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Professionalism: An Effective Key to Retaining Your Virtual Work

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When people tend to become comfortable with what they are doing, at times, they forget how important their traits are when dealing with their superiors or co-workers. There are cases wherein they would think that their long experience in the field would already secure their job forever, if not, for a long time. Due to this, they become too proud of what they can do, resulting in poor socialization with their peers at work.

You should know that this also happens in the virtual world. There is a tendency for virtual assistants, who have years-long experience in the field, to actually think that they are better than others. The worst part is, this is even reflected to how they deal with their clients or superiors. They have this “Oh, I can find another work.” thinking. This must be prevented at all costs. You may think that your attitude is not a big matter to discuss, but far from your expectation, it is actually damaging the entirety of your career, piece by piece.

Professionalism is the best term that you could use to describe the trait that will take you a long way in the virtual world. Be reminded that it is not simply about being committed to your job. No, it is never relative to that alone – it can be applied in many ways.

One good example is when you actually care about your clients instead of focusing on your own good. Let us say, we are talking about Mike and Johanne, with the former being the client and the latter as the VA.

Mike provided Johanne a series of tasks, which should be the done in a week. He was too busy to actually check each of the accomplished work in every platform used. Thus, he trusted that Johanne would actually carry out whatever should be done while considering the deadline, which is by the end of the week. He also asked for a daily report to get an insight of the progress.

Unfortunately, Johanne did not adhere to the simple request of providing a report. As a result, Mike is confused as to what he had accomplished within the week. While Johanne insisted that he had finished all the work, there is no proof at all, since there are no reports and there are no outputs.

Mike decided to put a halt on his work. The situation is made worse by Johanne by being unresponsive after this decision. Instead of complying with his client’s request of report and explanation, he decided to keep mum. Despite countless messages, Johanne decided to ignore for an unknown reason.

This situation is a big picture of lacking professionalism on the part of Johanne. In the first place, he did not follow the simple instruction of his client. Also, simply because he lost the job, he would already leave the client hanging. He had committed to finishing all the necessary work. Hence, even if it all turns out unlikely, you should close the book in a good way.

Be reminded that as a virtual assistant, the end of a client-employee relationship must be expected. No matter what the cause may be, you should initiate parting ways with a good impression. If you made a mistake, admit it. If not, then defend your side professionally. As for the aforementioned situation, Johanne only showed that he is not worthy to be considered a reputable virtual assistant, for he just ruined the trust of the client. You may also say that the respect has been absent throughout the scene.

If you have respect, you should consider being in the shoes of your client. What would you feel if your staff is treating you that way? It would be disappointing, as well.

As written in the Bible, in Luke 6:31 to be specific, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

If you want to become a reputable virtual assistant, attitude is a very important thing, which includes professionalism. Be reminded that at present, most clients include personality in their requirements for a VA. This is to sustain a harmonious relationship among their employees, which leads to better operations of a company.

 

Top Traits a Virtual Assistant Should Possess

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Being a virtual assistant is not something that you should take lightly. It is not also about just being your typical office-based self, but working at home. Take note that it takes a lot of things to consider yourself a reputable virtual assistant. Many do not consider how important professional traits are in the online industry, resulting in them losing a lot of opportunities or wasting jobs they could have sustained.

So, if you are looking into making yourself the best option for most clients or firm out there, you got to develop the traits that they are looking for in a virtual assistant. Given below are the top ones you should consider:

Proactive. Yes, this is indeed one of the most important traits a virtual assistant should possess. In the online world, your client will rely on you heavily, whether you like it or not. Thus, there are instances that he or she would not even be available always to train you with your work. You got to make ways to ensure you are doing things right for him or her.

As a virtual assistant, you should know how important devising your own solutions to issues is. You should practice yourself working on your own. There are VAs who only depend on what their client would instruct. This is totally wrong! Be reminded that they will expect you to know what is next based on the resources you have and training they gave.

