Tag: virtual assistant traits

Being Proactive: A Commonly Sought Trait in Virtual Assistants

Being Proactive: A Commonly Sought Trait in Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants are selected not simply because they help in more ways than how a typical office worker could contribute to an organization (e.g. being able to assist regardless of time or location). To put it simply, skills are not always the basis whenever remote workers are being assessed; instead, personality also matters a lot, or better yet, it is a priority for most employers.

You may be the most efficient virtual assistant a company could find in terms of the tasks you can carry out with utmost efficiency, but you would still be let go if you lack the trait of being proactive.

What does it mean to be proactive? Being proactive can be described as a trait that makes someone more dependable in terms of preventing issues effectively and finding solutions for further business growth. Practically, it is what an employer would need – someone that would not just follow through instructions all the time, but serve as a dependable worker regardless of being guided or working independently.

It is true that being a virtual assistant implies you are required to provide an output based on the instructions given to you. However, if your aim is to be a more efficient one, not only for your employer’s sake, but for your personal growth, you should not be contained by instructions alone. Employers always seek for a team member that is not hesitant to suggest, comment, or criticize, whenever necessary. Basically, without such worker in an organization, problems would not be solved and improvement would never be in the picture.

If you are not convinced yet with how being proactive can make you a commendable virtual assistant, then here are more advantages brought by having the said trait:

Uncovering potential critical issues easily. By being proactive, you would be able to identify certain matters in your employer’s operations that could be probable serious predicaments in the future. One good example is the frequent poor client coordination for the customer service team is not trained properly. If this will be addressed ahead of time, the reputation of the company may be saved from countless negative feedbacks that may be expected if the problem ensues.

Being the best team member one could find. With a proactive personality, you would not be dependent on people around you all the time, even if you are working in a team. Regardless of having certain tasks assigned to you as a contribution, being proactive means you are willing to step in, whenever necessary.

One good example is when one of your team members is ill and no one would take care of the documentation task. If you have the skill and time to take over, being proactive implies you would not hesitate to handle the work for the meantime.

By having the given mindset, you will not just finish your tasks or projects easily, but show how considerate you are to the other members of the organization. This will certainly create an amiable atmosphere in the company.

Opening one’s self to growth. If you are a proactive virtual assistant, you would not mind being corrected or taught on how to carry out your work much more effectively. Instead, you would actually welcome guidance and new learnings, whenever they are at hand.

A proactive remote worker would think of mistakes as a learning curve and would not dwell in them. Instead, he or she would always look forward to preventing those errors, resulting in his or her improvement. Considering your growth as a virtual assistant to be a contributing factor to your organization’s betterment is also equal to being proactive. 

A proactive virtual assistant would always be a step ahead of any remote worker regardless of experience, educational background, or number of skills to offer. By being proactive, you would not simply meet your employer’s standards but go beyond what is expected of you, making you a dependable asset to an organization’s growth in the future.

Overconfidence Can Ruin Your Reputation as a VA

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There are virtual assistants, who are way too confident about what they can do, that they did not notice that this trait of theirs keep clients at bay. Why? This is due to the fact clients are not impressed by what you say but by what you do. You cannot state that you can perform well and make him or her believe right away. Most of the time, an employer would tell you to prove it first through works, then he or she will see if you are stating a fact.

This is when trial comes in the scene. Have you ever wondered why clients request for a trial period? Be reminded that they are aware that they cannot surmise the performance of an employee by depending on his or her background, previous experience, and interview.

Virtual assistants should remember that no matter how good they think they are, staying mum is the best option to do. It is more impressive to make your performance speak for itself. Indeed, during the interview, you must share what you can do and what you have accomplished previously, but this can be done without a tinge of being improperly surefooted. You can simply say you have experience in this skill number one and number two. You do not have to say that you are the best the client could find out of all the applicants simply due to what you believe in.

Take note that clients steer away from forwardness. They would rather work with someone, who is obviously accepting the fact that he or she is not perfect and there is a lot of growth to reap out there.

