There’s a tough truth many VAs bump into at some point: being treated like a commodity, seen as interchangeable, transactional, and easily replaced, can leave you feeling frustrated, undervalued, and even invisible.
A commodity, in case it’s not clear, is something that’s bought and sold mainly on price. Think paper towels, gas, printer paper. The assumption is that one brand is just as good as another, so people choose based on what’s least expensive.
If you’re someone who genuinely wants to do transactional, short-term work, or quick tasks with minimal relationship, this post, along with everything else we write, probably isn’t for you. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that approach if it suits you. But this post is for VAs who want to be seen, valued, and treated as professionals, equals, and partners in the work.
To those VAs I say this: you, my friend, are a human being with skills and experience, and a professionally run business, and what’s 100% true is that you’re worthy of never, ever, ever being perceived as a commodity.
To make that happen, though, you have to make sure you’re not behaving like one.
While commodities usually compete on price, they also compete on speed and availability. But they don’t offer depth, relationship, experience, or discernment.
You do. And you’re a professional. A partner. A person with a brain and a heart and a unique talent for showing up to support others.
So, how do you make sure you’re not behaving like a commodity?
- You have great standards that say how you behave in the world. They matter more to you than whatever the clients may want.
- You don’t wait to be told what to do and you offer ideas.
- You communicate proactively, not reactively.
- You show up in your business like the business owner and professional equal that you are, not just as someone available to do tasks for someone else.
- You have an interview process that goes into great depth in exploring the viability of the relationship so as to be clear about who you are, and make sure the prospective client gets it at a core level.
- You don’t try to be everything to everyone. You know there’s great folly in it.
- You never sacrifice your well being, your personal time, or what really matters to you in order to do something for a client.
- You charge for the value you create, not based on what some other VAs are charging.
And maybe most of all, you recognize that clients aren’t doing you a favor by working with you. You are offering them something meaningful. Your partnership is a gift, not a bargain.
It’s not about your fees, although they matter. It’s about how you carry yourself, how you talk about what you do, and how you choose to be in relationship with the people you support.
If you feel like people aren’t really understanding your value, or you’ve been compared to “cheaper options,” take a deep breath and ask yourself this:
Where could I be unintentionally contributing to that perception? And what can I shift, internally or externally, to more clearly stand in the truth and reality of what I offer.
Remember, you are not a commodity, but people will treat you like one if you let them. (Sidenote: some clients will see you as a commodity no matter what you do or how powerfully you show up. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, it just means they’re not your people.)
You don’t need to prove your worth. You just need to own it. Fully, and out loud. And every dang day.
These shifts are powerful. They don’t promise you that you’ll never be undervalued, but they will help you improve your worth and stand in it powerfully, and that will make a world of difference for you, and for the clients you work with.
Want more on this topic? See this post!
