Virtual Moxie - The Cure For The Common Virtual Assistance Practice

What Virtual Assistants do

Recently, Danielle pointed me to a blog post about how to work with VAs, and then to the comments about it. Because I could see that the conversation could turn a bit snarky, I chose not to be engaged. But the topic has roamed around inside me ever since, and I decided to post for you the moxie-full thing I might have posted there, had I posted.

In essence, at issue is what someone calling herself a Virtual Assistant does.. or what the work of a VA is. Some of the people in our industry buy into the idea that a person doing any sort of work that's assistive in nature and performed virtually can call herself a VA. I'm not entirely sure why they believe that..or more, want to believe that. Maybe it's because it makes the industry sound bigger and more substantial when you include all virtual professionals under our banner.

As you know, I believe that Virtual Assistance is about providing virtual administrative and (sometimes) personal support to clients (the definition goes further, but for this post, that's the only part that's important). That can include a vast variety of things, but cannot, by its nature, be limited to specialties. So, then, a person providing only virtual bookkeeping services is a virtual bookkeeper, not a VA. And a person providing only internet marketing services is an internet marketer, not a VA. It's crazy, IMO, for us to consider people who specialize as anything other than that which their specialty defines them as being. And I think it's crazy for us to do that for two reasons:

1. Those people, marketing themselves as VAs rather than whatever it is that they really are, make marketing far more difficult for themselves than it ever should be, and they confuse the public.

Imagine a virtual bookkeeper at a networking event. She meets John, an Internet marketer, and someone who could really use her bookkeeping services. John asks, "What do you do?" She replies, "I'm a Virtual Assistant. I provide bookkeeping services to my clients." John cocks his head to the side quizzically and thinks to himself, "Huh...a Virtual Assistant? I thought someone providing bookkeeping services was a bookkeeper!" He asks, "A VA? Aren't you actually a bookkeeper?" What possible answer could she have that would make her sound smart, and possessing the know-how to present herself and her business appropriately in a way a client could understand?

From my view, it's far better for her to represent herself appropriately as a virtual bookkeeper, so that her conversation with John and the information she shares with him doesn't confuse him, and makes things much easier for her. There's no moxie in grabbing onto the coat tails of a "hip" career if that's not really what you do. Also, for an industry that's picked up on and accepted as the norm my original theory that "fit" is important, and who a VA is is important, the inauthenticity of the misrepresentation can't possibly be helpful. I can stand in the corner and call myself a coat-rack all day long, if I want--but calling myself that doesn't make it so, you know?

2. It means that there really is no actual Virtual Assistant. If everyone, doing anything, is a VA, then nurses who assist people from call centers, or insurance agents who work virtually can be Virtual Assistants because they "assist" others. And if that is true, then "Virtual Assistant" means nothing. If it means nothing, then our industry cannot survive, and won't survive, because the public, ever confused by the growing mish-mash of types of professionals calling themselves VAs, will end up defining us themselves. Why would we want that? I can bet we won't like it.

It reminds me of the lie that the Administrative profession (corporate) tells its members every day--that being a great assistant isn't enough. And that if they just run faster on that gerbil wheel of work, and learn to do more, and have no personal standards that they are allowed to hold onto, and make no waves, and suck it up when they're treated unfairly, and expect no more money for taking on far more responsibility and doing the work of several people at the same time, ONE DAY, they will genuinely be respected by management.

While there are some EAs who are respected, for certain, as a profession, admins are still treated as being about as integral and important, and respect-worthy as the company copy machine. They are defined by others, rather than defining themselves as a group. And it's a lie. A very sad lie that the admins seem to believe. I say that because they learn more, run faster, expect less, tolerate more than nearly any group I've ever seen, etc. Helping expat EAs have work that finally (and perhaps for the first time, ever) positively contributes to their having high-quality lives is part of my core mission. I won't lie to them--their fabulous administrative skills are enough and there's a place--a terrific one, in fact--for them out here in the world of the self-employed

If we allow people to tell us that there's something wrong with Virtual Assistance being about providing administrative/personal support to clients, we're allowing them to define us with lies, too. I'm all for preventing that. I know Danielle is, too.

Bit O’Moxie: All VAs are virtual professionals. Not all virtual professionals are VAs. There's a difference, and we need to recognize it, embrace it, and create a place in the business world for ourselves...not for ourselves and everyone else. Please, if you value our industry and want to see it thrive, embrace a definition of Virtual Assistance that does not accept as colleagues those who specialize, rather than offering a broad base of administrative services to clients.

I was told, a couple of weeks ago, that I hold on to my core beliefs with great tenaciousness. Maybe that's true, but if they're core beliefs, and I am firmly convinced of the rightness of them, why would I want to let them go? This belief I have about what Virtual Assistance is and what Virtual Assistants do isn't going to be taken from me. I know the rightness of it and am delighted to stand up for it. I hope you'll join me and Danielle in spreading that message.

