Avoid "Going Virtual" by Staying Valuable

On a recent four-hour drive from Savannah to Atlanta, I was able to catch up on a bunch of CDs from the National Speakers Association that come with my monthly magazine. Speaker after speaker extolled the virtues of their virtual assistants and how easy it was to run a multi-million dollar business with no staff in the home office. All the tasks of communications, web management, product sales, shipping, booking dates and keeping the speaker’s calendar were handled by a range of individuals scattered around the country, tethered to the home office through cyberspace.

Virtual assistants, or those providing a wide range of administrative, clerical and technical services through the web and electronic communications, are becoming more prevalent. It is one thing to lose your job by being replaced with another live person, but how can you prevent being replaced by a faceless virtual assistant?

Even in this economy, you can still find a few Administrative Assistant jobs listed in the paper. Technology, which was supposed to make our lives easier, has created a greater demand for administrative assistance. The tasks and skills have changed somewhat, but far from being obsolete, the need for this type of service is alive and well. That’s the good news. The bad news is the steady growth of virtual assistants who are able to provide the same services cheaper, faster and with a greater variety of skill sets. Here are some tips on how to remain valuable so your replacement isn’t virtual.

1. Diversify your skills. Answering the phone, writing emails and filing are important, but virtual assistants are doing those tasks and managing websites, writing SEO content for blogs, and managing the company’s Facebook page and other social networking sites. Invest in some on-line training or research these topics on the Web for some self-learning. The Web has a wealth of free information and training to help you acquire new skills that will increase your value.
2. Sharpen your skills. Whatever you do now, resolve to do it even better. Your boss may have been willing to put up with your poor grammar or quirky work habits, but with the lure of more productivity, less maintenance and lower costs, her loyalty can shift to a VA that promises low maintenance and perfect grammar at a lower cost.
3. Become a team player. Look for ways to be proactive in supporting the company’s mission. Do you know what it is? How does it apply to you, and what can you do to make sure you are helping your boss or department meet its goals?
4. Help cut costs. Are you a diva who insists on the most expensive pens, office supplies? Do you take a lot of breaks? Do you take calls on your personal cell phone and shop online on your breaks? Time is money, and by using yours more productively on company business, you can help make the company more profitable.
5. Cultivate a “cheering section.” What do your customers think of you? Are you the cold, impatient voice on the phone, or the warm, friendly person who is there to solve their problems? What is your relationship to the rest of the staff? Your co-workers and peers? Are you a cheerleader yourself? Become a positive “force for good” and what you contribute to the positive goodwill and morale of the office will be one thing that a virtual assistant can’t possibly replace.


Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a workplace consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for Administrativejobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing Alto II with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and creating original gift items available on http://www.etsy.spoolhardy.com/. You can read more of her blogs at administrativejobsblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.