Tag: virtual assistance

Being Considerate: A Factor in Becoming a Reliable Virtual Assistant

Being Considerate: A Factor in Becoming a Reliable Virtual Assistant

Reliability is what makes a virtual assistant a long-term choice for employers instead of deciding to take in another team member for replacement. Indeed, it is quite common in the virtual assistant world for one client to replace a remote worker quite easily. This is driven by how plain sailing online recruitment is being done now and the increasing number of VA aspirants.

However, as a virtual assistant, you should not be content with the fact that you may simply hop from one work to another. If you prefer a more worthwhile assignment while nurturing your growth as a professional, always aim for a long-term commitment, since this is what will also provide you stability.

To become a remote worker that a client would keep for long, you should shape yourself as a reliable virtual assistant, and one way of doing so is being considerate. How can you make this happen? Surprisingly, there are various habits you should start practicing to become a considerate VA.

Primarily, remember that your client is your priority. Before doing anything else, always consider what your client prefers first. It is never wrong to always consult him or her before making a move, unless you were given a green light in certain situations beforehand. Yes, there may be situations where your opinion may sound better, but it does not mean that it should be followed. You may be vocal about it, but consider the fact that your client has the final say all the time.

Secondly, never consider yourself as a single unit in an organization. Keep in mind that what you do will have an either direct or indirect effect on your co-workers. If you slack, most likely, your team members would suffer given they may need your output one way or another. On the other hand, if you provide the necessary results, then you contribute in making the team win. Being considerate means that you should also remember that you are not present in the company to succeed alone. There are also goals that you should also set your sight on alongside your team.

Lastly, being considerate can also be seen even in the smallest matters at work, such as taking a leave. There are times that you have to compromise in planning out your leaves unless it is an emergency. One good example is checking the current situation before creating your vacation plan. If you think it is the season where the team members should be present all the time, if not, most of the time, then you should try delaying your leaves first. Otherwise, you may hamper the team’s course of action detrimentally, leading to delays or even mistakes.

The provided ways are just a few of what you can do to become a considerate virtual assistant. Once you practice consideration to your client, your team members, and the organization you are working in, it will be much easier for you to gain your employer’s trust. Knowing you are someone, who is not working for one’s benefit solely, you will definitely be a treasure to keep by any organization.

Why Attendance Is Pivotal as a Virtual Assistant

Why Attendance Is Pivotal as a Virtual Assistant

Working from home is undeniably the most comfortable setting for anyone regardless of their field. Nonetheless, comfort is a factor that causes some people to make wrong decisions in terms of their commitment to work. In some cases, as certain remote workers find it more convenient to work from home, they tend to forget to keep their professionalism in check.

Since it is much easier to skip work when you are not physically required to report, some misuse this privilege, to the point that it affects their employers negatively.

Yes, indeed, there are cases that are exceptions. For instance, you have to attend to an urgent matter or emergency. Moreover, if you are feeling under the weather, which is equivalent to being ineffective instead of functional if you will still work. These are situations that you cannot refute as good reasons to miss your shift. 

However, as a virtual assistant, you have to practice avoiding absences without valid reasons. One possible invalid reason is to prevent being called off due to a mishap with your work, so you decided to hide and escape reprimand. If you are a reliable VA, learn to own up your mistakes and surely, your client would prefer to rectify them with you. On the other hand, you will be absent simply because you are not in the mood to work. Also, you may be skipping work because you are going to miss your favorite television show or game.

When you start working as a VA, you should remember that you have committed yourself to assisting your client efficiently. Basically, being present is one component of being efficient. There are lots of things that could go wrong with you not being around.

Primarily, if you are not present, especially if your main role as a virtual assistant is to assist your client, you can possibly cause him or her to take over your tasks. This would make him or her lose time for more important matters, which could have been the focus of his or her day. Furthermore, your client may miss a lot of important things since one role of a VA is to keep your employer reminded of not only appointments, but tasks to do, as well. Some clients even tend to delay their projects for your input is highly crucial to accomplish them.

Secondly, if you make it a habit to miss work for no reason, you are also jeopardizing your team members’ productivity. If you are working with other remote staff as a team, most likely, your work can affect everyone else’s. For instance, their activity may be held off simply because you have not submitted yours yet. Alternatively, they may need to do extra work since you have left yours unattended.

Additionally, did you know that being present all the time will make you more contributive to the organization you are working in? The more you understand things that are occurring in the company, the better you can put your skills into use. If there are issues ahead, you can help solve it and an extra head would always be valuable.

All boils down to consideration when it comes to keeping your attendance record acceptable if not perfect. You have to consider not only yourself when working as a virtual assistant, but your client, co-workers, and company itself. Keep in mind that you may be reporting for salary to sustain your everyday life, but it does not mean that you should cause trouble for those, who are also doing the same.

Virtual assistants are often preferred by clients for they can be available regardless of location and timezone. As a remote worker, it is best to be a representation of what is expected of a virtual assistant – a better person to work with and someone that a client could rely on anytime.

