Just lately, I’ve read a couple of posts that cast a very misleading light on exactly what a Virtual Assistant is and what a Virtual Assistant does. So just in case anyone else is a little confused, here are some of the things a Virtual Assistant is NOT.
A Virtual Assistant is NOT a robotic or electronic automated system. Trust me, we’re real live people. Once you’ve found the right Virtual Assistant for you, we can help with almost any administration task you need.
A Virtual Assistant is NOT a third world call centre. Yes, there are some Virtual Assistant call centres, and yes there are companies that provide a stable of Virtual Assistants at a discount rate. You may find these companies suit your needs for some tasks or you may not like the idea of outsourcing overseas. Partnering with a Virtual Assistant allows you to leave some tasks to a trusted assistant who knows how YOU like to work and wants to help you succeed.
You may want to use more than one Virtual Assistant to get all the jobs done that you need – but that’s OK. It’s like having a supercharged personal assistant who’s good at everything, but because you only pay the Virtual Assistant for the work you need done – you’re not paying a heap of regular wages for people with different expertise. You might decide to have one Virtual Assistant for personal and general administration tasks and another for your social media. You might decide to use one Virtual Assistant for document formatting and another for customer contact jobs. You might find one Virtual Assistant that has all the expertise you need.
The thing is though, that working with real live people means they can use their discretion and natural intelligence to help with any problems you may have. You want a flight booked – we can do that, and we know your preferred airline, your frequent flyer number and other travel preferences.
If you need an appointment made, we can make sure that all other attendees are aware, sort out any scheduling conflicts and leave your colleagues and clients knowing you are a considerate and professional person to deal with.
Partnering with a Virtual Assistant will add the personal and professional touch to all your dealings. They aren’t automated, clinical, unthinking or overly literal. A Virtual Assistant wants to help you succeed – because that’s how we succeed.
