Sales representatives spend only 35% of their time actually selling. The remaining two-thirds is consumed by administrative duties, email management, and CRM updates. These non-revenue-generating activities pull focus away from closing deals.
This imbalance creates a bottleneck in growth. When sales teams are bogged down by data entry and scheduling, underperformance becomes a risk. The solution often lies in delegation. Virtual assistants (VAs) offer a practical way to reclaim that lost time. By outsourcing routine administrative tasks, businesses can ensure their sales reps stay focused on high-impact activities.
Virtual assistants are typically hired on a contract basis to handle specific sets of tasks. Understanding the scope of what a VA can do is the first step in deciding if this model fits your operational structure.
Core Virtual Assistant Services
Virtual Assistant services cover a broad spectrum of administrative and support functions. A Virtual Assistant is a remote professional who handles specific business tasks on a contract basis, allowing internal teams to focus on core strategic goals. The range of duties is extensive, covering everything from basic inbox management to complex project coordination.
Administrative and Communication Support
The most common requests for VAs involve daily administrative upkeep. This includes general admin, inbox support, and email management. For sales teams, this means filtering through noise to highlight critical client communications. VAs also handle calendar management and schedule management, ensuring that meetings are booked efficiently and conflicts are avoided before they happen.
Beyond communication, file management and cloud organization are critical. VAs ensure that documents are stored logically, making retrieval instant when needed. They also handle travel booking, reservation booking, and itinerary creation, removing the logistical friction from business trips. Personal tasks and office management duties can also be delegated, providing a holistic support system for busy executives.
Sales and Marketing Support
For growth-focused businesses, VAs play a direct role in supporting the sales funnel. Key services include CRM maintenance, database building, and lead magnet creation. VAs can conduct research company directories and perform data mining to identify new prospects. They also handle competitive research and market research, providing the raw data needed for strategic planning.
Content creation is another major area. VAs can assist with blog post writing, copywriting, and social media monitoring. They help with presentation building, whitepaper layout, and infographic creation. For email marketing, they handle newsletter setup and management, as well as email campaign coordination. This allows marketing teams to maintain a consistent output without burning out internal staff.
Operational and Project Management
Operational support ensures the business runs smoothly behind the scenes. VAs handle expensing and invoicing, invoice follow-up, and price comparison. They assist with vendor management and small business support, acting as a liaison between the company and its partners. Project management and process creation are also within their scope, helping to standardize workflows.
Specialized tasks include webinar setup, webpage creation, and IT support in some cases. VAs can also handle note-taking during meetings, survey creation and implementation, and reporting. By taking over these operational burdens, leadership can focus on long-term strategy and team development.
Choosing a Virtual Assistant Partner
When you are ready to bring a virtual assistant on board, you have two primary paths. You can hire an individual directly through freelance platforms, or you can work with a dedicated virtual assistant company. The latter option offers distinct advantages for businesses seeking reliability and scalability.
The benefit of working with a VA company is the vetting process. These firms recruit, train, and manage a roster of talented assistants. When you engage with them, you provide details about your business needs, and they source the right fit. This reduces the risk of hiring someone who lacks the necessary skills or reliability. It also simplifies the management side, as the company handles payroll and performance oversight.
Below is a breakdown of top virtual assistant companies, categorized by their pricing models and service focus. This information helps you compare options based on your budget and specific operational needs.
Subscription-Based Models
Subscription models offer predictable monthly costs for a set number of hours. These are ideal for businesses with consistent administrative needs.
- The Virtual Hub: Offers tiers from Associate ($8/hr) to Specialist ($12/hr) for 20-40 hours/week. Focuses on general admin and digital marketing.
- Prialto: Charges $1,200/month for 55 hours. Provides a team approach with a project manager and backup assistants for executives.
- Wishup: Plans range from $499/month (2 hrs/day) to $1,599/month (8 hrs/day). Includes dedicated account managers and 9 AM-6 PM ET availability.
- Zirtual: Dedicated, U.S.-based, college-educated assistants. Pricing is upon request. Offers no-hassle replacement.
- TaskMolly: Plans from $425/month (12 hrs) to $1,625/month (48 hrs). Specializes in sales pipeline support and lead follow-up.
- Boldly: Subscription staffing from $790/month (20 hrs) to $2,340/month (60 hrs). Includes a dashboard for tracking time and tasks.