You got to know the in and out of their operations. Study everything slowly and carefully, so that you could take a grasp of what they need from you. There is no rush in this, especially if you are new, but this is very important.

Responsive. Many virtual assistants lose their good reputation due to poor communication with their clients. There are even cases that they lose their job due to incompetence in using their messaging platform to follow up their clients regarding their work every now and then.

Be reminded that clients, who outsource people online, prefer someone who would always be there to respond to their inquiries. This does not mean that you have to be online beyond your shift. The critical period is during your reporting time. You have to be there whenever he or she is asking you something. This goes especially to those working as an executive assistant to C-level people.

At times, due to your unresponsiveness, you will end up delaying what has to be done. You would never want this to happen, for in the end, the blame will be on you.

Timely. This could refer to two things. First, it is about how timely you are in submitting your due work, which would always help your client big time, since you will not delay other functions on their end. If you can provide the complete tasks earlier than expected, it will certainly be a plus point for you.

Always plan out whenever you are about to engage in certain activities. Consider how you could actually expedite things without losing the quality of your work.

Secondly, timeliness could also pertain to your reporting habits. You should at least avoid being tardy, or making your client wait always a few minutes before you log in.

Do you know that even if you are late for a few minutes, it could already impact your image negatively? It only shows that you are actually disregarding the agreement between you and your client about your schedule. You also have to think that most likely, your client woke up early just to meet you on time. Be sensitive, too!

Respectful. There should be a great amount of respect given to your client. Be reminded that even if you are not working face-to-face, this already eliminates the need for you to give respect to your superior.

There are virtual assistants who often forget that despite Western clients prefer a laid-back type of employer-employee relationship, there is a limit to it.

As much as possible, show respect by abiding by the rules of your client. Ensure that whenever you are speaking to him or her, there are these hints in your word choices that you are is his or her employee.

Respect could also be applied when reaching out to your client in order to initiate a discussion. Never forget to consider their time zone. Always remember that it is most respectful to send a message during the working hours of your client only. Be reminded that they also leave their offices and deserve privacy in their homes.

Keen-Eyed. You should know that you are hired as a virtual assistant for your client needs someone who would pinpoint things he or she cannot see easily. For instance, in a certain project, it is not your client’s responsibility to determine the mistakes. It is now yours to identify and introduce to him or her.

Most clients do not have time focus on small things. They mostly need assistants for they want to concentrate on a bigger picture for their firm. Thus, as much as possible, you should be keen-eyed in knowing what should be corrected and done.

Always remember that your output should be perfect as much as possible. You never would want a client to repeat the work on your behalf or ask you to redo it. Take note that this will waste a lot of time and resources.

Although there are instances that you may also commit mistakes, being keen-eyed prevents this possibility in the most effective way.

The aforementioned traits can be attained as long as you commit to your job and understand the priorities of your client. Taking things seriously may mean difficulty at times, but it would take you a long way in the online industry.

Why Admitting Your Mistake Helps

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Virtual assistants or home-based workers have the privilege not to be supervised in the flesh by their clients or superiors. Due to this, they, at times, make the mistake of covering their pitfalls. Far from their expectation, it could actually put their employment in peril.

In virtual work, it is essential that you open up almost everything to your client. Why? This is due to the fact the only foundation you have with your employer-employee relationship is good communication. Basically, good communication entails that you should also be open about your mistakes. You cannot always be the perfect VA or worker for your client. There is no one such as that. You have to admit that there are cases, especially during your first few months, that you will err.

This topic cannot be expressed effectively by just saying, “You should admit your mistakes to your client.” It should actually be relayed with an example.

One good example could be a virtual assistant who is assigned to supervise their team of VAs in behalf of his superior, who is ultimately the owner of the company. We can name the VA as Clark, whereas the superior as John.

