If you're good at what you do, you'll soon reach a productivity ceiling: you've got so much business that the "little stuff" keeps you from generating more business.

You need a Personal Assistant if your company (YOU, Inc.) is to grow. If you're thinking of getting one, or if you currently have one, here are a few tips on working with a P.A.

• Make sure your assistant has today's skills: working with Windows, ability to use a database, familiarity with e-mail (attachments, personalized mass mailings, sending a monthly e-mail newsletter, etc.), ability to create print and multimedia presentations, maintaining your real estate database, etc.
• Let your P.A. learn any new software. He or she can then give you a few quick lessons on it, thus saving you an enormous amount of time...and taking the fear factor out of it for you!
• Your P.A. should handle all tech support calls. C.E.O.'s (that's you!) don't spend their time on hold!
• Get a separate ISP e-mail account for your P.A. If you have a domain name, you can have all e-mail sent to your publicized e-mail address (YourName@ISellTheWorld.com) delivered to his or her account; you give your personal address to only a select few. The P.A.'s job is to take care of 80-90 percent of all e-mail, sending the rest on to you at your account.
• Your P.A. should implement a system for following up on all e-mail leads. Every Web site lead you don't effectively followup on now equals lost commissions.

  If you currently have a P.A. who does not possess these skills, you are losing money! Set up a 30 day "rehiring process" for him or her....now! Remember: it's your business. Being "too nice" (i.e., not wanting to hurt a P.A.'s feelings by telling him or her that new skills are needed), is hurting your business!

Published: July 25, 2002

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

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Allen F. Hainge is a nationally known real estate technology speaker and author with a difference: he builds his seminars and articles around concrete, practical experiences he learns from his CyberStars(tm), a group of top agents nationwide who use today's technology to dominate their marketplace. He is the author of "Dominate! Capturing Your Market With Today's Technology." Allen's seminar schedule and offerings may be found www.afhseminars.com. Subscribe to Allen's Newsletter by Clicking Here






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