What Makes You Stand Out as a Virtual Assistant

What Makes You Stand Out as a Virtual Assistant

Everyone has more opportunities to become a virtual assistant nowadays. With the right experience and skills, you will be able to catch a client’s eye during recruitment. Even if you have no sufficient background in a certain field, as long as the employer allows neophytes, then you may be employed, as well.

That being said, if you want to stand out, you must possess qualities that will make up your irrefutable reliability, which your client will hold onto for a long time. It is not that difficult to become a virtual assistant that an employer would want to have a long business relationship with. You simply have to consider the following when developing your personality as a VA:

Having a sense of relentless loyalty. No one can deny the fact that most clients always opt for someone that would be committed to them all throughout their tenure. Apparently, it will always be a disappointment for an employer to have a remote worker, who is simply looking for connections or contacts to work with in the future (which can be partners or customers of the employer). 

Be reminded that once you signed a service agreement or even verbally agreed upon a work setup with a client, you should dedicate your loyalty to him or her wholly. It will never be wrong to be loyal to a person, who has given you an opportunity to work. Even if you are eyeing another job in the future, it is best to finish what you have been entrusted with prior to making another step.

If it is also included in your service agreement to avoid being connected professionally to your employer’s partners after some time following your departure, then you should comply with it. Some may think it will no longer matter once you leave, but remember, you still have signed the contract. The way you disregard it will reflect how feeble your commitment to anyone can be.

Considering professionalism all the time. Even if you become fast friends with your employer, it is always advisable to maintain your professionalism. One good example is considering his or her day off or holiday. No matter how urgent your concern is, unless instructed to bypass his or her day off or holiday, you should cut your communication during the said times. 

Furthermore, be reminded that even if you have an open communication with your client, avoid asking personal questions no matter how curious you are. Always consider topics that would not go beyond the boundary of your client-virtual assistant relationship.

Welcoming opportunities to learn more. If you want to stand out as a virtual assistant, you should never deny an opportunity to learn more, particularly in terms of skills you can offer to your clients.

One good example is when your employer offers you a chance to train for a new task, which may be something he or she may assign to you sooner or later. Denying this, regardless of the fact that your workload would still be fair once this task is added, shows that you are stagnant. It is fine to be content but most clients prefer remote workers, who would be open to gaining more responsibilities to ease their burden.

Be reminded that your client is not the sole benefactor of your training for new skills. Instead, you may also be able to utilize this new learning to your future work commitments. You may even make your profile more promising as time passes. It would be much easier for you to grab an opportunity, whenever you need a new one.

Keeping one’s team members supported. Despite working from home, it does not mean that you are working independently all the time. If you want to be a reliable virtual assistant, never forget that you have team members working with you. Whenever someone new comes in, it is always best to lend a helping hand with his or her adjustment. Keep in mind that you have been a newbie once, as well.

On the other hand, whenever working with a team, you should consider that your sluggish behavior or poor productivity could affect everyone. Thus, it is always best to monitor your performance and avoid pulling your team members with you towards failure.

Never forgetting the basics. No matter how skillful you are, at times, the smallest things could prevent your employer from keeping you. One good example is being on time. This may be given consideration for a few times, but if it becomes a habit, then you would never gain the favor of your client. Your tardiness could mean delayed output, customer service failure, missed opportunity with an interested lead, etc.

Moreover, if you cannot abide by the simple rules of the organization, such as by requesting for leaves at least a couple of weeks before, then, it could also be a sign you are failing at standing out as an effective VA. There are exceptions, of course, such as emergencies, but if it becomes a norm without due reason, then it shows you are not respecting the rules anymore. Be reminded that these are made to maintain discipline and order in a company.

It is not yet late to improve your personality as a remote worker. By considering the aforementioned facts, you can start moving forward with a different perspective on how to stand out as a virtual assistant. It takes practice but it is definitely a change that would be most beneficial for you in the future.

How to Handle Calls Like a Professional

How to Handle Calls Like a Professional

Calls would always be part of a virtual assistant’s routine, regardless of whether his or her tasks are centered on customer service or otherwise. A remote worker, given the long distance from his or her client, has to make calls to coordinate tasks, share ideas, ask questions, and make clarifications, whenever necessary.

Nonetheless, not all can make calls properly. There are some, who are still having a hard time making sure they sound professional when communicating via call. This could be a hindrance to maintaining seamless relations between the virtual assistant and his or her co-workers. It is not always efficient to settle with e-mails and personal messages.

If you are among those, who have to ring a person from time to time, it is imperative you are aware of how a call should be done professionally. There are simple ways to do so, such as the following:

Answer promptly. It is highly unprofessional if you let calls ring continuously without picking them up right away or sending them to voicemail. This actually takes much of the caller’s time.

If you are not available, a voicemail is a good hint. Moreover, if you can pick it up and inform you may have a conversation at a later time, it would be much more helpful.

Always start with a professional greeting. You should always keep in mind that the person at the end of the line may not always be the one you are expecting. This is regardless of having a caller ID system in place. 