Watch how you say what you say

Here's one (actually several) BIG Bits O’Moxie for the industry--raising standards around how you think about clients and your practice.

What spurred me on to write this was an e-book I just read where the author advised potential clients how to fill out a great RFP for VA services.

Some thoughts to share with you came from reading it, and from other small, but important things I've been thinking about. All of them have to do with how VAs, and VA organizations use language to express WIITWD. Language matters. It really does. And we, as industry professionals, have to be very careful about how we use it to describe our work and our practices, because what we say, and the concepts we convey ripple outward, and impact what prospective clients think and believe about us. Many of our VA colleagues are sloppy with language, and clients are absolutely getting the wrong ideas. Today I want to urge you to think about things differently, and to start to raise your own standards with language, thereby impacting how our profession is perceived, before clients tell US who we are and what we do.

Here they are:

1. Asking a client to submit a RFP: First, let's all get clear on what an RFP is, and how it's thought of out in the world. A proposal conveys the idea that there's competition--a "bidding war" of sorts, afoot--as the vendor (you) competes for the business. It puts you in an unequal position from the start, and that's certainly not where you deserve to be.

Wikipedia gives a good definition: "A Request for Proposal (referred to as RFP) is an invitation for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service." Ok. So, having that as a basis, the notion that a VA offers a prospective client a "proposal" for work is 1) antithetical to the foundation for the type of solid relationship we talk about wanting with clients, and 2) problematic as it connotes that you see what you do as a commodity. I absolutely suggest you stop framing how you reach out to clients in that light, and urge other colleagues to do it as well. You are a professional in your own right, what you do has value beyond the commodity level (one size does not fit all, and price should never be the factor in a client's decision when choosing a VA), and you are deserving of equality and equity in any relationship you create. An alternative ways of framing what clients do on sites like VANA and IAAP could be, "Client Referral Request."

2. The notion that a client "hires" a VA: "Hire" connoted employment. You know you're not an employee of any client, so stop using that word when you talk about what it is that clients do. Clients "work with" VAs. Yeah... it's four extra characters to type. But trust me, it's a distinction you want to make.

3. The notion that a VA "signs" or "lands" a client: Whenever I hear a VA say that she "landed" a client, I always immediately imagine someone beaching a whale, or catching a fish. And "signing" makes it sound like the most important part of the agreement to work together came when the client signed his name on whatever work agreement you may use. We all know that the most important thing is fit, so "signing" and "landing" sound, to me, disrespectful of the relationship you and the client are beginning. I also don't think it's good juju (energy) to be putting on a budding relationship. Alternative ways to say that could be: "I am working with a new client!" Or, "A new client and I have started a relationship!"

Can you see the distinctions? For some, all of this may seem like a semantical debate. I promise it's not, and that these are real, live distinctions with broad sweeping implications for our profession, and your practice. Think about what you say and how you say it. Move away from anything that doesn't absolutely convey the best for yourself and our profession. Every single one of us needs to be an ambassador for the highest and best this profession can be, and what we say and write about what we do is fundamental in building something stronger and long lasting.

If you come across something you don't like, but don't know how to say it differently, ask me. I'm terrific with creating great language to use in almost any situation, and I'll be happy to help. Just drop me an email at stacy at virtual moxie dot com.

Introducing Snap Shots from Snap.com

I just installed a nice little tool on this site called Snap Shots (see the little talk bubbles next to links--those are Snap Shots links. Mouse over 'em to see what they do) that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, stock charts and more.

Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not.

Should you decide this isn't for you, you can disable it for my blog. Just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt out!

Depending, not dependent

In last week’s post, I talked about having created a “strong standard around not allowing clients to abdicate responsibility for their own businesses by becoming dependent on me.”

Jasmine wrote to say, “Why not dependent? Don’t we want clients to depend on us—to know they can count on us to be there for them?”

Depend—yes. Dependent—no.

Bit O’Moxie: It’s healthy for clients to depend on you. It’s not healthy—for them, you, or either of your businesses—if they are dependent on you.

Depending is counting on, relying on, trusting another to do, be, say whatever was promised, but it never removes the depending party’s ability to handle things himself.

Dependent on is dysfunctional because there’s an inherent abdication of responsibility and capability that goes along with it.

Trust me when I say, you do not want clients dependent on you for a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g!

Your clients should be able to get along without you at the drop of a hat, should they need to. Make sure they can, by keeping them in the loop about all that you do. To that end, you’ll find it especially helpful to create a policies and procedures manual for the work you do for them, sending them updated copies whenever you add/change something in your master version.

And just always remember—depending, not dependent! Let it be a mantra for your success!