Ignore the "What Ifs?"

When you’re just starting out as a Virtual Assistant, one of the scariest things are the ever-powerful “what ifs.”

You know … What if the client asks me this? What if the client asks me that? What if I don’t know? What do I say?

Virtual Assistants are problem solvers; getting caught without all the answers is not a situation we want to be in. But I’m here to tell you that it happens to all of us, even after years of experience. The key is to know what to do when these situations occur.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Google is your friend. When I need an answer that I don’t have, I turn to a quick Google search. When I was just starting out, I did these searches quickly and quietly when speaking with a client, not letting on about what I was doing. But what I’ve come to learn is that the client doesn’t care if I don’t know everything they’re asking – they just want me to figure it out. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve asked a client to hold on a sec while I Google it and get an immediate answer. They’re thrilled.
2. They might train you. Some of my clients already have processes in place for the work that they want me to do (if you’re not sure, ask them). In these cases, they will train you or have someone explain it to you. If they don’t, and want you to create one, you can do that on your own and figure it out.
3. It’s ok to say “I don’t know, let me get back to you.” Many times, clients offer this possibility: “You can get back to me, I just wanted to let you know what I need.”

Clients are people too – they understand that you can’t possibly know everything. Just be honest and work with your clients to come up with solutions. That may mean doing some research, learning a new skill, or suggesting another resource.

So how about this for a What If? … What if things go really great?!

If you’re not already a member of our Facebook Group, The Virtual Assistant Connection, and would like to join, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevaconnection/