Small business owners, entrepreneurs and salespeople all share a common problem: too much to do, and too little time and people to get the job done. Whether you’re a business owner or a sales professional or are launching a startup, selling is a skill you need to be successful and profitable. Many businesses outsource some of their work instead of hiring full or part-time employees because it gives them the flexibility to pay for workers only when the work needs to be done. Outsourcing to a virtual assistant can save you time, money and aggravation and allow you to focus on your business and grow sales.
A virtual assistant (VA) is a self-employed independent contractor who provides services to their clients from a remote location. The remote location could be across the block, across the country or across the globe. A good virtual assistant may be an expert at one specific task – or at many roles that your business needs to be filled. There are many important responsibilities that you can give to a VA.
1. Free Your Time To Sell More
A key skill of a good business owner or salesperson is they are closers – they can sell their product or services. If you are so busy doing tedious but necessary tasks that you can’t do what you do best – sell – then you’re not doing yourself any favors. Hire a VA to do the tasks that will free your time to sell more, such as social media, blogging, invoicing or data entry.
What’s the cost-benefit of you doing tedious, repetitive tasks that you could easily train someone else to do?
2. Create Emails and Newsletters
A marketing virtual assistant can draft customer and prospect communications such as sales letter or newsletters.
3. Answer Live Chat 24/7
Live Chat tools mean that your business may be available 24/7, but that doesn’t mean you personally should be available 24/7/365. A customer support virtual assistant – or several of them – can provide immediate response and support to prospects who have a question before they make a purchase.
4. Researching and Contacting Leads
A VA can do online research to find new prospects for you to contact. Virtual Assistants with sales experience can contact your leads to prequalify them and schedule an appointment to speak with a salesperson – you!
5. E-commerce Sales
E-commerce virtual assistants specialize in online selling. Roles such as fulfillment, ad campaigns, inventory posting and product descriptions can all be outsourced to a VA.
Where to Hire a Virtual Assistant
There is a global freelance workforce, including freelance virtual assistants. There are many places to hire a VA from freelancer sites to companies that specialize in virtual assistants.
Upwork
One-stop-shopping for all your freelance needs. Upwork is a solid go-to for everything from graphic designers to accountants to content writers to lawyers to virtual assistants from around the globe
Freelancer
Freelancer is one of the most popular freelance sites in the world and known for having affordable freelancers
Indeed
Many people think of Indeed for hiring employees, but it’s also a great site for hiring freelancers or temporary workers
Fiverr
Fiverr is a site where you can find and hire virtual assistants with many different skills and prices.
24/7 Virtual Assistant
Their college-educated assistants who take care of nearly anything you delegate, from paying bills to booking travel to online shopping.
A carefully hired and well-trained virtual assistant can help you be more productive and to sell more. There are many other ways a VA can help staff your business such as travel arrangements, website design or copywriter. The key to a successful remote assistant is sourcing, choosing and training the right person to outsource your work to – so you can sell more.
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