The Answer to Your Admin Challenges/My 5 QQT’s

Ok, how’d you like my previous post, ‘The Best Investment You Will Ever Make?‘ Did it make sense? Of course it did, numbers don’t lie. I cannot begin to tell you how important it is for salespeople to have an admin or an admin team.

Now let’s take it a step further and talk about how to find the right admin. This will be just as important as the last post. You see, salespeople are experts in ‘selling’, that is our passion right? But are we experts in finding, interviewing and securing the right team around us? Heck most managers and executives are lacking in this skill.

WHY?

Lack of communication. The admin person simply doesn’t know what’s expected of them, because you never explained it. That’s because salespeople don’t put much thought into what kind of admin they want. We all just interview and ask the same mundane questions and if the person seems right we hire them. Now would you walk into a planning meeting with a client without a plan? Of course not. So why would you do the same with an interview?

Take this typical interview scenario;

What is your experience?

Tell me about your last position

What kind of computer skills do you have?

And I ‘love’ (sarcastic) these questions …

What’s your greatest strengths? weaknesses?

What are your career goals?

Uggghhh.

What kind of answers will you typically get? The answers they feel you want to hear. What will you really learn? Nothing really. Are the questions designed to get the admin person you want? Of course not. It just sets you up for hiring the wrong person, wasting time training that person then getting frustrated when they don’t do what you want or aren’t capable. Result? You end up firing that person and starting all over again. Fun, right?

In my 30 plus years working with, hiring and training admins, I have developed a fool proof system to find the right admin person the very first time. You’re going to love this for its simplicity.

Rick’s 5 QQT’s                        

Simply put, write the following; The Top 5 …

1. Qualities you are looking for in an admin
2. Qualifications the admin should have
3. Tasks you want them to do

That’s it, simple. What my 5 QQT’s does are

• Helps you clearly define what you are looking for in an admin
• Allows the admin to know if he/she is right for the job
• Eliminates ambiguity
• Establishes a clear line of communication and expectations from the start

Here’s an example

Qualities

1. Detail orientated
2. Organized/Multi tasker
3. Thick Skin/Good under pressure
4. Self starter
5. Professional

Qualifications

1. Superior phone skills
2. Master Computer skills
3. CRM software comfortable
4. Professional with emails and letter writing
5. Comfortable with technology

Tasks

1. Be prepared and run internal meetings
2. Take control of my calendar
3. Give me important tasks to do for the day
4. Communicate with clients
5. Liaison between me and home office

Don’t make the same mistakes as others. Get an admin, do the 5 QQT’s and enjoy the benefits. You’ll love having more production with less stress. Yes hiring the right admin is THE best investment you will ever make.

Thanks again for reading. Love to hear your comments and feedback

Rick

Tips from this article

• Lack of communication of expectations is the number 1 reason why salespeople do not have the right admin
• Salespeople never really think of what they really want and expect from an admin before they interview
• Take the time to list the top 5 Qualities, Qualifications and Tasks for your admin
• Rick’s 5 QQT’s will give clarity, provide clear communication and eliminate ambiguity