Overconfidence should also be avoided at all costs in the instance of accomplishing a certain task. If you keep this trait, you may end up overestimating what you can do. One good example is when you provide a tentative date of completing a certain work. There are virtual assistants, who miscalculate their productivity due to their extreme reliance on their skills. Be reminded that during the process of finishing an activity, requirement changes may be on the way. Always consider, as well, that you may commit mistakes, resulting to repeating the work. Stay on the safe side and provide a workable end date of your project.

A client will be more disappointed if you have not met your guaranteed accomplished date of the task. On the other hand, he or she would find you admirable if you have given a feasible end date and you have submitted the work earlier than the said period.

Keep your feet on the ground and you will positively influence what your client thinks about you. It is simply normal to aim for your employer’s approval, but this can be done in the right way without ruining your reputation.

Tardiness Is Never a Trait to Keep as a Virtual Assistant

Tardiness Is Never a Trait to Keep as a Virtual Assistant

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If you think flexibility is dominating the online or home-based work industry, then you should think again. Since then, clients have never considered remote workers different from office-based ones in terms of performance at work. In truth, there are even cases that they will expect more from you. Why? This is due to the fact that they are aware you are already conferred with convenience to work at home and near your family. Hence, an upraised commitment to your job is anticipated.

One of most important things to keep in mind as a virtual assistant is to practice abiding by the schedule your client has set. Indeed, there will be cases that your tasks are not provided yet, but this is not a reason for you to report late.

Your client or employer is observing you, no matter how silent he or she can be in terms of those aspects. Show your professionalism even if you are at home and working. In such way, your client will consider your ethics praiseworthy, which could end in a stable work for you. Who would not want to work with someone who does not neglect following even the simplest instruction as arriving on time?

According to others, they have this sickness that keeps them from arriving early or reporting on time. You should know that there is no such thing as that. In contrary, what you are experiencing is a result of voluntarily letting yourself get used to the unprofessional habit.

If you are aiming to make a change, then you should start resetting your work-related habits. One good way is to avoid setting appointments near your scheduled reporting time; as much as possible, clear an hour or so prior to your work.

On the other hand, you should also try setting alarms or reminders, particularly on your mobile phone (which you often hold) to keep tabs of your reporting time. This is helpful if you have more than one gig or freelance work.

If you are a night owl and your work schedule makes you snooze involuntarily prior to your reporting time, you should then find sufficient time to slumber during the day. In such way, your body will be able to control its urges to take a rest in the evening. It may be difficult for the first few days, but your system will get a hang of your new sleeping pattern.

Lastly, you should have a psychological motivation – keeping your client or employer satisfied with your performance and eventually, maintaining your professional standing. Be reminded that your reputation as a virtual assistant is also at stake here. Do not ruin it by a habit that can be corrected easily if you only decide to.

It is not too late to make a shift. Remember, it is your choice when it comes to your overall work performance. You choose to be late, to be a not-so-dependable virtual assistant, and to be someone who cannot follow a simple instruction. Yet, you can choose to be the contrary of everything that was mentioned.

Why Reading Makes You an Effective Virtual Assistant

Why Reading Makes You an Effective Virtual Assistant

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In truth, it would be seldom you could encounter someone keen in reading books, news, or even a short piece of article. For them, reading somehow is tiresome, despite being aware that it could give them a lot of benefits to reap.

As a virtual assistant, you should know that reading is one of your free and most efficient means of honing your skills. There are lots of reasons why, which include the following:

It provides you a better understanding of how things are done. Apparently, there are cases that you thought you already know what you are doing. Then suddenly, you check out recent research and tutorials in making things easier in executing the concerned activity – you ended up knowing more techniques in carrying it out.

If you are a virtual assistant, you should keep yourself updated on recent trends in carrying out tasks for your clients or employers. For instance, in terms of transcription, aside from manually jotting down what you have heard and understood in an audio file, there are also software applications to make things easier. Although the said tools may not be as accurate as manually transcribing, it could be helpful in other means, such as in taking care of files that are totally inaudible for you.

It gives you the edge to improve your English communication skills. Reading provides you a very reachable solution to bettering your English communication skills, either written or spoken. This is due to the fact you would be able to pick up new words to broaden your vocabulary every time you read. Additionally, you will also get used to the construction of sentences in the correct way.

