Virtual sales assistants are people who handle administrative duties for company sales teams but do so online. These types of people need to be self-disciplined and enjoy working with computers. If you desire to become a virtual sales assistant, you should complete one to two years of post-secondary training during which you master office duties and business technologies. You also can pursue industry certification to make yourself more attractive to employers.
A person who wishes to become a virtual sales assistant should consider completing a one-year certificate program or two-year associate degree program in office administration. To get into this type of training program, you need to complete your chosen school’s enrollment form as well as submit a copy of your high school diploma or the equivalent certification. In addition, you must turn in your high school transcript along with your most recent standardized test scores.
Office-related courses will prepare you to handle a job role in this career area. For instance, you need to study how to manage databases, as a person who seeks to become a virtual sales assistant is often responsible for tracking and processing orders for his or her company’s products. Courses on bookkeeping and scheduling appointments prepare you to handle these administrative tasks as well. Classes on keyboarding additionally are critical in this line of work because you regularly must type correspondence and produce sales reports, so learning how to type a large number of words per minute is valuable.
Classes that cover business technologies also are important for an individual in this industry. You must be prepared to learn how to effectively use e-mail as well as facsimile (fax) machines to send or receive documents and information. Honing your phone etiquette and verbal communication skills is necessary as well because, when you become a virtual sales assistant, the telephone likely will be your chief mode of communication. In addition, your instructors should teach you how to use the Internet to complete research activities. Learning how to use these technologies is possible by completing an administrative assistant internship at a traditional company in your area.
Although employers do not necessarily require that job candidates in this field have certification, having it will increase your employment opportunities. You attain this type of credential by taking and passing an examination offered through industry associations. Completing continuing education requirements is required to retain your certification. A person who plans to become a virtual sales assistant can use this designation to prove to companies that he or she is competent in the field.