be confident in their offerings when they know they have the right skills and actively continue to educate themselves for the changing digital landscape.

      I’m glad you’re visiting Alicia. She’s “good people.” 🙂 Thanks for taking time to drop by and share your voice.
      Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Virtual Assistant Comment SpamMy Profile

      Reply

    • Hello Sam – You are quite right. A properly trained virtual assistant who’s at the top of his or her game is a boon to small businesses. And when things are done correctly and efficiently, you get more value for your money.
      Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Virtual Assistant Comment SpamMy Profile

      Reply

  30. I believe education and training is investment. But you can be educated without spending money. You can be an expert in this field if you have perseverance and willingness to learn… Being honest to potential client is building a trust. There are clients willing to train applicants.

    Reply

  31. Hi,

    When you are starting out and you want to sell knowledge to the world you have a lot of things to face: the lack of experience, the high number of others out there doing what you do. I think that you the best thing you can do is to actually sell who you are and what you have unique. Making your business unique attracts buyers and also search engines in case you have a website.

    Reply

  32. I don’t think most of virtual assistants undergo formal training. Maybe the only training they’ve gone through are client-specific ones or hard skills. Training on communication skills probably isn’t put into focus assuming they already have the skill.

    Reply

    • Hi Kristin P,

      You’re probably right about a lack of formal training. Of course, learning on the job or by the seat of our pants is legitimate, too.

      In another comment here, Ashley (@apichea) leaves room for learning new tasks based on what the client needs; much like protein powder, getting some in after starting a gig can be good. 🙂
      Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Virtual Assistant Comment SpamMy Profile

      Reply

  33. Hi Vernessa and Gail!

    Thanks so much for the mention in your comprehensive article! You’ve made some great points here. I do have one more suggestion. If you are a virtual assistant and you want to step up your game, seek out virtual assistant forums. You can easily Google the term and find plenty of results. This is the best place to talk to your colleagues and ask about high-quality resources and educational tools.
    Alicia Jay would love you to read ..Quick Questions About Retaining CustomersMy Profile

    Reply

  34. What if you lack real world experience and find yourself in a Catch 22 type of situation? What are your recommendations for getting the necessary experience, the first steps towards inspiring confidence in the customer?

    Reply

    • Hi Vernessa,

      I hope you won’t mind me jumping in with an idea for Elin. When someone doesn’t have any experience I suggest they volunteer to apprentice under someone who can teach them specific skills and then provide testimonials and referrals.

      If they already have some skills they can connect with established business advisors and virtual assistants and possibly get work sub-contracted to them. One VA I know recently hired a blogger I was able to recommend because I knew that the blogger already had the same skill set the VA sold most – but the blogger did not have the clients and the VA had too much work.

      In any skill area there are people who could use an intern or apprentice and people who need experience and referrals. All they have to do is connect with each other. I gladly teach specific skills in exchange for having a small amount of work done using those skills because I am then in a very good position to write a recommendation for the person and send paid work their way.
      growmap would love you to read ..Small Business Internet Marketing: Where to StartMy Profile

      Reply

      • Hi Gail,

        Jump in any time! I’d like to highlight this …

        In any skill area there are people who could use an intern or apprentice and people who need experience and referrals. All they have to do is connect with each other.

        Vernessa Taylor would love you to read ..Virtual Assistant Comment SpamMy Profile

        Reply

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