What kind of things do buyers ask in regards to a Virtual Assistant gig?

[freelancemm]

What kind of things do buyers ask in regards a Virtual Assistant gig? I used to run a gig with generalized research and misc. tasks to provide. It was really quite popular but unfortunately I kept it way too broad and got a lot of insane requests for an initial gig that would have taken me 5 to 10+ hours to complete. The question I am asking for this gig is, what do buyers generally ask for in regards to a VA related gig? Please only those that have a VA answer, thanks! I am aware of excel sheet related stuff, collecting data, answering inquiries, but is there anything beyond that, that would be good to highlight in a description to offer? Haven’t made it yet, was just curious, thanks for any of you that may decide to help!

[kornilov]

I asked my assistant to make phone calls, do some research and prepare report in a table format. Make screenshots, site registrations, web2 blogs management.

Normally VA is required for some routine work, where the task is not difficult to explain, moderately simple to complete, but you simply don’t have time for that.

I may recommend you to list all the software/platforms/resources you are comfortable working with.

[freelancemm]

Reply to @kornilov: Hey, thanks for the quick response! I have had some pretty rude buyers in the past that made me actually want to close out my gig for ridiculous expectations, but some of which you have provided to me may help me to better refine my future research gig to actually fit buyers needs better while helping to protect myself from buyers with very high expectations.

[freelancemm]

Reply to @kjblynx: Yeah, that’s why I paused my research gig as well. I got so many requests but the pricing vs time investment was outrageous. I am trying to find a way to better refine my research gig to cater to buyers and to filter out those rude ones. I had orders where I got $80+ in one order, for the same time investment as those that were giving me $25. It was either really profitable for little time, or very time consuming for little profit. Thanks for the input! I may attempt it again, but this time limit what my “research” gig provides. I know a lot of people don’t read descriptions but the better I define what they will get, the less of a hassle I will have from buyers and CS in regards to them siding with the buyer over me.

[kornilov]

Reply to @freelancemm: I think the best way to protect yourself is to charge on per hour (per 15 minutes) rate. And in the gig description clearly ask the buyer to communicate you the desired task in advance so you can better estimate how much time it will take (in other words, how many gigs should be ordered). Otherwise you will only work for the period of paid time and that may logically result in task no to be completed.

[regency85]

Reply to @kjblynx: Site registrations? How long ago did you do that kind of work?



@freelancemm: When I inquired to several VA gigs, I asked them about:

-opening accounts at various sites (“site registrations”)

-submitting content to those new accounts

-"keyword research"



That’s “tactical”. Strategically the point is, I was VERY specific on what I wanted. And I think that’s a sign of a professional Buyer (i.e. NOT the kind who will make unreasonable demands of your time, after buying your Gig).



Hope that gives you ideas. 🙂



Robert

[regency85]

Reply to @kjblynx: Good for you! I think the fake-stuff gigs are a problem here, that good Sellers should try to avoid.



Yeah, that list you give certainly sounds “social-site”. What I was referring to, is more “Web2”.



Still, what you describe sounds “lucrative”, in that I would expect such a gig would make more sales, than the gigs you have posted currently.



So the question still stands… sort of:



What made you take down your “social profile setup” gig?



Robert

[regency85]

Reply to @kjblynx: Laugh! Yeah…



"Buyers are like Fruit Flies!"



Personally, I cannot understand, even if it’s “only 5 bucks”, why someone would place an order without reading the Gig Description first.



(And, if you’re like me, also read their profile, their other gigs, mouseover their “world domination”…)



Maybe you and I, are the only two who “take the time to smell the flowers”… 😉

[regency85]

Reply to @kjblynx: Aha!



Glad to see your attitude has remained so positive, despite what you may have experienced in the past with “rude/insulting/demanding” buyers.



I’m sure I’m not the only one, who actually thinks about what it’s like from the Sellers side, and takes that into account in all Fiverr transactions. 🙂

[freelancemm]

Reply to @kornilov: I actually did mention that they should contact me in advance, but they rarely listened. I didn’t specify a time-frame but I feel that it was pretty clear to begin with that if I was asking them to contact me first it kind of would depend on the type of work. I do agree with you in regards to setting a time-frame. I think I should also limit the type of work I am willing to do and just grow off that list. Perhaps a set type of work for an initial order with an initial time investment, and any custom order that at least a $40 extra would be needed to be ordered depending on the case. It was so frustrating. Maybe i’ll have better luck nowadays as last time I ran that gig was over a year ago.

[freelancemm]

Reply to @regency85: Thanks for sharing, 🙂

[regency85]

Reply to @freelancemm: You definitely have some good thoughts here.



One more thing I would recommend, moves further down the road on your self-suggestion: “but this time, limit what my “research” gig provides”.



I would recommend picking a short list of tasks (you enjoy), specializing in those ONLY.



The benefit is that you become an “expert” at this short list, can write out procedural manuals (fancy words for “scribbled instructions to myself” 😉 ) and thus, can produce the same results repeatedly for lots of buyers - quickly (i.e. “profitable for little time”). 😉



Essentially, you want to become a “robot”, moving very easily and very fast, through a list of steps - because you’ve done them many times before.



Hope that helps,

Robert

[freelancemm]

@regency85 Yeah, I actually have an SEO-related gig that works similar to that. Simple tasks with minimal time effort but still quality for price paid. Then I have my extras priced reasonably. In regards to a research gig it’s hard to define what the extras would be. Maybe perhaps if they need services done in multiple areas that it would require a certain extra. Of course, more time investment would require an extra, but what other extras would make an order go smoother without making the buyer feel like I am gouging them?