Virtual Assistant Career

Secrets for a Successful Virtual Assistant Career

Defining success is different things for different people.  Whether you’re looking to work full-time or part-time, set up a company or just freelance for a few clients around your hectic schedule, a few things should be established in your practice in order to achieve the level of success you desire:

Secret #1:  Be honest with your clients from the get-go. 
Don’t ever try to be something you’re not…  All that makes you is a liar.  If you don’t offer a service, don’t like doing it or don’t know how to do something, don’t represent yourself as someone who can and would like to do this.  Sooner or later, the truth will come out.  Also, don’t say you can do a project within a certain time when you know you won’t be able to finish it within that time.  When taking on a new project or a new client, be completely upfront about what you offer, what you charge, how you bill and what your timeline is for projects. 

Secret #2:  Treat your clients with respect & “above-common” courtesy.
Each and every one of your clients should be treated as if they are your only client.  It’s okay to let them know that you maintain your schedule with other clients, just make them feel as if they are your only one.  Treat them with respect, give them the best customer service imaginable and make sure to note special dates in their lives with a hand-written note.  You want to go above and beyond just common courtesy to make them feel like queens and kings.   

Secret #3:  Complete all work on time and to the absolute best of your ability.
Set reachable deadlines with your clients for projects.  Always give the best work you can for each task in order to deliver to them the best finished product.  Try to give yourself a little extra time on each contract in order to deliver it to them before the deadline.

Secret #4:  Establish yourself as a professional. 
This is not to say that you need to dress as a “professional” every day.  It’s only to say that you should conduct yourself as a professional.  Set up your working/office hours, conduct all correspondence (email or “snail-mail”) as a professional, and speak in an appropriate telephone voice when you’re on with your clients. 

Secret #5:  Add everything you can to your arsenal.
Read everything you can about your industry, marketing ideas, business expansion areas and anything else you can think of.  Excuse the cliché, but knowledge is power.  Having trouble with marketing?  Get new ideas from marketing websites.  Have trouble retaining clients?  Learn how to improve your customer service skills.  New technology coming out?  Learn all about it.  Take advantage of free courses, continuing education courses and your local community college.  Don’t date yourself by limiting your knowledge base.

These five secrets are the most important when it comes to building and maintaining a successful Virtual Assistant career.  There are other things that may contribute to your success, such as hiring a mommy’s helper or maid, keeping on top of your filing and using subcontractors, but these five that I’ve shared here, when used together, will help you become a success quickly and without fail.

Recommended Resource

The Five Key Steps to Your Successful Virtual Assistant Business  - This book covers everything from what are virtual assistants to services you can offer as a VA. It also goes into detail about starting, operating, and growing a profitable and successful virtual assistant business, pricing your services and more.