Recently while searching the web and trying to find "social marketing" type of activities, I came across and Q&A board and another Virtual Assistant posted the question - for those of you that have used Virtual Assistants, what worked and what didn't?
She got an honest answer about the fact that you have to be extremely careful when selecting a Virtual Assistant to help you perform tasks related to your business. He said that the couple of VAs that he went through he realized that there is not one person that can do it all. Also, he said that you none of them had the same passion to make him successful as he did.
Well, the second one makes perfect sense... no one will ever market you better than you. No one will ever be more of a proponent for you what you are doing, other than YOU! (Well, and maybe your dog, if you have one as a side kick :P)
The first one though, I had to think about it. As a Virtual Assistant who feels that am I a one-stop shop for anything administrative, I also realize what my boundaries are. For instance, I am great when it comes to data entry, marketing assistance, making marketing collateral material, etc. I'm not that great when it comes to telephone calls. The main reason is not lack of effort, but the fact that I sound 10!! In that case, when I do have a client that wants to have us make telephone calls, I do not have to turn the client away, but instead I go to my network and make sure that we get the job done, even if it means outsourcing. All of my clients know that this is the case when I do have to outsource and none have ever questioned it. Because I am not doing the work myself, does that automatically make me not a one-stop shop?
In addition to these thoughts, you do need to consider several things when deciding to work with a Virtual Assistant. A couple are: Time Zones; the strengths and weaknesses of the particular VA; what is their definition of success and how are they going to help you with your success; do you like them; do they know what they are talking about and do they live up to the professional standards that you set for yourself and work within the same professional principals that you do.
Again, these are just a few, I am sure that the list goes on... but, I would find feedback incredibly interesting on what has worked for you, what you look for and why/why not you are using one now! :D Looking forward to it.
Until fingers meet keys again...
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