Are You Doing Your Part to HELP Promote the Virtual Assistant Industry?
Lately, there’s been plenty of discussions around the net that revolves around the definition of a Virtual Assistant.
Just pop by the Virtual Assistant Group at LinkedIn and you’ll see a thread with over 170 comments titled “Ditching the Virtual Title.”
Or drop by our free Virtual Assistant Networking Forum and you’ll see a post about defining the Virtual Assistant industry.
Defining the Virtual Assistant industry is definitely a hot topic nowadays! And, being able to define it easily without stumbling ensures credibility within our industry when speaking to a prospective client, business colleague, friend, or family member.
EDUCATION is the ANSWER to growing the Virtual Assistant industry and bringing awareness to us.
Are you doing your part?
Here are 4 easy ways to promote the Virtual Assistant industry:
1. Be consistent with your definition of a Virtual Assistant so everyone is on the same page
I recommend using VAnetworking’s definition at your next networking meeting. It’s easy to remember and slides easily off your tongue even when you’re nervous introducing yourself.
A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a a highly-skilled, independent professional who provides remote business support services.
Feel free to add our Virtual Assistant definition to your website too.
2. Make comments weekly at our client awareness blog
We have a high traffic blog dedicated to educating the public business sector on how to partner successfully with a Virtual Assistant. I market it specifically to business entrepreneurs worldwide. Educate the public about VAs plus be seen here by clients and potential leads by taking a moment and commenting from time to time on the fabulous posts. Our current Virtual Assistant writers at our blog are doing quite well boasting many clients each.
Do you want to know what the reason is for them getting so many new clients?? They are EDUCATING their market on how to utilize Virtual Assistant services through their posts!
Do your part and help us educate the public sector (PLUS get you more clients) by commenting weekly (mark it in your calendar now) about Virtual Assistants and who we are!
3. Take part in the Virtual Assistant Survey
We need 1000 participants in this survey to gain recognition online amongst the business sector. We aren’t even halfway yet! PLEASE take the Virtual Assistant Survey today. To make it worth your while, I’ve even added a bunch of gifts you can download at the end to say thanks for your time.
What are you waiting for? Do your part for the VA industry and take the Virtual Assistant Survey today.
4. Share this blog post with your social networks by Twittering about it, posting at your LinkedIn business group, adding to your Facebook Business page or however you normally share. Thanks!
If you are really interested in educating the business public sector about virtual assistance, then I challenge you to do your part by completing the 4 things above by Friday. It only takes one to make a difference and VAnetworking.com is the largest social network online today for Virtual Assistants with over 13,500 members. Imagine the difference we can make! 
It only takes one to make a difference. It takes a little to change . Let’s start today for a new tomorrow! Hawk Nelson (Watch Video on YouTube)
To your virtual success,
Tawnya Sutherland
PS: AND I challenge all of you to be proud of who we are (Virtual Assistants) and stand behind the makers and shakers of this industry who spent years bringing our industry to the limelight. You all know who you are and thank you!
PSS: I look forward to hearing your comments below on how you have done your part in bringing awareness to the Virtual Assistant industry.
It has been a challenge to me. Technically and grammatically, the term Virtual Assistant is accurate. I like to say Virtual Professional; same with Real Estate Professional, etc. yet there only four TRUE professions that should use that term. Doctor, Lawyer, Preacher and Teacher.
I don’t fit the administrative assistant, secretarial view that it seems represents virtual assistance. And, maybe that is a personal problem because when I began working virtually in 2003, my ‘back office’ skills were the only ones that were being sought. My skill set and interests have changed and I’m not sure of my own identity — have I evolved or simply expanded under the same umbrella.
It is really interesting to see how others perceive the situation.
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Tawnya Reply:
September 21st, 2010 at 2:55 pm
I think we will all evolve as time goes on and our experience/knowledge in our niches grow. Amazingly, most of the VAs I coach are ones that I’ve helped moved forward from Virtual Assistant to Social Media Expert, Internet Marketing Specialist, Copywriter, etc.
Virtual Assistants are administrative aids to business entrepreneurs. For some of us, that’s all we need to ever be. For others, it’s just a stepping stone to other career horizons online
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I have been a VA for 5 yrs now and love coaching new VA’s in the field. I have gone from doing the work as a VA to hiring it out and coaching new VA’s. My new role now is Social Media Expert & VA Mentor. I love the titles and love helping my clients understand the importance of social media. Social Media comes easily to me and I enjoy doing it.
So we all evolve with time from what we have to do to get by to what we really enjoy doing.
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Virtual Assistant is the term I use no matter who I am talking to, as I have seen posts and even commented on the “ditching the virtual title” I still refer to myself as a virtual assistant. Although in my niche in trucking it can be difficult to get some of them to take you serious, so now I use “I am a virtual assistant who provides professional services as your project compliance specialist.” These 2 terms together gets them to understand how they can utilize me virtually, and that I am knowledgeable in compliance issues in the transportation industry.
Now as I have progressed in my business, I have found that as a virtual assistant it can open many doors. If we limit ourselves to just one title and you have profound background in a variety of things, that one title will make others pass you by. As you grow your business as Tawnya has said many times moving forward from not just a virtual assistant but to an expert in fields of Social Media, Internet Marketing and so on, using the term “Virtual Assistant, the expert in Social Media.” I think just determining how you word your saying as you begin your virtual business is a learning curve that most of us have met, and a stepping stone we are still crossing as we promote the virtual industry.
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Personally, I don’t subscribe to the theory that Virtual Assistant is only adminstrative or secretarial in nature. When I talk to others about Virtual Assistants I let them know that there are many different types of VAs and then I let them know what my niche is. I also explain that there are other VAs who work with social media, software, marketing, and other venues that I do not offer with my business. Some of the people I talk with do not realize that there are people out there with the skills necessary to help their business. I let them know that if I do not know of someone that can help their business that I have another network of VAs with skills that can help their business. Even as VAs we need to remember that there are many different types out there.
I was talking with someone recently, I don’t recall where, and explaining about the different types of VAs out there. I made a comment that “there’s a VA for that”. I was then told to put that in my next elevator speech, along the lines of a V8 commercial. A business owner is talking about how they only needed someone for (social media, marketing, project, mailing, etc.) for a few hours and someone walks up to them, whacks them on the head and says “There’s a VA for that.” Now just to find the wording to get it down to under 30-45 seconds.
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I’ve been in the industry since its birth and have seen many changes and developments over the years. One thing I know is that the title ‘Virtual Assistant’ relates to an industry – not just a bunch of individuals. It’s here with us to stay and we make it what it is. For those newbies entering into the industry, it is REALLY important they get accurate information about how to work as a VA and what a VA is. This can be achieved by joining one or more of the many VA networks out there so they are mixing and mingling with their peers. Plus they will never feel alone but part of a community. I am proud of the industry, feel blessed that I made the decisions I did very early on to be a part of this new industry and love what it has allowed me to do for the past almost 17 years – be home with my family, utilizing the skills I have and still growing personally and professionally during that time. I love the look on the faces of ‘corporates’ when they find that a ‘little home based business’ knows more about what’s happening on the web than they do, and what’s more, using much more of the technology than they knew was available.
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These are very strong points, and I don’t see any reason why VAs shouldn’t start following these suggestions — since these should certainly help the industry (in terms of awareness etc.) sooner than later… There is one thing that I can’t seem to get out of my head though(sorry for being a bit off topic here), and I read this from somewhere, it said that VA companies seem to be too plentiful now, and that they are slowly out numbering their customer base.. I dunno, but don’t you find that a bit alarming?
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