Hello,

I am a member of a Facebook group for women who are involved in marketing. Primarily the group consists of coaches, speakers, and consultants, etc. Although this is my target market, I joined because I wanted to share marketing ideas.

The other day the owner of the group asked for email addresses so she could start an email list to promote the services the members offered. So I posted my email address to the page and briefly stated I was a virtual assistant.

The interesting reaction (to me) was that the response asked me if I offered marketing services.

And I do...but not in the formal sense.

While I know some VAs offer a paid formal training program typically for other VAs, which would qualify to be on the Facebook email list, I do not. However, a good portion of my job has become a 'marketing consultant' to my clients.

Sure I do the admin work but my clients ask me first, '...should they do this?' and '...should they do that'?

I spend a good deal of time making recommendations for the best way to promote client products and other times I am simply doing research to determine if something we are already doing, could be more efficient . I do a lot of that type of work.

Lately, I have been making short 3 minutes audios for one client who needs some personal explanation about how to work on social media. (Much easier than putting an email together.) I show her how to market her business. I would consider that marketing training services.

So I realize that I am grappling with the perception that my function is 'only admin' work.

We've tossed around the words 'virtual assistant' and whether that terminology is indeed important to promoting the industry to potential clients. I don't feel I will use any other title other than 'virtual assistant' but I am clearly much more than an admin to my clients. (I feel other titles 'OBM', Administrative Consultant and so on while much better in describing my position is terribly confusing to those who typically keyword search 'virtual assistant'.)

The relationship I have with my clients is indeed more of a consultant role and now I realize that while my relationship has changed with my clients, the 'marketing industry' still views me as primarily admin.

Venting...what are your thoughts? Has your relations with your clients evolved over time toward more consultant work?

Janine

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Hi Janine,

I feel you...oh I SO feel you! I think the more longevity we have in the industry, the more we just begin to manage that 'consultant' role as people begin to trust our knowledge of the internet business as a whole.

I was one of the people who thought I needed to change my 'title' to be considered more than just an Admin, but I was convinced by you and others not to; that it was not necessary and I still believe that.

I feel that, just like in the beginning of our industry we had to educate (remember when everyone had the "What is a VA?" blurb on their sites?)...I still see it occasionally, but not nearly as much. But, maybe it's time for another revolution for us VA's....to change, or better yet, to "add to" that definition.

I am willing to help if you (or anyone) wants to start the revolution and come up with the definition...really I am.

Thanks for posting this....So did that person let you stay a part of the Group?

Best,

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Tina Caldwell B.K.A TinaTheVA
www.tinatheva.com

I am so happy to read this thread. (Once again, @Janine Gregor works magic!) Just a few minutes ago, I scheduled a blog post for tomorrow morning on this very topic! SO agree with y'all ... let's talk about it. Cannot wait to see what you think of my suggestions. Please check tomorrow morning - http://writingva.com/so-what-is-a-va.

But whether you read my post or not, here's the thing. We're VAs AND something. I'm a VA and writer, you're a VA and PR specialist, a VA and bookkeeping specialist, a VA and marketing consultant. If we state it that way, there begins to be a distinction between what we do and the way we do it. First, we are providers of whatever our specialty is, and second the way we provide our services is virtually.

I would love to know your thoughts!

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

This is the definition that I have been using for the last several months. After all the debate and hooha going on about what we are and what we do and what we should call ourselves I decided to define it further on my site's FAQ page and this what I came up with.

A VA / virtual assistant is a virtual professional / independent contractor and not an employee who owns and operates their own business from a remote location (thus the term virtual). Some virtual assistant’s skill sets have evolved to include more than the traditional administrative functions in order to meet supply and demand. With the world of business revolving greatly online it is only natural that the virtual assistant role would adapt to this environment. This need has expanded the role of the virtual assistant to include a variety of functions including but not limited to web services (social media, design, maintenance, etc.), bookkeeping, copy writing, project management, desktop publishing, and transcription. Of course each virtual assistant has their own unique skill set and this often leads to virtual assistants teaming up and working together in order to bring a wider array of services to their clients.

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I too feel you Janine. I am a virtual assistant however I am also a business consultant or business manager. I think part of the problem is that some people, even in our own industry, feel that the term virtual assistant equates to a secretary of some sorts.

My role has evolved over the years and I am actually working with a coach to figure out how to marry the two but for now I am a VA who provides admin and business support and consulting.

I still use VA in my keywords and terms because that is what people search for when looking for help whether it be social media, marketing, bookkeeping, etc.

I am curious to see where this conversation goes.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

Also, when I am discuss with people face to face like at networking events or something and I have just a short amount of time to discuss with them I emphasize that I am a virtual assistant plus. I put on another discussion on this forum what my elevator speech is, but I will put it here as well just so everyone can see that here in this thread.

"Hello, I'm Rhonda Holscher, the Owner|CEO of Rhonda's Virtual Office and we offer administrative, bookkeeping, desktop publishing, transcription and web services via the WordPress platform. I would love to speak with you after the meeting. Again, I'm Rhonda Holscher, Owner|CEO of Rhonda's Virtual Office."

Sometimes if there is a little more time to add to this then I will add before closing: "I work with Clients from California to Florida and of course here locally. I have been in business for 2.5 years, and was basically penniless when I started and I now have 21 clients and 2 virtual assistants. I enjoy working with Clients who are just getting started because I enjoy seeing them overcome those hurdles and I enjoy seeing their success. I feel like their success is mine and I am highly driven by that, and get very excited. I just love to help and see my Client succeed." Then I close as above. It's not always exactly like that, but something to that effect if I need to fill in more time.

Now once I've done that and I'm speaking to others after the fact and they ask I say I'm a virtual assistant. If they say what is that. That's when I say I do administrative work plus, and depending on how much time we have to discuss depends on how much description I give them. I'm finding more and more people are familiar with what I do though. I was quite surprised as how many knew what I was and a few even had a virtual assistant at the networking event I went to yesterday. And I drove all the way to Indiana for that one. So maybe we are more popular in Indiana than in Ohio, but word is spreading. I do still call myself a virtual assistant. I just educate when possible, and I've redefined the term to help them understand my role.

Again, I believe that no matter what we call ourselves we will always have to educate because our roles are never going to be cut and dry as we do this and we do that and our this and that's are all different according to our skill sets and passions. The fact remains though that virtual assistant is the term they search for when looking for us so regardless of what we call ourselves if we cannot be found by their searches we are missing out on valuable opportunities.

I posted my new definition a couple posts above. I would love to see what other's have come up with though. If there is something better I'm all for it.

Have a great day everyone!

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I considered this when I first started. I do not offer admin services except maybe database building and social media for non-profits and theaters. When I first started as a writer and moved into consulting because clients would always ask me about marketing issues since I had a communications background. So, I started being a media consultant in addition to a writer.

I think that is the same things that happen with VAs. Over time their business change and their may be a name change. Now I call my self a virtual unit publicist (for film) and virtual marketing/publicity specialist for others. I never felt that the strictly VA title suited what I planned to do.

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Mari

Well, I might be caving on this issue. Don't you think it's alarming that there are a number of apps out there that are called virtual assistants? My blog looks at this today, and I admit I may have to come up with a new title for my services. Really interested in your thoughts!

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

Personally, I don't bill myself as a VA, however; I am one. I have found that VA means something different to each person.

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Rachael Alford
http://rachael_alford.elance.com