- MyTasker: Plans from $140/month (10 hrs) to $1,200/month (full-time). Supports small to large businesses with specialized teams if needed.
- OVA Virtual: Weekly plans from $120/week (20 hrs) to $240/week (40 hrs). Covers executive, admin, sales, and real estate roles.
- VA Talks: Free trial available. Plans from $130/month (10 hrs) to $690/month (80 hrs). Focuses on tech support, web dev, and IT.
- Vasumo: Plans from $398/month (25 hrs) to $598/month (55 hrs). Features an easy-to-use dashboard for task assignment and chat.
- GetFriday: Plans from $65/month (5 hrs) to $1,120/month (160 hrs). Assigns a qualified assistant who can delegate tasks to experts.
- Virtalent: Plans from $280/month (10 hrs) to $1,500/month (60 hrs). Includes a Client Success Manager and specialized VAs.
Hourly and On-Demand Models
These models offer flexibility for businesses with fluctuating needs or one-off projects.
- Upwork: A platform for sourcing candidates for one-off or ongoing projects. Pricing varies by freelancer. Offers pro and enterprise plans for administrative lifting.
- Fiverr: Individual freelancers from $5 to $40/hr. Filter by price and experience for tasks like data entry and graphic design.
- Freelancer.com: Freelancers from $5 to $50/hr. Post jobs and receive bids, or hire from the directory.
- 24/7 Virtual Assistant: Offshore plans start at $15/hr; U.S. plans start at $359/month for 20 hours. College-educated assistants handle personal and work tasks.
- Fancy Hands: $29.99/month for 5 requests (20-min blocks). Offers standard, live (SMS/chat), and recurring requests.
- TaskBullet: Starter Bucket $11/hr for 20 hrs; Expert Bucket $6.50/hr for 240 hrs. You only pay for active work time via clock-in/out tech.
- Magic: $40/month plus $0.59/minute. Send a text to delegate tasks like lead sourcing and CRM maintenance.
- HelloRache: $9/hr. Specializes in healthcare assistance with HIPAA-compliant registered nurses and medical professionals.
Custom and Request-Based Pricing
Some companies tailor their services closely to the client’s unique needs, with pricing determined after consultation.
- Belay: Fill out a questionnaire to pair with an experienced assistant. Handles travel, data presentations, and C-level support.
- UAssist.Me: Plans from $299/month (20 hrs) to $1,598/month (full-time). Includes real estate assistance, transcription, and billing.
- Premier Veba: Customized business services for executives and creatives. Handles operating systems and blog writing.
- Virtual Assistant USA: Plans from $570/month (15 hrs) to $1,750/month (50 hrs). No long-term contracts. Specializes in transcription, marketing, and SEO.
- Intelligent Office: Helps build operational infrastructure. Sources local VAs and can also source office space.
- Optimum Source, Inc.: High-end outsourcing for sales teams. Offers B2B telesales, lead generation, and business operations support.
- Bottleneck Virtual Assistants: Recurring part-time from $300/week (20 hrs) to full-time $580/week (40 hrs). Focuses on eliminating bottlenecks in admin and lead gen.
- Wervas Virtual Assistant Services: Plans from $100/month (10 hrs) to $799/month (full-time). Month-to-month contracts for maximum flexibility.
- Virtual Staff Finder: Manages the entire hiring process, including onboarding and payroll. Pricing upon request.
- Vava Virtual: Creates custom packages for busy professionals. Pricing upon request.
- MyOutDesk: Specializes in real estate. Plans start at $873.49/bi-weekly for full-time support. Handles CRM, listings, and reception.
Maximizing Sales Productivity with Support
Integrating a virtual assistant into your workflow requires clear communication and defined expectations. Start by identifying the tasks that consume the most time but add the least value to your core objectives. These are the prime candidates for delegation.
Once you have identified these tasks, choose a VA service that aligns with your needs. If you need consistent, long-term support, a subscription model may be more cost-effective. If your needs are sporadic, an on-demand service might be better. Always start with a trial period or a small scope of work to assess the fit.
A qualified virtual assistant can help expedite growth for your business and improve the overall performance of your sales team. By offloading administrative burdens, you create space for strategic thinking and relationship building. This shift in focus is often the key to unlocking higher revenue and sustainable growth.
Consider what tasks in your current workflow could be delegated. Which areas are causing the most friction? Answering these questions can help you determine the right level of support for your business.
