Wow! There are so many ways to answer this question and every Virtual Assistant you ask will likely tell you something different.
Personality
Personality plays a huge part (in my opinion). A VA should be friendly, approachable, with a positive attitude. If someone is looking for virtual assistance, there’s a strong possibility that they’re at the top of their tree and needing some help, fast! The VA’s approach to this can tell a potential client a lot! First impressions count and trust me, people remember how you helped them deal with their crisis. If a VA is calm and confident, it reduces stress levels and means they’re doing their job right!
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou
Reliability
Reliability is the main reason people hire a VA in the first place. They want to be able to hand over tasks and move on. They’re not paying to have to constantly answer questions and check up on progress. Their life should be made significantly easier! E.g, if a date is agreed for work to be completed, it should be done. For this reason, a client should never have to chase their VA for uncompleted tasks.
Never be tempted to take on too much!
Don’t overload yourself! A Virtual Assistant, like anyone, should never take on too much. It’s tempting and we’ve all had those ‘it’ll only take me five minutes’ moments. Don’t do it! Make every client feel like they’re you’re only client. You can’t possibly do this if you’ve taken on more work than your time allows.
Multitasking skills!
The ability to multitask is a must! The likelihood is that you’ll be doing multiple things for multiple clients and may even be dealing with different people within your client’s teams. Having a process to deal with this effectively will show you in a good light and even allow you extra time for other tasks, possibly more clients. However, without a process, you will eventually see things spiralling out of control.
Organisation
A great VA should be super organised! Knowing where everything is, what stage it’s at, and being able to provide an update at short notice in the event your client needs one is most important. Efficiency is the key!
Discretion
You will need to be discreet. Working for many different clients will mean you’ll be exposed to lots of sensitive and/or private information. You must be completely trustworthy and honest. You can use a nondisclosure agreement to protect you and your client; your client may specifically request this anyway.
Do you have an eye for detail?
Having a keen eye for detail is generally part of most job descriptions. Being observant can avoid costly mistakes. Also, don’t be afraid to point out mistakes made by other people. And, don’t ever try and cover it up if you make a mistake yourself. Own it. We’re all human!
Ready to work with Kettlewell Virtual Assistance?
Already decided that a Virtual Assistant is needed in your business? Maybe you have some unanswered questions? Check out my FAQ’s or let’s have a chat. If you’d prefer, you can contact me by email, at enquiries@kettlewell-va.co.uk. If you know what you need and you’d just like to crack on, book an appointment here and we can get you set up. It’s that simple and I’m looking forward to finding out more about you and your business!
Make suggestions | Be resourceful | Know your client!