To make things more efficient for your English training, you should focus on reading materials coming from authoritative sites. In other words, you can be certain that prior to publishing their content, it is being proofread and edited accordingly by experts.

It provides you the confidence to converse. If you want to entertain your client or your colleagues, reading could help you a lot. You could share what you have acquired by reading certain pieces of content either online or in a book. This will not give you a way to impart knowledge but to sustain a warm atmosphere among your co-workers.

Opening a sensible conversation also provides you a good impression. People would most likely consider you welcoming.

It keeps you supported in maintaining good work relationships. Apart from learning about virtual assistant skills, reading could also open your mind in embracing ways to maintain a good employer-employee relationship.

Tons of research studies are available around that could provide you a better grasp of understanding your client. Moreover, you may also obtain help with your current dilemma. For instance, you do not know how to approach your client about a certain issue with your communication. In truth, experts from around the world could assist you with various solutions, which may include psychologists or even business professionals.

It protects you from the work-related stress. If you want a way to spend your after-work time efficaciously, you should try reading. You do not have to settle with news, studies, or research documents you could find online. Why not try settling with novels or books of your interest? This will keep you isolated from the stress around you given your mind will be shifted in focus.

With the aforementioned reasons, you definitely have you to avoid thinking twice prior to browsing content online or picking up a book at least once every day. You do not have to boot and read almost all day. Instead, you should go slowly, such as starting with an article a day or maybe a chapter in the Bible.

Respect: A Trait That Every Virtual Assistant Should Have

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Virtual assistants have the freedom to work as they please, as long as they provide the deliverable required of them. They could wear anything and neglect work clothes, if they prefer to. They could even work at their most convenient times, as long as their client allows to. Most importantly, they could spend more at home without worrying about their job. Their laptop is just an arm away for them to take care of things.

However, due to the aforementioned convenience, there is a tendency for a virtual assistant to neglect important factors in sustaining a healthy client-freelancer relationship. For instance, VAs tend to forget how important it is to connect with their employee. Apart from the work relationship becoming automated and seemed machinelike, virtual assistants could become less friendly towards their client.

Be reminded that you are still an employee regardless of the fact you are working remotely. Home-based job does not entail lack of personal touch with your work.

If you do not want to end up your job without a harmonious relationship to recollect in the future, you should start shaping your personality as it should be. One good start is to learn how to become respectful to your client or employer. In truth, there are so many ways to do so.

A few tips below may help:

Always start your shift in a positive note. How could you do this? It is simple. You just have to avoid forgetting the most important greetings – good morning, good evening, or good day. You should always initiate a beginning that would affect your client’s mood positively. Be reminded that positivity is contagious. Thus, make yourself a source of it.

Apart from the common greeting, never forget how essential asking how your client or employer is. No, this is not an act of uttermost comfort towards your superior. This is a way to show him or her that you do care despite your type of relationship. A client or an employer may not say it, but they prefer that their staff at least give credit to them even in the simplest way.

Accept your mistakes and lower your ego. Yes, you may be an experienced virtual assistant or even an accomplished professional outside your remote working space. However, this does not mean that you already have the privilege to disregard the corrections and criticisms of your client.

Hear your employer out when he or she is pointing something that did not turn out right. Accept if you are wrong. Otherwise, explain your side in a respectful manner.

If your employer is wrong no matter how you see it, but he or she kept on insisting his or her side, simply keep mum. Follow what he or she wants to happen, for in the end, the result will convey which of you is right.

Understand the personal space of your client or employer. There are virtual assistants who only focus on work that they forget that their client also needs their personal space. For instance, they still send messages or e-mails during the night despite knowing that their employer may be with his or her family at home already.

Although there are cases that urgency requires you to speak with your client even at night time or beyond working hours, you should always prioritize respecting the time he or she has left for himself or herself. If your inquiry could wait or you could find means to sort out your concern, then you should keep yourself from pressing the send button.

The provided tips above are just a few of what you can do to maintain respect in your personality. You should take note that employers do not retain their staff based on their skills alone, but also on how they deal with their superiors or co-workers.