The Most Important Skills to Master as a Virtual Assistant in 2020
By Space Coast Daily // September 8, 2019
virtual assistants are in demand
The market for virtual assistants is increasing. That isn’t a surprise when you consider how the workplace is changing; the ‘traditional’ 9 to 5 jobs are still there but people are branching out, looking for flexible work hours that can be completed from the comfort of their home while balancing their family.
According to recent data, the average salary for virtual assistants is $4,000. This is set to increase with the growing demand for more skilled VAs as businesses all over the world move online.
This is already seen in the explosive number of VA positions listed on websites like Upwork, Guru, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour.
Our point is this: virtual assistants are in demand, and you can make a good wage working as one.
If you want to make the most of it, and earn as much as you can though, you need to make sure that you garner the skills that clients are looking for in a top virtual assistant. Keep reading to find out what you should focus on in 2020 and beyond as a VA. Alternatively, you can get tips from men’s group.
Brush Up On Your Communication Skills
Communication skills are crucial for any assistant, especially one that works online.
You’re probably sitting at your computer, thinking, “I can communicate, I can totally be a VA.” We completely agree but remember communicating isn’t all about talking, it also involves listening, understanding and explaining.
Having subpar communication skills can mean the difference between landing and keeping a client, or always going from one client to the next. See this post for 14 ways to improve your communication skills.
Learn the Most in Demand Skills
Working as an assistant, especially a virtual one, in a digital age means that you need to keep up with the latest in-demand skills.
In the year 2020, project management, Facebook and google advertising, and social media are the 3 pillars you should focus on. Also, the ability to quickly troubleshoot, use shortcuts to get work done faster and learning how to use a range of software are all vital in staying competitive.
The more specialized your skills are as a VA in 2020, the better off you’ll be.
There are a number of good virtual assistant training courses out there (check this list) to help bulk up your skills in social media, project and ads management. Never stop investing in yourself, as it is the key to survival as a VA in 2020.
Organization is a Thing!
Time management and organization are necessary skills for a virtual assistant to cultivate. Your client will want you to be on the ball at all times; ready to work, able to adjust and ready to plan ahead. You’ll need to strategize for problems and opportunities that will emerge in the future.
As a VA you will need to complete a number of tasks, including email management, data entry and project management. When you are working try ‘batching’ rather than multitasking, it’s a lot more efficient but it’ll require a tad bit more organization.
Basically, instead of trying to do a number of different tasks at the same time, you’ll do as much of the same task as you can in one instance.
So for example rather than opening the email every hour while you sort your accounts out and write a business proposal up, you’ll sit down twice a day and reply to all the emails that you receive. So focus on working on a ‘batch’ of emails before switching to another ‘batch’.
Think, Listen and Learn
Thinking skills shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially if you are working as a VA. Part of the job is being resourceful; taking the client’s instructions, applying them and finding ways to add value.
You need to be able to research. In this case Google is your best friend, clients won’t expect you to know everything but they will want you to find out.
Working Smart, not Hard
To make it as a successful VA in 2020, you will need to work smarter, not just for your client but also for yourself. You need to understand the business side of your work.
• What clients are paying the most?
• Are any of your clients which are due for a rate increase?
• Which ones are reliable?
• Are there any specific niches that generate the most revenue? How can you increase your specialization?
• What can I outsource without compromising on quality to my clients?
Understanding the answers to these questions is key to running a successful VA business.
In the end, garnering the skills that you need as a VA isn’t hard. It’ll just take a bit of time and effort but in the end, it’ll be well worth it!
CLICK HERE FOR BREVARD COUNTY NEWS
