12 Most Important Virtual Assistant Skills You Should Have

Over the last few years, virtual assistants resources have become more accessible and affordable. They have made improving your virtual assistant skills so much easier.

For a business owner, they are likely quite busy and want to hire a virtual assistant to take over some of their workloads.

As a virtual assistant, you need to understand the roles and responsibilities that come with the job. You also need to know what skills are required for the role. Identifying these skills will greatly increase your chances of success.

What Do Virtual Assistants Do?

In short, virtual assistants are those  who provide professional support to clients virtually.

They provide a range of services, including administrative support, research, marketing, email management, social media management and more.

12 Most Valuable Virtual Assistant Skills

What are the skills a virtual assistant should have?

It’s a common question being asked these days. Answering this question isn’t as simple as you might think — it’s not something that should be answered off-the-cuff because it really depends on your virtual assistant business model.

Yet, To help you out, we’re going to provide you with a comprehensive overview of some of the skills and responsibilities that you must have as a virtual assistant.

1. Computer Skills

The first skill that all virtual assistants should have is computer literacy.

Virtual assistants need to spend a significant amount of time working on a computer, so you need to know how to use it effectively. You should be able to use word processing software like Microsoft Word, and Excel as well as Spreadsheets and Databases.

You also need some basic knowledge of graphic design software such as Photoshop and Dreamweaver so that you can create graphics for your website or marketing materials and clients.

2. Oral Communication And Writing Skills

Virtual assistants need good verbal communication skills.

You need to be able to communicate with your clients using online communication tools like Skype and do virtual meeting tools using a tool like Zoom.

You need to have strong interpersonal skill so that you can build relationships with clients quickly and easily.

The ability to write clearly, concisely and persuasively is also essential for your virtual assistant business. Ad a virtual assistants, you must be able to communicate effectively with clients in writing.

This means that you should be able to present information clearly and concisely in business documents such as proposals, marketing materials, emails, etc.

3. Industry Knowledge And Competitor Analysis

A good starting point for any professional is having knowledge of their industry.

Virtual assistants should have a broad knowledge of the sectors they’re working in – for example, real estate agents should understand the intricacies of property sales, while writers should have an understanding of what makes a good e-book or blog post looks like.

A virtual assistant should be aware of the following things in his industry;

• Trends in the industry
• keep tabs on your competitors
• The strengths and weaknesses of competitors
• Competitive advantages of certain products or services

4. Accountability

Virtual assistants are seen as independent contractors, rather than employees.

This means that you are not subject to the same rules and regulations as other employees.

However, a virtual assistant must be able to take full responsibility for his or her actions. If something goes wrong, it is up to you to fix it. This makes it easier for clients to delegate tasks at any point in time without having to worry about them getting done correctly.

If you’re working as a virtual assistant who is not accountable, it can lead to poor business practice.

5. Data Presentation

As virtual assistant, you need to help with data presentation periodically. This includes formatting, editing and reformatting documents and presentations.

This will give the client a professional look at during presentations, which in turn will be appreciated by the client.

6. Email Management

The ability to manage email correspondence is an essential skill for any virtual assistant.

A good virtual assistant will be able to reply quickly, efficiently, and accurately to all emails. You should also be able to sort through the email clutter, filtering out unnecessary emails so your clients don’t have to.

A great virtual assistant will also be responsible for setting up a system that works for you, so that you can easily find important messages when they come in (and not miss them).

7. Social Media Management

Social media has become an integral part of many businesses today; however many small businesses don’t have time to manage their social media accounts themselves because it takes up too much time and effort.

A virtual assistant can help with social media management by creating content for their clients’ accounts (such as blog posts) and posting this content across social media platforms on a regular basis.

Create your virtual assistant portfolio to showcase your designs and other social media assets.

8. Research Skills

A good virtual assistant will have great research skills.

You should be able to find information on the internet about any topic that a client needs help with and provide it in an easy-to-understand format. This could mean that clients scan through articles or websites looking for information on specific topics or even type up the results you if necessary.

Research skills are an important part of being a virtual assistant. It can save you time and effort when dealing with problems and tasks at work.

9. Project Management

Virtual assistants often handle projects for clients, so they need project management skills. A virtual assistant should be able to outline a project from beginning to end and break it down into manageable steps.

They should also be able to keep track of deadlines, budgets and any other restrictions that might come into play during the course of a project.

This skill allows virtual assistants to provide more value because they can ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible with each task they’re given.

10. Time Management

Time management is essential for any virtual assistant.

Virtual assistants must be able to manage their workloads effectively and efficiently so that they don’t overbook themselves or underperform on any of their tasks.

Time management is an important skill because it helps to stay organized and enables them to meet deadlines without sacrificing the quality of their work.

11. Problem-Solving Abilities

Virtual assistants must have problem solving abilities in order to efficiently complete their assignments and tasks on time without having any issues or problems arise during the process.

A good VA will be able to think quickly on their feet in order to come up with solutions if anything goes wrong during a project or if there’s a snag in the works somewhere along the way.

12. Quick Thinking And Effective Decision Making

Virtual assistants may not be the ones making the final decisions on a project, but they do often have to make quick decisions on how to solve problems or what steps to take next.

So they need to be able to keep their head cool under pressure and make smart choices at every step of the way.

This is especially true when it comes to dealing with clients or bosses who aren’t always easy people to deal with!

Conclusion

The skills a virtual assistant need may vary from one industry to another.

This list only provides the most basic skills needed to become a virtual assistant. Therefore, it would be helpful for you to continue learning more skills.