In this series, we’re discussing the truisms to build a great team. So, if you’re an agent who wants to expand his/her business, this series is for you!
Truism #2: People don’t know HOW to get the job done.
We may think, when we hire an assistant or a buyer’s agent, that they will either know how to do the job–or figure it out. However, they likely won’t figure it out the way YOU want it done!
Even when people know what to do, they don’t usually have checklists, systems, deadlines, and assignments to get it done. Even if you hire someone who has real estate experience, it doesn’t work to leave it to them to figure it out how to do the job. (Ninety-five percent of the time they will wait for you to tell them how to do the job; about five percent of the time, they will figure it out on their own.) So, don’t leave them alone to decide how to get the job done.
Do you have processes and systems in place?
Do you have a checklist for each set of processes you expect to be accomplished? Do these processes and systems reflect your values and operational priorities, or did you just copy these from another agent? It’s very important to make your operations reflective of your value and activity priorities.
Example of a Process that is Simple Yet Important
An example would be answering the phones. When you hire an assistant, you may assume that the assistant may know how to answer the phone. But, that’s not true. I don’t mean how to mechanically answer the phone. I mean: What do you want to communicate about your service from that phone voice? What phone tone do you expect? What script will convey what you are about, what you value, how you treat people? Even the simple phone answer is an important one, for it sets the tone of your business. Sometimes when I call an agent, I hear a phone message that is so deflated, so cheerless, so scattered, that I wonder if that agent wants my business! Or, when I call a real estate office or agent with an assistant, that assistant sounds as though I am bothering him by calling! Boy, that’s a value that the agent probably doesn’t want communicated……
Gather Your Checklists BEFORE You Hire that Person
You need to use and/or review all your checklists to assure you have one for every operation you want done. So, right now, write down every process you want that person to do. Now, beside that process, write the checklists you have or need.
Are you ready to hire that person?
Getting Help in Expanding Your Business
If you’re a seasoned agent, if you’ve completed at least 14-20 transactions a year, you’re ready to step to the next level. Finding the right coach and the right program will take you there. Why not investigate our unique, one-on-one custom coaching program, Career Achievement? Click here to sign up for a Complimentary Consultation and learn more.
