How Can an Executive Assistant Add Value?

How Can an Executive Assistant Add Value?

A good executive assistant is a huge asset to your business. An executive assistant fulfils many roles, and they’re always on hand to take the strain and solve problems.

When you hire an executive assistant, not only will you have that extra pair of hands to take on some of your workload, but you’ll also reap the rewards of their expertise and knowledge that will ensure your business runs smoothly.

As the job title suggests, executive assistants provide assistance, but they also bring peace of mind.

So let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of hiring a good executive assistant…

You’ll have more time to do what you’re good at

Ever get to the end of the day and wonder quite where it went? You feel like you haven’t accomplished anything, as you’ve spent the day on the phone, replying to emails, generating reports and hunting for the information you need for tomorrow’s meeting. So your to-do list hasn’t gotten any shorter and your stress levels are on the rise.

With an executive assistant on your side, all those administrative tasks are taken off your hands, so you can focus on what you need to do, without distractions.

By cutting out a wealth of admin tasks, you can actually get on with your job!

They’ll manage your diary and schedule arrangements

An executive assistant will take care of scheduling meetings and calls for you.

A good assistant will soon learn that you prefer face-to-face meetings in the morning or that you don’t want any calls during lunchtime.

They’ll know how much time you need to get to a meeting, and they’ll organize all your transportation and accommodation.

This level of planning takes time, researching a decent hotel close to a conference venue or a client’s office is not rocket science, but it needs to be done well and that too is time-consuming.

With a reliable executive assistant taking care of all this for you, you get that time back for yourself!

It will improve the customer service experience and build relationships

You’re busy. You may put off making calls, and when you do, it’s likely that sometimes you’ll keep them short and to the point.

Quite probably, you don’t have customer service training or experience, so just maybe you don’t have the best telephone manner, and you’re not perfect at making and maintaining connections. And that’s fine!

We all have our skills and our weaker points, and one of the strong points of an executive assistant is excellent customer service skills.

So by hiring an executive assistant, your business will make the very best first impression every time, you’ll be able to respond to every query and communication in a timely manner, and you’ll build long-lasting relationships with clients and suppliers.

Having an executive assistant greet visitors also makes a good impression. They can provide a warm welcome, make coffee, and get them comfortable, while you get ready for the meeting.

You don’t have that feeling of having to be in two places at once, and you can rest assured that your visitor is being well looked after. 

They can provide reports and keep you up to date quickly and efficiently

The best executive assistants keep up to date with everything.

They’ll be on top of all the industry news, and they’ll keep learning all the latest office software, so when you need information, they’ll get it to you fast, presented in a manner that’s easy to understand.

They can take the time to gather information from different departments, and collate it, time-consuming work that you don’t need to be doing yourself.

Through a quick chat in the morning or a handful of reports to read over on your way to a meeting, you’ll be fully up-to-date and well-informed.

Executive assistants are great problem solvers

The business world can be a stressful place!

When you’re feeling burnt out from working long hours or from overseas travel and a problem occurs, the stress levels can certainly soar, and there’s just no mindfulness technique that is going to help.

This is where an executive assistant is worth their weight in gold.

A good executive assistant will be a great problem solver and they’re also excellent at anticipating problems and ensuring they don’t occur, so you’ll never even know there was a potential issue.

Stress averted, calm ensues!

They will enable good communication throughout the business

Your executive assistant will ensure excellent communication with your clients and other external entities, but they will also make sure that in-house communication runs smoothly and efficiently.

This keeps all staff in the loop and avoids confusion when an important message hasn’t reached the right people. This takes a weight off your mind, and it saves you a lot of time. It keeps your colleagues happy and the business running smoothly.

An executive assistant becomes more valuable over time

As your assistant becomes more familiar with you, your business, and your clients, they become increasingly valuable.

They will build relationships, with your staff, clients, suppliers and other contacts.

They’ll learn your personal preferences and those of your clients.

Over time, they’ll automatically book your favorite hotel or mode of transport, they’ll know how your most important clients take their coffee, and they’ll let you know when Alison from accounts has had the baby so you can send your best wishes.

An executive assistant can be hugely beneficial in so many ways, and those benefits are highly likely to grow over time.

They go the extra mile to make your life easier

Finally, there’s an unquantifiable benefit that a good executive assistant will bring, that will enhance your life in subtle, but valuable ways.

It may be that they bring you a cup of coffee just when you need one, perhaps they remind you it’s your anniversary or your nephew’s birthday, or maybe they’ll persuade that client you’re not keen on that a phone call will suffice rather than meeting you in person.

When you have an executive assistant, life becomes easier, and more focused.

A good executive assistant can be a massive asset to both you and your business.

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