When my virtual assistance story is finally written, two or three chapters might be dedicated to Grammarly. I would still be a great writer without this software, but I am thankful it exists.
Grammarly is a powerful tool that can immensely benefit virtual assistance. Basically,
the tool aids in proofreading. It is a must-have tool for writers, be they
freelance writers or not.
Here are some ways Grammarly has assisted me in my virtual
assistance journey, specifically in proofreading or checking my writing:
1.
Enhanced Communication Skills
Grammarly helps improve my writing by suggesting corrections
for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. This ensures that my
communication with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders is clear,
professional, and error-free. Of course, I don’t accept every suggestion
Grammarly offers because it does miss the context sometimes. But it helps a lot
in pointing out typos such as thiss onee.
2.
Time-Saving Editing
Time is not always on my side. As a virtual assistant, I
usually handle significant written content. Grammarly’s
real-time editing capabilities save me time by instantly highlighting and
suggesting corrections for mistakes, allowing me to focus on the content and
context of my messages rather than spending time proofreading.
3.
Consistent Tone and Style
Maintaining a consistent tone and style in my communications
is crucial for building a professional image. Grammarly helps me ensure
consistency in my writing, making my emails, reports, and other documents
cohesive and polished.
4.
Vocabulary Enhancement
Grammarly provides suggestions for improving my vocabulary
by offering synonyms and alternative word choices. This feature is valuable in
elevating the quality of my written communication and making it more engaging.
By the way, this only helps if you are familiar with the suggested synonyms. If
your grasp of the Queen’s Language is poor, you end up accepting wrong synonym
alternatives.
The truth is that two words may mean the same thing, but their usage may differ. That is, the context in which they are used may sometimes be different.
Do not accept every suggestion Grammarly offers, especially if you are unfamiliar with them. Only accept words, phrases or corrections you believe fit
the context. I emphasize this because I have read some strange articles and can
always tell the writer blindly accepted all of Grammarly’s suggestions.
5.
Adapting to Different Audiences
Virtual assistants often communicate with diverse groups of people. Grammarly can help you adapt your writing style to different audiences, ensuring that your messages are appropriate and effective for various stakeholders.
I have learned to write my content independently to fit the
audience I have in mind, so I don’t find this Grammarly feature helpful.
6.
Document Clarity and Coherence
Clarity is essential in virtual assistance, especially when
conveying instructions, updates, or reports. Grammarly’s feedback on sentence
structure and paragraph coherence can contribute to more precise and more
understandable documents.
7.
Professional Document Creation
Whether I’m drafting emails, reports, or other documents, Grammarly
usually assists in creating professional and polished content. This is
particularly important in virtual assistance, where professionalism and
attention to detail are essential.
8.
Learning and Skill Development
Grammarly provides explanations for its suggestions, helping
me understand grammar rules and writing conventions better. This can contribute
to ongoing learning and skill development in communication and writing. Of
course, this is more helpful for a beginner.
9.
Browser Extension for Real-Time Assistance
The Grammarly browser extension can be convenient
for virtual assistants working on web-based platforms, offering real-time
suggestions as you type in various online applications. You can download
Grammarly to use in Microsoft Word. That’s how I used to prefer it.
You can download it on your PC and use it. But I now prefer
using it as a Chrome extension. It automatically opens on my emails, or whatever
I’m typing on my PC browser.
Parting Short
By leveraging Grammarly in my virtual assistance journey, I
have experienced improvements in the quality, clarity, and professionalism of
my written communication, ultimately contributing to a more effective and
efficient virtual assistance service. Not that I was a bad writer because I
started using it.
Something else I note with so many misgivings: the ongoing
AI revolution has quite scared the Grammarly developers. Of course, Grammarly
itself was an early form of AI, but in those days it was okay just calling it
“proofreading software.”
Anyway, the AI competition has meant it is changing some of
its traditional features, behaving more like a new-generation AI than the
standard proofreader it used to be. Very soon, Grammarly might start asking
if it might write a full report for you. I hope I don’t live to see that.