If you’ve tried to telephone a new or ‘warm’ contact, the chances are you’ve come up against their Executive Assistant – otherwise seen as their gatekeeper. It can be incredibly frustrating, when you’re only trying to arrange a meeting or put forward a reason for striking up a new connection, as your time’s just as important. However, it’s worth bearing in mind, the gatekeeper is only doing their job – and they’re doing it well.

Treat Executive Assistants with respect

Therefore, you need to always treat them with the respect they deserve. Don’t see them as a gatekeeper, even though that’s what we know they’re there for. Their role is a complex and essential one and, if you treat them with respect, it’s going to get noticed – by both the assistant and the executive whose time they’re protecting.

However, treating them with respect isn’t always going to get you past them and in touch with the person you’re trying to contact! So, here’s a tip – try utilising the services of your own PA, EA or VA, to make those initial contact calls.

Utilise the services of an Executive Assistant to help you make a connection

If you as an entrepreneur, executive professional or small business owner, who is struggling to get past the gatekeeper or is being ignored by their boss, ask your PA, EA or VA to make contact via their PA, EA or VA direct. Have them explain what you’re hoping to achieve from having a conversation, i.e. learning more about their business or sharing some background information on you and your business.

Give them time to discuss the information with their boss

Once they have the background reasoning behind you requesting a meeting or telephone call, then the Executive Assistant can go in fully equipped and ready to discuss with their boss your intended purpose, whilst also clarifying how their boss would like to proceed, in response.

This can take time to nurture and does not happen overnight.  However, by entrusting the Executive Assistant to move this forward, you stand a better chance of getting them to deliver a favourable result.  Leave her to come back to you; touch base gently by phone/email after a period time, say a week to ten days but don’t hound her.  Be assured that it’s on her list and she will respond.  I’ve had a number of successes by taking this approach.

The relationships that EAs and other administrative support staff strike up as peers, is powerful and should not be underestimated! Not only can it play an important role in protecting your time, it can also help you build better business relationships too. So, utilise the secret weapon you have at your disposal, to their full potential and you’ll build a stronger business and a stronger business relationship with your EA too!

If you’d like to explore how an Executive Assistant can help you and your business, why not get in touch? We’re easily contactable by email office@elitepasolutions.com or phone 01788 521 970.