Clark is very committed to his job and perfected every single thing he does for John. Unfortunately, he met a client, whom their VAs carry out tasks for, who is very abusive in terms of requirements. This client of theirs tends to ask their VAs to squeeze in a lot of tasks in strictly limited hours of work, which is totally unjust. John even reminded Clark to ensure that this would not happen.

At first, Clark was able to coordinate with the client to avoid this issue. Nonetheless, the client is too hard-headed and egoistic to actually change. As a result, VAs were abused despite the chances provided by Clark. He thought that by giving the client more chances after every plea that this abuse should no longer occur, everything will go well.

Unfortunately, it came to a point where John was contacted by the client and the latter actually wants to end the relationship with them. Why? The VAs already failed to meet her standards for she is asking the impossible already, such as finishing a five-hour worth of work in just an hour. This surprised John, for he is not aware of anything amiss with their VAs and the client.

In the end, John confronted Clark. The VA has no choice but to admit the mistake he did – he did not inform John the moment the client abused their rights as a VA. It should have been like that since John has more power to actually stop this incorrect behavior all along.

The result? John may have been disappointed with Clark, but the VA’s confession made him trust his employee more. He admitted that it is rare to find an employee who is brave enough to claim whatever error he has done, and ensure it will not be repeated going forward. The action also allowed John to actually lecture Clark on how to become a better employee, someone who is reputable and trustworthy.

As time went, Clark was able to handle client issues more effectively with John being involved whenever necessary. Knowing that when things get awry means John has to intervene, he became a more effective part of the team. He knew his boundaries and accepted there are things he should not handle by himself.

Apparently, the example situation may have been simple and not actually everyone’s expectation in terms of explaining the topic. However, it still successfully implied that admitting a mistake could result in a better situation in your work.

Communication: A Key to Effective Virtual Work (Client’s Perspective)

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Previously, we have discussed how important communication is when you are a virtual worker. Apparently, without it, you will not be able to survive the online industry at all, for you will not just waste a lot of job opportunities. In truth, you will also fail to build a reputation for yourself as a reliable home-based employee.

Now, it is not just about the virtual worker itself, or even if we are talking about a virtual assistant. Take note that communication requires a two-way relationship. Thus, even the employer or a virtual worker’s client has the obligation to maintain good communication.

There are so many instances that a client-employee relationship ends due to failure in effective communication. However, one should not deduce that it is only about the worker. Remember, as mentioned above, it is a two-way requirement. Thus, there are certainly cases that communication fails on the part of the client.

To give you proofs, given below are common situations:

Client fails to provide a complete picture of what he or she wants to be done. This is common during the hiring process of virtual workers. There are times that clients do not provide a complete list of requirements. As a result, they are incapable of finding a good talent for their operations or a simple project.

Although they may find someone despite the vague job description, in the end, this will cause a loophole to develop. It is either the employee will give up for he or she is being blamed for an incorrect output despite the fact it has been the wrongdoing of the client in the first place – not explaining things enough.

Be reminded that if you are a client, you should be as specific as possible in elaborating your needs for a virtual worker. You cannot just say, “I need a good web developer.” There are various programming languages and platforms that such a person could be proficient in. Also, for certain, you are in need of a specific web development skill.

One good example is, you actually need a WordPress expert. If you do not indicate this, you may end up with an inexperienced web developer, who will be going through a lot of practice first before knowing every nook of WordPress.

Client does not even consider to touch base with his or her virtual worker. Take note that work is not all about sending a task and expecting it to be carried out. You should also develop a good relationship with your employee by maintaining a regular communication with him or her.

You are not obligated to actually connect with them every now and then.  The only thing is, you should at least check if he or she is doing well with his or her work, or confirm if there are no issues on their end.

This is not all about being compassionate about your people. Instead, it is about ensuring that everything is on track.

There are times that virtual workers tend to assume (which is entirely wrong, but you cannot blame them all the time), especially when their clients are not reachable at all times or they do not even give the hint that their employees could get their assistance. This is regardless if they will respond or not right away.

