If you’ve decided to outsource some of your business admin to a VA, first off let us just say – well done! You’ve joined an elite club of business owners who know what they’re great at, and what they’re shit at – and then outsource the latter. And if you don’t believe us when we say it’s a good idea – bear in mind that a good VA can help you save around 78% in operational costs for your business!
But now that you’ve made that very smart decision, it’s time to find a VA that will work for you. And if you’ve never hired one before, how do you know what sort of thing to look for? What kinds of skills does your VA need to have, and what just doesn’t matter? Well, aside from getting on well with you, we think there are 3 key qualities you need to look for in your VA.
Reliability
You’re trusting this person with some of your business tasks because you don’t have the time to do them yourself. But that means you need to be able to rely on your VA to do them, and not get distracted or put them to the bottom of their own pile! A good VA will have a proven track record of delivering projects on time and to spec.
Given that most VAs work from home, their productivity levels are usually pretty high. But there are some VAs out there who will take a retainer fee, only to disappear completely. The best way to check the reliability of your VA is to look at their reviews, talk to some of their clients (if that’s possible), and how they respond to you when asking questions.
Good Communication Skills
In every element of business, communication is key. But what makes customer service and experience exceptional is the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. This is more than their ability to read, understand and write clearly – it’s more to do with the ‘soft skills’ around communication. A good VA should be able to speak to you and your clients politely, effectively and persuasively.
Of course, communication is a two way street. So as well as being able to communicate well, a VA needs to have the ability to listen. 44% of customers prefer to speak to a person rather than a chatbot when they have a problem – and that’s because people can listen, empathise, understand complex situations and think creatively to find a solution. Good listening skills are the mark of a great VA, and you can get a great idea of what your prospective VAs are like by seeing how well they listen to you! If they say quiet and then try to push their own ideas on you, then you know they’re probably a bit shit.
Value Add
Above all, a good virtual assistant adds value to your business. They don’t just do the bare minimum they can get away with and then leave it at that. A truly kick-ass VA will be proactive, giving you suggestions on how to improve processes, look at avenues you might not have explored yet, or just question you when they see you doing something a bit stupid. You might also find it beneficial to hire a VA with a wide range of skills, so they can not only do the tasks you’ve asked, but advise on other areas of the business as and when you need them. For example – social media is a really valuable skill, that isn’t taught in schools, but is something a lot of business owners need to do. A VA can give you tips and advice, or just take over for you – yet another thing you don’t have to think about!
At Your Admin Hub, we believe we have all of these qualities and more – if we do say so ourselves! We are a team of no-nonsense VAs, and we see it as your job to take on the tasks you don’t want to do and make your life easier – and challenge you to make your business better at the same time. If you want to test us out, or find out more about what we do – then just get in touch with us today and book your free consultation.