It is always best to start with a polite greeting, such as “Good morning” or “Good day.” To make it sound more professional, you may also add your name as an introduction upon picking up the call.

Speak clearly and slowly. You need to avoid speaking at a faster pace to avoid misunderstanding and confusion. It is best to stay calm while talking to make sure you are conveying your thoughts properly. 

If you have a certain accent that may be difficult for some to comprehend, the more you should follow this.

Additionally, if you are used to adding fillers, like “uh,” “uhm,” and “like,” you should practice avoiding those words while making calls. The more straightforward your sentences are, the better the conversation would be.

Smile while on a call. If you want to provide warmth to the person you are talking to, it is best to smile while on a call. This would give your voice a friendly tone. Regardless of the purpose of the call, you will get off on the right foot.

Make sure to call back, if promised. Being professional means you stand by your word. If you have informed the person that you will call back, then you should do so. Should you have specified a fixed date and time, then you should not be earlier or later than the schedule.

If you cannot make it, it is best to leave a message and request for another convenient time to continue your call.

Avoid putting the call on speaker. Putting your call on speaker would give an impression that you are not making the conversation private. This may make the person you are talking to uncomfortable, especially if the topic being discussed is sensitive and critical.

Speaker may be set if you have notified beforehand and it could be effective if you are having a call with a group of people.

Follow the transfer protocol properly. A reason to transfer the call is necessary so that the person would be aware that his or her concern is best addressed by another member of the organization.

Moreover, if a transfer would be done, you should also be certain that the person to pick up the call is available. 

With the given tips above for better handling of calls at work, you would find it easier to coordinate with the members of the organization, partners, and even clients. Maintaining good communication is pivotal in remote work, and this covers making a call now and then. Some matters are best conferred about through calls instead of written messages. Hence, making sure this communication means is done advantageously is synonymous to attaining work efficiency.

How to Have a Proactive Mindset as a Remote Worker

How to Have a Proactive Mindset as a Remote Worker

Working effectively as a remote worker is not all about having the skills and experience. You also need to have that proactive mindset to maintain your good performance. There are virtual assistants, who have a lot of potential when it comes to delivering great work, but fail to do so given they are not driven enough. They are held back by their lack of a proactive mindset.

In order to avoid the aforementioned situation, you also have to consider conditioning yourself as a proactive remote worker. You cannot always rely on external factors to keep you motivated to do well at work, such as your team members, your organization, or your personal condition.

To help you have a proactive mindset, you may try carrying out the following:

Do not dwell on your past mistakes. If you made errors at work, do not dwell on them. Otherwise, you would not be able to better yourself. Consider the fact that all make mistakes, especially if new to the tasks. What is more important is to consider what lies ahead.

By accepting that you may err from time to time, your thinking would not be constrained and you can prevent feeling demotivated. You will be more willing to learn and take on challenges, which are characteristics that would make you a proactive remote worker.

Learn the power of prioritizing. Know that you cannot do every task provided to you. If you want to make the most out of having initiative, you should create a priority list. By making sure you are focusing on more important tasks, you would be able to avoid time wastage and missed deadlines.

Identifying the priority level of your activities will help you schedule your day-to-day work more effectively. You can assign a specific timeframe for each task and even your due date for it (which is different from the actual one). This would help ensure to set aside a time gap, which will allow you to review your work and edit it should there be problems.

Be prompt in communication. You would never look professional or proactive if you do not practice responding promptly when communicating. This is regardless of the platform you use (e-mail, message, or call).

For e-mail or message, regardless of having to check references before sending a reply, it is best to notify the person that you will be sending feedback by a certain time.

If you fail to respond to messages, being proactive means you also have to be willing to apologize. This may happen, particularly if you are caught up with lots of appointments.

Alongside being prompt, you will be proactive if you also consider the way you compose your response. Double check if you have addressed all concerns and if an attachment is necessary, make sure it is already included.

In terms of calls, it is always best to pick up to give an indication that you are always ready to offer any help to your bosses, team members, or customers. Be straightforward whenever speaking via call. If you need to call back, inform them about it right away and provide a specific time when you will ring them again. If you still need to verify some things before giving them concise responses, you also have to provide this information.

Be open to feedback. Having a proactive mindset also means you are willing to find out what your co-workers think about your performance at work. If they provide you reviews, make sure to welcome them. On the other hand, should they specify matters for improvement given your declining productivity and efficiency, you should take note of it. Be reminded that their insights are your means of targeting your weak points.

Know that the feedback given to you should not be taken personally. You also have to keep in mind that your performance is not about you solely since it can affect the entire organization.

Maintain a positive attitude. Being proactive also means that you are always willing to work harmoniously with everyone. You should always be approachable in times of need. Moreover, regardless of being in a situation full of tension, you should always try hard to keep your cool and be thoughtful of others.

The way you work with others can actually weigh down your skills. No matter how adept are, if you fail to get along with the people around you, collaboration would fail miserably. 

You will win more if you become proactive. This is not only in terms of becoming a better remote worker, but being someone that your co-workers can rely on. It is not a swift process, but as long as you practice it, you will definitely achieve your goal.