Freelancers: Use Google Voice as a Virtual Assistant

Google Voice can be a free, non-issue Virtual Assistant.  It’s a great tool that freelancers can include as part of their business.  After reading “The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich,” I decided to inquire about getting an actual assistant.  When I saw the prices, I didn’t hire one.  For someone who was starting out, I couldn’t afford it.

I read about Evoice Receptionist, and subscribed.  It was a good alternative to hiring an actual Virtual Assistant; however, it also got expensive pretty quickly.  I cancelled the service and started using my actual mobile phone.  This wasn’t a good idea because then I couldn’t have a different voicemail for my business.  These are five reasons that Google Voice has solved my problem:

1. Gives you the ability to screen calls – You are able to choose how you want your calls from Google Voice to come in: 1. The actual caller’s number or 2. Your Google Voice number.  I decided to select the second choice, so I could know when it was a business call.  When I pick up, the virtual operator lets me know who called.  I can choose to pick up the line or send it directly to voicemail.
2. Let’s you organize your contacts into groups – This is great because then you can also use Google Voice for different reasons (i.e. personal and business).  You are able to have different greetings for each group, which is a problem if you are using your actual phone.  In addition, you are able to enable/disable the call presentation, which announces the caller and gives you answering options.
3. Converts voicemails to texts – If you get a Google Voice voicemail, it converts it to text.  Of course, it won’t be 100% accurate, but you can get the gist of the translation.  This is great because you can access these texts via email.  It’s also a great way to have a record of the voicemails.
4. Saves the numbers of the callers – As a freelancer, you always want to keep the numbers of everyone who calls you, which is what Google Voice does for you.  Furthermore, you are able to add the contact into Google Contacts.  If you use Gmail and the caller’s email is there, it automatically links the person’s email.
5. It’s free – Google Voice is absolutely free, unless you are calling a foreign country.

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