|
Ask the Master Newsletter Archives
Welcome to the previous editions of the Ask the Master newsletter.
On your left you will find links to tips and the how to’s of
running a Virtual Assistant practice. We hope you enjoy your stay
and if you have a question you’d like answered send it to submission@vatp.ca.
Ask
The Master
December 2006 - Volume 5/Issue 10 |
What It Takes to be a VA
Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur and not everyone is meant
to be a VA. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to be both.
Let's take a look at what strengths may make up a successful VA.
Warmly,
Mary-Lou Ashton
Master Virtual Assistant
In This Issue
(Click on the links to go to that question.) What can I do
to improve communication with a client?
Free Informational
Sessions  Join
us either Wednesday January 3, 2007 from 4:00- 5:00 p.m. PT (7:00-8:00
p.m. ET) or Friday January 5, 2007 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. PT (12:30-1:30
p.m. ET) for a free information session (long distance charges will
be incurred).
We will talk about the history and growth of the profession, what
it is and what it is not, along with the skill sets to be successful.
We will then provide information such as the course outline, dates,
and financial investment.
To attend the Wednesday session send an email to wednesday@vatp.ca
and for the Friday session to friday@vatp.ca. You will receive information
via auto responder.
Building The
Foundation  To
be a successful VA it's not enough to just be good at administrative
tasks, you also have to be able to run your own business. If the
focus of a VA is to support our clients with building a successful
business then it stands to reason that the better you are at running
a successful business the better you will be at supporting your
client with creating a successful business.
In order to run a success practice there are skills you need to
have or develop. The ability to get really clear on, why you are
in business, what impact you want your business to have on the world
and document, in detail, all of the systems, procedures, standards
and protocols for your company are instrumental to success. Laying
a strong foundation is the key to success.
Continued work on your business is essential to sustaining success.
Business and strategic planning, marketing, networking and relationship
building will continue and sustain the growth of your business.
All of this translate to working with your clients.
Soft Skills
Good communication is important in any situation however when developing
virtual relationships it is critical to success. Due to the fact
that everyone has different styles of communication you need to
be able to adjust to various styles of communication and flow between
clients matching their style.
If you have a client who is very detailed don't give them just
the bottom line and the opposite is true for clients who are bottom
line oriented and are not interested in the details. Matching your
clients communication style by adjusting your style when necessary
will create synergistic communication.
Being solution focused is the corner stone of a good VA. You do
not have to have all the answers only the willingness and resources
to find out. Doing the research and compiling the end result allows
your clients to make good and informed business decisions.
In addition to communication skills the following are valuable
soft skills for any VA to have:
- High attention to detail
- Very organized
- Process oriented
- Coachable
- Strong work ethic
- Does complete work
- Takes the initiative
- Has a desire to learn, and expand ideas
- Not afraid to make mistakes
- Confidence to voice opinion
- Minimal supervision and follow up required
- Has the ability to write and edit content text
- Strong technical understanding
- Loves to collaborate and strategize
Technical Skills
 The
information highway plays an critical role in a VA practice. Because
we work virtually you need to have excellent equipment, software,
Internet access, equipment and software protection along with a
back up system. You need to be able to create a contingency plan
should anything happen to the technical side of your business which
will allow for minimum down time. VA's are forward thinkers and
have paid attention to all the details.
Staying on top of the latest technology, including communication
tools and sharing of documents and calendars will put you heads
above the rest. Consistent research in this area is a must in order
to stay on the leading edge.
The following are the basics for a VA to have:
- PC compatible
- High speed Internet access
- MS Office Suite
- Adobe Acrobat
- Antivirus software
- Firewall
- 512 meg of RAM minimum
- Pentium III processor
- 40 gig hard drive
- Separate business line
- Colour printer
- Fax machine, software or email fax account
- Back up system and process
Brought to you by
Virtual Strategies
and the Virtual Assistant Training Program
Making dreams reality!
www.vatp.ca
info@vatp.ca
1-604-483-3740 |
|
