Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about learning new Virtual Assistant skills – what to learn, when to learn it and when to wait.
Today’s Quote: The expert in anything was once a beginner. – Helen Hayes
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
There are very few Virtual Assistants that I have met that don’t like to learn.
In fact, it can be one of our biggest downfalls as business owners – we get distracted by all the new shiny stuff that comes along that we want to learn.
So I thought in today’s episode I’d talk about learning – and how to do it well. while you are running your VA business.
We know that the VA industry is growing at a rapid pace, and has been for many years.
There are so many tools and apps and programs and platforms out there that helps us work better with our clients.
It’s awesome, but if you don’t keep on top of what’s going on in our online world, you could quickly find yourself behind others.
I don’t probably have to tell you to learn … like I said, so many VAs I know love to learn.
But it is important to be able to learn the right things at the time. That’s what we’ll cover in today’s episode.
What VAs Should Learn
Technology is one of the most evolving things in our day to day basis.
CRMS, ecommerce systems, project management platforms, there are all kinds of tools that we use, or can use, to help our clients get their stuff done.
When everyone in the world had to sign up for Zoom, the virtual meeting took over the world.
Since then, there have been many other platforms that have popped up or made upgrades, and so now where there was mainly one popular option, there are many. Systems like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Cisco Webex and GoToMeeting. Those last two long preceded Zoom on the virtual meeting scene.
Project management systems are also plentiful. In fact, there are so many of them that finding the right one to use could take you longer than it does to start using it.
In the cases where you don’t know which one is right for you, ask your colleagues or clients to start with. If you look at the reviews or comparisons online, you will find that many of these are written by the PM systems themselves or by someone who is using one of them.
The information can be good, but it may be slanted in favour of one or another.
So what do you need to learn?
Contrary to popular opinion, you do not need to learn something that clients ‘want’.
VAs can get fooled into thinking that if they learn this or that, the clients will flock to work with them.
That’s never true.
You should learn things that are in line with the services you offer, or that your existing clients are actually using.
The key with anything you are going to learn is that you can implement it quickly.
Learning the latest Facebook ads strategies or tactics won’t help you if you don’t offer FB ads services to clients.
And by the time you learn something like that, it probably will have changed anywya.
So that brings us to…
When to Learn Something New
Timing is everything. as I mentioned.
It’s not always the right time to learn a new skill.
Deciding when it’s time is a personal choice, of course, but there are also some telltale signs that you should be looking into learning something.
If you are looking to specialize or upgrade your skills so you can raise your rates. It is easier to decide what to learn when you have a plan, and this is a good one.
When industry trends dictate it, you want to be on board. Like I talked about Zoom earlier, when something big comes along that impacts your clients, you will want to learn all about it.
When you are experiencing a lull in client work, it can be a good time to grab some new training. It can be challenging to fit training in around client work, so sometimes it works out that you can find that time between clients.
The key is always to be able to implement the learning.
And the cool thing is you never know if that new skill you learn will change the trajectory of your business.
I worked as a sub for a VA team at one time, and everyone was using a platform called 1ShoppingCart at the time.
The lead VA needed someone to set up an affiliate program for one her high level clients. She worked with very successful business and other coaches.
She gave me the task and I told her I didn’t know how to do it, that she should get someone else.
She said ‘Tracey it’s not that hard. Here is my manual to do it. If you have any questions let me know. Get it done.’
So I took the manual she created herself and I got to work.
I learned how to do it. It was very technical, but easy enough to follow.
She checked my work and I did great.
Then she had another one that needed the same service. Guess who got the work? Yep. I discovered that it was pretty crazy how not very many people knew how to do affiliate setups and affiliate marketing. Now it’s called referral partners or joint venture partners.
Fun story, I know, but the key is that guess what I began to specialize in, in my own VA business?
Yep! Affiliate marketing. I learned how to do it and then I became a specialist.
I was The Telesummit Girl and every one of my business coaches needed affiliates for their marketing.
How to Fit Learning In
It’s important to prioritize learning as a VA.
If you can set up goals to learn regularly, that will help you budget for it as well as plan time to get it done.
I can’t tell you how many VAs I know who sign up for some kind of self study and then never do it.
If you have a lull in client work, it can be a good time to fit something in.
But if you don’t, then you still have to find the time.
You know I talk all the time about buckets of time. Time management is important to keep learning.
What do you need to learn? What do you want tot learn? Why would learning x or y be good for your VA business?
These will be the things that help you decide when and what. It’s not always a good time to learn something.
Last, when is it not the right time?
Recognizing When to Wait
Of course when you are simply too busy it might not seem like the right time to take training.
But what if that training was in time management, and it could help you get some time back?
What if you could increase your rates next month by fitting in the right kind of training now?
These are easy decisions. It’s time.
But there are plenty of times when it’s not the right time to learn.
As I have said before, if you don’t have time or the ability to implement what you are learning, then you may need to rethink when you can learn.
Return on investment is also key. Anything that you pay to learn, needs to pay you back in a proper length of time.
Of course, sometimes we can’t afford to take a training. We have to save for it or budget for it.
When money is involved there is always a consideration, but it shouldn’t always just be based on the price – return on investment is the best way to measure whether the time is right.
I love to learn all the time. I take free trainings and paid trainings, and I find there is always something I want to learn.
I know that it’s the same for many of you – we all have many similar personality traits and learning is one of them.
Relevance and impact to your business are the most important deciding factors.
What can you do if you learn this or that?
Sometimes we have to find the time, or the money, but it really is worth it to invest in yourself so you can thrive and grow as a VA.
Look for those opportunities in your everyday surfing and make your plan.
As always, we reflect back on today’s quote: The expert in anything was once a beginner.
I love this one because it really says everything I want about training. The expert in anything was once a beginner. You can learn to do exactly what you want. You can shift your business any way you want. It just takes implementing what you learn.
I’ll leave it off here today but I hope you are inspired to start looking for opportunities to learn something new in your VA business now!
Do You Need Help?
If you need help figuring out how to find training or budget for it, or implement it, get in touch with me. I’m here to help.
It’s the only reason I’m here at all, as you know. To help you become a ridiculously good VA.
I have helped hundreds of VAs who are stuck get moving through private coaching, group coaching, and live and self study trainings. If you want to talk about how we can work together, let’s connect on a Cut to the Chase call. You can book yours at YourVAMentor.com/chase
Thanks for tuning in this week! I’ll see you next time!
What You Need to Do Next:
Let’s work together privately to get you to your really big goal. It’s the fastest way to get results and we can start right away. Learn more about private coaching here.
The Virtual Circle (TVC) is a monthly mastermind group for Virtual Assistants just like you. We get together 3 times a month for group Zoom sessions to talk about what you are struggling with, working on, or celebrating. It’s a close knit community of your VA colleagues that provides the best kind of support for your VA business. Learn more about TVC here.
My self study program Getting Started as a VA can help you get your VA business started easily and quickly too. You can sign up right away and be on your way to getting clients by the end of the program, with all the right foundations in place. Check out the program here.
Click here for more tips to help you with your productivity and time management in your Virtual Assistant business.
Reach out to me if you need to talk about where you are stuck and what the right option might be to get you moving. It’s literally all I’m here to do is help you get to where you want to go. Book a complimentary Cut to the Chase call with me here.