Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

6.5. Knowing Whom to Hire

Here's a thought: You may be spending more time with your assistants than you will with your spouse. That suggests that you need to hire someone you can work with. It should be someone who understands your goals and shares them—someone who is looking for a career, not just a job. You want someone who is

• Detail-oriented

• Goal-oriented

• Self-motivated

• Punctual

• Organized

• Calm, cool, and collected

• Good at solving problems

Maybe you noticed that the personality of a good assistant is the direct opposite of that of a good salesperson. We salespeople are much more excitable, driven, and over the top than a good assistant should ever be. We have to be. We need to ride the daily rollercoaster. Our assistants need a much more even-tempered approach to keep us on track.

Salespeople tend to hire the wrong types: someone they can control and feel superior to, someone like themselves, or somebody they feel sorry for. Don't make the same mistake. Hire someone who is willing and capable of taking on a supporting role and performing the tasks that tend to take your focus off selling.