Cheeer,

Mark Washburn

In my career to date I have had thousands of incidents to get past the PA (Gatekeeper) sometimes asking for jobs, contracts or asking for fundraising (all the same all selling) and with age and experieince you tend to improve all of the time.

I too in my early years responded similar to your example as I could not see the issue from the other foot. I always said if and when I am ever in a position of power or influence I would ensure that I take each and every call and help each and every person. Well I guess i was a bit younf and naive..

When I got my first corporate executive role I thought I was fortunate enough to have a PA but soon found out that juggling my priorities and people in a large complex organisation required the skills of someone better than me. I initially said to my assistant ‘Never refuse a salesperson I want to speak to anyone and everyone who takes the time and passion to call me’ she laughed with sincerity but being more experienced than me replied, ‘ok’. One week later and one million calls later I suddenly was taught the role and deliverable that an excellent assistant plays. It is humanly impossible to operate your business and speak with each and every person that calls.

My assistant was one of my best teachers to date teaching me the value of time management and value of time for the most important people in my business, ‘my staff and my customers’ Does not mean that I do not take cold calls but I do now value the objective decision my assistants take.

I recall in memory Carol my assistant saying: (some people did not realise that she was a highly educated and skilled executive in the own right and actually went on to eventually take my role!)

1, Treat the PA as your friend by bringing some humour and levity to the conversation bringing down some of the barriers and making you stand out from some of the horrid and aggressive salespeople who call (in fact 90% of them)

2. Do some research and if you can spend time finding out who the boss is do the same to find out who the assistant is

3. Smile when you call and have no fear, remember that a well trained assistant is highly skilled at screening good opportunities and valuable calls and lives to help an promote her boss and company

4. Be relentless not to the point that you irritate and annoy the assistant

Clearly these human rules that Carol taught me only work with good managers and good assistants – No rules exist to deal with idiots as with your earlier blog on idiots you correctly say move on otherwise you will come down to their level.

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” Albert Einstein