Virtual Digital Assistants, Human Virtual Assistants, and Your Business
Recently, a new type of assistant has emerged — virtual digital assistants (VDAs). VDAs are “automated software applications or platforms that assist the human user through understanding natural language in written or spoken form”.
Siri, Cortana, Alexa, and Google Now are all examples of these types of assistants, which use artificial intelligence and machine learning technology.
Contrast that with human virtual assistants, like the the Intelligent Assistants at Intelligent Office. Both are a valuable component of your business success. Here’s how both types of support can benefit you and your brand.
What do virtual digital assistants do?
If you’ve ever used Siri, Google Now, or a similar tool, you’re already familiar with virtual digital assistants. These VDAs respond to voice commands and can help increase your productivity.
For example, Amazon’s Alexa can be used to do things like check bank account balances and order an Uber. You can also use VDAs to assist with managing your calendar, getting directions, and other requests.
This particular industry is rapidly expanding, and new players are entering the market with ever-increasing levels of personalization. Consider Amy, which was designed specifically for scheduling meetings. It works by having you Cc Amy’s email address on any messages involving scheduling. The software takes over after that.
You might write, “Let’s get together about this next week.” Amy then steps in, introducing itself to your contact to schedule the meeting, even taking care of the back-and-forth communication needed to find a mutually agreeable time.
What do human virtual assistants do?
On the other side of the virtual assistant spectrum, we have human virtual assistants. These virtual assistants are real, live people, and they can handle any project or task an in-person assistant might be responsible for.
They can schedule meetings and book travel, handle administrative tasks, help with your marketing and outreach, answer the phones, take over customer support, and much, much more.
When you hire a virtual assistant through an agency like Intelligent Office they’ll even be properly trained from the get-go. You’ll still have to spend time getting your new virtual assistant up to speed on the specifics of your operation, but business owners are often shocked by how quickly their new assistant gains autonomy.
Will my business benefit from a human virtual assistant?
Virtual assistants are great for nearly any business and industry, even complicated industries like healthcare and accounting. They’re also incredibly helpful for freelancers of all varieties.
Human or digital, both types of virtual assistants can help you streamline your business operations, you simply have to reflect on your business goals and what you’d like to get out of the tool or service.
