One of the most valuable learning curves I have had was when I hired my first PA.
I was running hot, listing and selling, and was fortunate enough to have done a lot of training and coaching that taught me how to generate and win lots of business. The problem was the busier I got the more gridlocked I became and before I knew it, I didn’t know where to turn and what to do next.
I clearly needed some help, but nobody in our office had a PA. The boss, who was writing the most business at around $400,000, said “you don’t need one, just manage yourself better”. This was all well and good for him, the office was doing most of his admin, freeing him up to list and sell. I was doing everything by myself, and not very well at all.
Hiring a PA
So, I bit the bullet and advertised for a PA. I hired a lovely lady, Fayroza. Fay was great, but after three months I had to let her go (I’m happy to say we are still friends today) because my business started taking a dip and I couldn’t figure out why.
Hiring a Coach
After she left, I hired a coach and then, to my amazement, I was shown I was getting Fay to do the wrong tasks and likewise I was doing the wrong things.
Once I had the training and a step-by-step system to follow, I took on another PA and everything went nuts. My GCI went from $350,000 to $750,000 in less than 12 months. It was literally like chalk and cheese.
Buying the Business
A year later I bought out my boss and took over the business. The moral of the story is, if I had listened to my boss, given up after my first attempt at having a PA, not got a coach and decided not to persevere with getting help, there is absolutely no way I would be where I am today.
Since Fay, I have always had a PA and support staff and as a result I am very happy having lots of time off and still enjoying great income. Today I have a team of five and also a number of contractors helping us out with many facets of the business.
The reality is you cannot do everything on your own and at some point, you will need assistance, and that could be a PA or coaching and training.
My advice is to start sooner rather than later because there is always a learning curve, but if you get the systems and the training it doesn’t have to take you as long as it took me to get there.
If you want more information on when to take on a PA and how to grow your business, register now for my upcoming FREE half-day Real Estate Brilliance Webinar.
