Ram highlights three key challenges new support assistants often face: keeping communication open with clients, feeling confident and empowered to speak up, and having consistent support from both sides. These areas are crucial for building a successful support assistant-client relationship.
The Virtual Hub success coach Ram, reveals the biggest challenges Support Assistants experience with clients
Virtual Success Show
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Episode breakdown
In this episode, we cross to the ‘other side’ and hear from special guest, Ram Sta. Maria, a Success Coach and Support Assistant at The Virtual Hub, about some of the challenges of support assistants for not achieving success with their clients that he commonly sees happening. Ram shares his insights into what he believes to be the key problem areas faced by support assistants and by recognising and accepting that your support assistant also has certain needs, this can ultimately lead to a very successful client-support assistant relationship.
- The importance of maintaining an open and positive channel of communication between you and your support assistant
- How to make your support assistant feel empowered
- Tips to ensure the feedback you give your support assistant is constructive, rather than destructive
- The need to provide a sound support system to ensure your support assistant stays on track, and feels connected and part of a ‘team’
Communication is a two-way street.
In this episode
00:00 - Introduction
Barbara and Matt introduce a special episode of the Virtual Success Show, where instead of focusing on client experiences or big offshore teams, they bring in a support assistant to share insights from the other side. Their guest is Ram Sta. Maria, a standout support assistant and success coach at The Virtual Hub. Ram not only works with clients but also guides and supports new support assistants in their first few months to ensure successful client relationships. Barbara and Matt highlight how valuable it is to hear directly from support assistants—something often overlooked, especially given cultural differences that can make it harder to get honest insights.
02:37 - Key problems
03:55 – Maintaining an open channel of communication
Barbara stresses that communication is a two-way street, not just the client’s responsibility. She and Matt have already covered client-side communication, but now she asks Ram to share examples from the support assistant side—one where open communication worked well and led to positive outcomes, and another where poor communication caused problems.
04:59 – Positive communication channels
Ram shares a positive example of working with a client on a complex membership site migration. The client communicated clearly, set expectations, and researched beforehand, which made the process smooth and efficient, saving time and money. He explains that when clients understand both a support assistant’s strengths and limitations, they can delegate more effectively, creating a win-win. Matt and Barbara emphasize that clarity on what success looks like is crucial—without it, misalignment and frustration occur. Barbara also highlights the importance of client responsibility and oversight, noting that simply “throwing” big tasks at a support assistant without communication or preparation often leads to problems. Finally, she asks Ram for an example of when communication between client and support assistant breaks down.
09:50 – Blocked communication channels
Ram shares a negative example where poor communication caused problems. A client insisted on phone calls instead of written communication, but because they weren’t a native English speaker, misunderstandings piled up. Tasks weren’t completed properly, leading to frustration on both sides. Over time, this frustration could escalate into resentment. Ram notes that support assistants in these situations often feel defeated—not because they lack skills, but because the communication barrier prevents them from performing effectively, which harms both the support assistant and The Hub.
12:26 – Cultural challenges
Barbara and Ram discuss cultural challenges in communication, especially for Filipino support assistants. Ram explains that Filipino culture tends to be very accommodating, often seeing themselves as subordinate to foreigners. This makes support assistants hesitant to speak up, even with their success coaches, out of fear of being ridiculed. He emphasizes the need to empower support assistants to voice their thoughts. Barbara notes that this topic is so significant they’ll dedicate an entire future episode to cultural differences.
14:10 – Empowering your support assistant
The discussion shifts to the importance of support assistants feeling empowered. Ram explains that empowerment comes when clients treat support assistants as essential team members and value their input. Even if a client doesn’t adopt every suggestion, simply listening and acknowledging ideas makes support assistants feel confident to speak up. He shares how his client repeats and discusses his suggestions, and actively asks for his input, which reinforces that his voice matters. Matt notes that feedback often risks being discouraging, especially when not delivered well, and asks about the best way to give constructive feedback—particularly considering Filipino culture—so support assistants remain empowered rather than disheartened.
17:33 – Constructive vs. destructive feedback
Ram emphasizes that feedback must be clear, concise, and constructive, not destructive. Filipino support assistants, in particular, can be sensitive to criticism, so phrasing matters. His client frames feedback around improvement (“next time it would be better if…”) rather than focusing on mistakes, which keeps it empowering. Barbara and Matt highlight that forward-focused feedback avoids discouragement and builds confidence. They also stress that clients often label support assistants as “not proactive” without defining what they mean. Empowering support assistants requires clear conversations about expectations, valuing their opinions, and encouraging them to share ideas. Ram adds that when clients acknowledge suggestions and treat support assistants as essential team members, it motivates them to be proactive, productive, and invested in the company’s growth.
21:44 – Having a good support system
Barbara introduces the third key point: having a strong support system. Ram explains that within The Hub, support assistants benefit from a collaborative environment where they can easily ask for and receive help, which makes problem-solving smooth. Matt shares his experience of working one-on-one with his support assistant, Ivy. Since it was just the two of them, he made sure to provide daily support through quick 10-minute check-ins to address challenges and offer guidance. He also emphasized the importance of celebrating wins together, even remotely, to build connection and empowerment. Overall, support systems—whether through team collaboration or consistent client-support assistant communication—are essential for growth, motivation, and teamwork.
24:20 – Celebrating Success
Matt shares creative ways he celebrated wins with his support assistant, like buying her a new laptop when they hit a big milestone or setting up virtual “coffee dates” where he covered the cost so they could enjoy a coffee together while chatting online. He highlights that the key is thinking outside the box—replicating what you’d normally do in person but adapting it virtually. He stresses that beyond celebrating, the foundation is making support assistants feel truly supported, connected, and able to ask questions. Without that, both the client and support assistant risk failing in the partnership.
26:30 – Staying connected with your support assistant
Barbara emphasizes that while support assistants should feel free to ask questions, structured processes help avoid constant interruptions. She suggests short, focused check-ins (like 10-minute calls with clear agendas) once or several times a day, especially in the early stages of working together. Ram agrees, noting these processes prevent confusion and save time. He shares an example where he proposed weekly calls plus email updates instead of daily calls, which greatly improved communication and the client-support assistant relationship. Barbara highlights Ram’s strength in mentoring other support assistants on communication and empowerment, pointing out that not all clients have external support systems like The Virtual Hub. Matt adds that hearing directly from a support assistant’s perspective provides powerful insights for both clients and teams.
30:20 – Wrapping things up
Barbara closes the show by encouraging listeners to share it, join the Virtual Success Show Facebook group for ongoing discussions, and suggest future topics. She teases an upcoming episode on Filipino culture with Ram to explore cultural differences in outsourcing. Matt and Barbara thank Ram for his valuable insights, and Ram expresses gratitude for the opportunity, noting he enjoyed the experience. The episode ends on a positive and appreciative note.