Client does not provide a straightforward feedback. You should know that virtual workers are aware that their work could be criticized for their own benefit. It is not solely about telling that something is done incorrectly and your employee should find the mishap himself or herself.

As much as possible, use communication to explain everything that has gone wrong with the output. Provide constructive criticism. This is not a complete waste of time, for it will provide you advantages in the long run. The more you give clearer feedback, the more your virtual workers would be able to identify your style, needs, and wants.

Client provides limited communication leeway for his or her virtual worker. This may be trivial for some, but it is totally helpful. As a client, you should not only provide your virtual worker one communication platform to speak with one another. You should at least provide two. A good example is providing them tasks via e-mail so that you could write everything down effectively and assisting them via a messaging platform of your choice.

Some make a mistake by relying on e-mail alone. As a result, their virtual workers do not get immediate responses or just replies to their inquiries, delaying whatever has to be carried out. Furthermore, e-mails could stack with one another, and admit it or not, clients are mostly not frequent visitors of their inboxes.

Thus, if you really aim to assist your virtual worker to make things work, agree on another communication platform. Well, you got a lot of options around. You got Skype, Messenger, Viber, WhatsApp, Zoom, Slack, etc.

The aforementioned situations are only a few of many instances that could prove communication does fail on the client’s end, too.

Once you have established a good communication with your virtual workers, there is no doubt that you could maximize their abilities for your own benefit or your business’.

Communication: A Key to Effective Virtual Work (VA’s Perspective)

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Virtual work has now been considered as a better alternative to office-based work due to many factors. Let us begin with the difficulty of traveling from one place to another. There is no denying that most virtual assistants chose to work from home since commuting from their home to office have only been excruciating for them. You cannot blame them to complain. Just imagine your day being consumed by being on the road for hours!

Another factor that makes being a home-based worker more advantageous is the ability to be near your loved ones. Working in the office has taken this privilege at an unlikely level – mothers not being able to rear their children or fathers not being able to witness their children grow. Is that how life should be? Apparently, no.

However, no matter how you consider virtual work your future, you should have to consider a lot of things to make it work. Now, we will focus on communication. Neophytes in the home-based work industry would think having an employment online will be the same with working in the office. No, it will not be entirely the same. In truth, it is more sensitive and requires more commitment.

Let us go back to why communication is one thing you have to focus on while being a virtual worker. Truthfully, without it, you will not even be able to get a job online, more so in keeping your occupation.

To make it clearer for you, given below are top reasons why communication should be the foundation of your home-based work:

It is what your client depends on to make everything work. Without communicating with your client, you will not even get to know him or her better. Plus, the work that has to be done or his or her requirements will not at all be disclosed.

Since he or she will not be able to work with you in the flesh, what he or she will rely on is the messaging platform you will use. This could be e-mail, Skype, Messenger, Viber, Zoom, or anything that you could think of being used to communicate virtually.

It is what makes you worth being paid. Without communication, you will not be able to inform what you have accomplished. Remember, not all clients have the time to check what you have finished in a certain shift immediately or regularly. They depend on what you report to determine what you have done for them or their operations in a day.

It is what keeps you a reliable employee. Communication will always give you the chance to prove that you are a reliable virtual worker. How? By opening up about something that is not right with the tasks you are working on. By making your client aware of improvements that could be applied to their systems. By admitting your pitfalls and assuring that you will be better in the future.

If you will analyze it, you can say that without communication, no virtual work would even be on your plate.

The question now is, how could you improve communication with your client? It is simple: maximize the use of the messaging platform you are currently utilizing to be in connection with him or her.

Whenever you are reporting or logging out, inform him or her. Report whatever you have accomplished in a day. Ensure that he or she is updated with his or her future appointments. Keep him or her aware of your project’s progress. Voice out what you think should have made the proposal better.

There are too many ways you could improve communication while working online. As stated above, MAXIMIZE it.