8 Crucial Skills Needed to Succeed as a Virtual Assistant
by: Vienalyn Rhea Aseremo

A Virtual Assistant has a lot of responsibilities.

You might be wondering:

"How can I be a virtual assistant that can deliver good service?” Well, you can! Learning the skills needed to succeed in this industry is simply a matter of learning.

Here are the 8 crucial skills that every effective VA needs:

1.   Organization.

When providing virtual assistant service, you will have a lot of responsibilities. That means you need to be organized to keep track of everything, and so that your boss can easily access the information he or she needs. Your work will be more productive if you are organized, and your clients will trust you more because they know they can rely on your ability to get things done.

And how can you do that?

●       Keep track of all the tasks and responsibilities that come with VA services by creating separate folders for each type of project or job. This makes it easy to find them when needed and helps prevent confusion about what needs to be done next when multiple projects are going on at once.

●       To organize your personal life as well as work life, create lists for both areas of responsibility (such as “To Do” lists). You could also use calendars or planners if these tools help keep things straight in the long term (we recommend Google Calendar). It's important for managing workloads and keeping up with appointments so there aren't any scheduling mix-ups during busy periods like tax season!

2.   Time Management.

Time management is one of the most essential skills for a successful provider of VA services. It’s crucial to be able to juggle multiple tasks at once, as well as prioritize what needs to be done and when.

For example, if I have a client who needs a proposal by Friday and another one who needs their website revamped by next week, I need to figure out which one takes priority so that they are both completed on time.

This also includes knowing how long each task will take so that I can plan accordingly.

Simply put:

If I know that it will take me two hours to complete an SEO audit for my client, but only 30 minutes for them to review my work before sending back revisions (which often happens), then I should schedule my day accordingly so that I have time in between these appointments for other tasks such as answering emails or researching new clients online.

3.   Communication Skills.

Communication skills are a must-have for all virtual assistants. This category encompasses written and spoken communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to communicate with different types of people. Most importantly, you need to be able to listen as well as speak. If you cannot listen well, it will be impossible for you to understand what the client wants or needs. You will also have trouble delivering high-quality work if you are unable to pick up on hints from your clients about their preferences or requirements.

And here’s the thing -

 Many tasks that virtual assistants perform require them to interact with others over email or chat apps like Slack (more about these later). A good understanding of how these tools work is needed for a VA to communicate effectively with clients through them.

4.   Flexibility and Adaptability.

You need to be flexible and adaptable to work as a virtual assistant. This means that you should be able to change your schedule, priorities, or plans quickly and easily.

Let me explain:

Being flexible helps you respond to changes in the environment around you or at home (like when your child gets sick). When something happens unexpectedly (for example, if there's a new task that comes up) you must be ready for anything by having great time management skills.

Adaptability is also important because it helps with changing circumstances while working as a virtual assistant.

Think about this:

You might find yourself having to work longer hours than expected due to an emergency at home or out on the road; however, if this happens, we want everyone moving forward with their lives without any problems!

5.   Stress Management.

Stress management is an important skill for a VA.

Here’s the truth:

The job can be incredibly demanding, and you need to learn how to manage your stress levels to keep your work quality high and avoid burnout. This can include techniques such as meditation and regular exercise, but most importantly it's about being aware of how you feel when things are going well or badly so that you can act if necessary.

6.   Ability to Learn New Software & Platforms Quickly.

Technology has changed the way we work and live, and it will continue to do so. Virtual assistants need to have the ability to learn new software platforms quickly to stay relevant in their field. Often, clients will expect you to be able to use whatever technology they use daily, whether that's Salesforce or Microsoft Office 365.

And here’s the reality:

It may take some time for you to become comfortable with these new tools, but once you are there, it makes your job easier because all your tasks will be more streamlined through automation and organization.

7.   Positive Attitude.

A positive attitude is one of the most crucial qualities you need to have as a virtual assistant service provider.

Virtual assistants work with people who are stressed and busy, so it's important to be able to find ways of keeping your stress levels down.

Often, you'll be working on projects that are bigger than anything you could do on your own, but if you're not careful, that can make it feel overwhelming and stressful for everyone involved. It depends on you as the VA to help turn around these situations by remaining proactive despite the challenges ahead.

8.   Attention to Detail.

Attention to detail is necessary for every job, but it's all the more in a virtual assistant position. Clients will expect you to be able to hear them clearly and understand exactly what they need. If you did not pay attention during the initial interview, it may be difficult for them to trust that you will be able to follow through on assignments on board.

Here are some examples of when attention to detail is vital:

●       When listening to your client's instructions on how they want their materials formatted, if they say "black" instead of "dark," or if they tell you that “ALL CAPS,” are required instead of just bolding certain words, those mistakes will show up in the finished product. It may result in a less-than-satisfied client who can't understand why their instructions were not done as they wanted.

 When following through with tasks assigned by multiple clients--if one client requests something formatted differently from what another one has asked for in previous tasks, it might lead them both to think that their orders were ignored or forgotten about entirely!

We’re not through yet:

Virtual assistants are a growing trend and some of the skills required to be successful in this career can be learned. Some of the more common soft virtual assistant skills include:

●       Microsoft Office Suite

●       Customer service experience

●       Email communication experience (with an emphasis on professionalism)

If you are interested to be a virtual assistant, there are plenty of accessible resources. There are numerous online courses available that can help you develop your knowledge and expertise in these areas.

So it all adds up to this:

 You need to have the right mindset. Virtual assistants are in high demand, and anyone can work as one. But - if you want to succeed, you must be dedicated and be appropriately prepared for it.

If you love helping others, have experience in writing or proofreading, and want to make extra money while working from home—best get started with becoming a virtual assistant!