Any working individual desires to be the best performer they can achieve. After all, being at the top entails several benefits and advantages. Not only that, but you will receive recognition and admiration for the things you accomplish. You will get more than that coveted pat on the back.
Who knows? That sweet raise – or a potential promotion – will no longer be a fantasy.
However, being a top performer does not occur overnight. It’s like in those kung-fu movies popular back in the eighties. The protagonists train and dedicate themselves to becoming mentally and physically fit to prepare for the upcoming battle.
These training sessions happen through sometimes cheesy and high-budget montages. But that does not mean you have to scale misty mountains and meditate under running waterfalls to achieve better performance for your craft. There are things you can do to be the best virtual assistant any client will have the pleasure to hire.
Luckily, the steps you have to take won’t take a mental and physical toll. We have prepared a list of neat tips and tricks that will help you become the best virtual assistant who can handle any type of work.
Opt For A Healthy Work Environment
Any person engaging in work wants to have a suitable and comfortable working condition and environment.
Can you imagine working in a messy and unruly space? Such a working condition is not worthwhile unless your job involves art and crafts. Artists and crafting specialists enjoy messy workstations where they can go all out and crazy as they perform.
But that is not the case for virtual assistants. Virtual assistants are people who require peace of mind and an organized working environment. It is a must that the workspace they utilize must be organized – everything is in place with little to no clutter around.
Speaking of clutter, a healthy work environment demands cleanliness. You cannot do work efficiently with all the stuff and clutter lying around you.
Workplace organization is also a must for a neat working environment. That means you can access things without getting up from your desk.
The peripherals have organized storage containers. The wirings and cables must have clips, so they do not snake around and below your desk.
Prepare And Update Your Tools And Hardware
Your workplace is not complete without having the necessary tools and hardware to get on with work. A virtual assistant cannot be working without having a decent internet connection and a fully-functioning computer and peripherals.
Speaking of computers and hardware, you have to check them as well. Virtual assistant work mandates heavy operations and multitasking. Make sure your equipment and hardware can handle anything a client throws at you.
Also, check if your computer parts are out-of-date or damaged. It might be high time you look for new parts. If things become too bleak, you might want to replace the entire unit with a new one.
Sure, it will cost a lot of money. But the neat thing is such an investment will yield better rewards once the time comes.
Your internet connection is the next piece of the workstation puzzle. Not because you can connect and browse images means you are ready to take on VA jobs. Make sure the connection is stable. A secure and stable one guarantees efficient work with minimal issues.
Polish Your Skills And Specialization
Being the best virtual assistant does not involve the working area alone. The rest of it requires you, the individual. The next crucial part is to have a particular set of skills and specialization. Of course, your educational attainment is one factor.
However, it is not enough that you have a diploma or certification. You must continuously polish and refine your working skills.
A recent survey shows that several business owners hire virtual assistants regardless of their educational background. As long as they have the necessary skills and training, along with supporting documents and certifications, they are eligible for work.
Business owners are no longer looking for top-tier graduates. They are fine with anyone who can do the work, as long as the potential worker provides work experience, documents, and other related information.
That aspect also involves specialization. You can focus on a specific type of work or practice. That way, clients can see that you are experienced and knowledgeable about a subject or field.
Going back, you must show the appropriate documents telling you actually excel at a type of work. You can disclose training and seminar certificates. The same goes for any online learning courses you might have attended and accomplished in the past.
A client is more likely to hire you once they realize you specialize in a type of work or assignment. That means you are trustworthy, and you can handle any tasks they will shell out with no supervision at all.
Set A Work Schedule
Most virtual assistants do not commit to a work schedule. They will work on assignments once they finish eating and doing other household chores. It might not be that bad of a concept. However, some virtual assistants find it difficult adapting to a work schedule.
They feel like with all of the things happening at home, they might not make it and dedicate their time to a schedule. Losing work time means reduced performance and overall work progress, which is a big no-no for any industry.
However, setting and dedicating your time to a work schedule will go a long way. Not only will you learn discipline. Schedule commitment will also reward you with more time to do other things outside your work.
Moreover, several business owners have no issues with fixed schedules. The only thing that might cause trouble is the difference in time zones. You have to check now and then for any work updates and messages.
Stay Sharp And Updated
Dealing with time zone differences is not a big deal. But that does not mean you have to take the aspect for granted. So you need to keep your eyes peeled and sharp with anything that occurs on the company’s work platform.
A neat tip is to look at the work platform at least once or twice during the day for updates, other messages, and other events. Being updated also means keeping track of any applications and software that might enhance your workflow.
The digital business scene is ever-growing. That means there is a constant demand for more efficient and working tools and applications that make work faster and better than before.
You can discover and learn these new tools as you move along with work. Not only will they make things easier on your end. Your client will thank you for keeping up with the standards.
Keep Things Professional
To be the best means you have to be professional with any work you do. You have to deliver top-tier results to a client. It will also go a long way to make sure your work documents and other output are presentation-ready.
Another way you can do so is by sticking to a work strategy. Sticking to one allows you to focus on any tasks requiring immediate attention. It lets you get back on backlogs and update any ready-to-submit items workload as well.
One good strategy is to begin your work time by checking any work-related emails and messages. You can answer them once you locate any. Then you can move on to see whether your work tools and applications need updates.
That way, you won’t worry later on about updates and maintenance fixes with too much workload on the line. Updating can take time, depending on the application or tool. So it can be a bummer looking at your screen as the update happens. It is quite a waste of time indeed.
Brace For Sudden Assignments
One thing with virtual work is that you can never tell when any new assignments will drop into your inbox. A client will inform you of such tasks. But it is better that you prepare for sudden ones beforehand.
You can read about the topics and see whether your tools and applications can handle the new tasks. You can also request new tools that will deal with the new jobs should the ones you have cannot make it work.
Be Patient
There are times when a client fails to respond. It can take a couple of hours or even days to get back to a message or email. Keep in mind they are running an enterprise. Operating one takes too much time, resources, and responsibility.
In addition, clients have other things to settle, such as housework and other errands. It is only right you be patient should they fail to send a reply or two. Doing so will get back to you. They will understand any delays from your end should you find it hard to get back with a message or two.
After all, like them, you also have other commitments to handle outside of work.
One Last Word
Being the best virtual assistant, you can be done not require you to overwork with all the reading and learning. Sometimes, it can be a breath of fresh air that will prepare you for the work ahead.
Putting too much effort into reading, learning, and improving your strategies and work utilities will stress you out and give you a difficult time. You might end up doing average work once the assignments start pouring in.
So take your time and take a long breath. You can even head out and enjoy yourself with friends and family to break the pre-work blues.
Being mentally and physically ready, along with the tips mentioned earlier, is a sure-fire way to get you on that ladder to becoming the best VA ever!