You don’t need to meet me…

I often get people contacting me by phone wanting to meet me before deciding to become a Virtual Assistant.  When I question why they feel this is necessary, many are just looking for confirmation and an assurety that I’m real and that the industry is too. Some see it as an ‘interview’ before submitting their application and resume to join our team, others are just looking for me to make them feel comfortable about their decision.

Generally I can allay their fears over the phone or by email.

Recently I got an email from a potential new VA member who wanted to network with a local VA first before she made any decisions.  I felt she would be limiting herself and here is my email explaining why:

You will benefit most from networking online with other VAs.  Unless the local VA you mention is very active and successful in their business, their knowledge and experience will limit what you can learn from them.  So mixing and mingling with many VAs from all parts of the world or even your own country, will provide the best opportunities for learning.  Many of us never even meet any others face to face, although there are groups that meet in the cities of some of the (Australian) states regularly, i.e. Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. And I know in the US some meet in different cities, but not often. Usually only a couple of times a year if they can manage it.

It’s hard, I know, when coming from the corporate world to change to this style of working online, never meeting anyone face-to-face and having to go by what you learn online. This is why the VA communities are important.  Mixing and mingling with those who have been in the industry for many years right through to those just starting out like you are.  Not all get the opportunity to meet an industry leader and even when it does happen, our time is limited. We also need to be working to earn a living and can’t keep giving up our time constantly to meet others and have a coffee with them or whatever to talk about the industry.

It is good to get used to this way of connecting online. After all, it is the hope of many VAs to meet clients in this same way – working virtually without meeting face-to-face. So if you need that contact to work in the industry you’re going to find it hard to work virtually with a client.

Why not join our forum and get to know us there?