Comments on: Eight Things to Remember About a Senior Executive’s Secretary

By: Hardingco Blog » Blog Archive » Finding Time for Business Development #4: Getting Help from Your Administrative Assistant

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:05:13 +0000

[...] In previous posts, Seven Things to Remember About a Senior Executive’s Secretary and Getting Help from Executives’ Assistants, I described how to get help from a client’s administrative assistant. In simple terms, I described how to develop a relationship with her that benefits her boss, her and you. [...]

By: More with sugar than spice « sullivankreiss.com

More with sugar than spice « sullivankreiss.com — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:17:32 +0000

[...] More with sugar than spice Posted on November 25, 2008 by sullivankreiss Mel Lester recently had a post on his blog, Hardingco Blog, Eight Things to Remember About a Senior Executive’s Secretary. His post reminds me of an important lesson my parents taught me, you get more with sugar than spice. [...]

By: Ford Harding

Ford Harding — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:50:10 +0000

Scott
Got it.
Ford Harding

By: Scott Boutwell

Scott Boutwell — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:33:15 +0000

Quick note:

You refer to the person as a “secretary”. That term has not been used in major corporations for a decade or so.

The term is “administrative assistant”….not a big point, but if you are going to develop a strategy to work with this person effectively, we should probably get the title right, too.

By: Ford Harding

Ford Harding — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:52:14 +0000

Blaine and Ian:

Thanks. These are all good comments. I particularly like point 10. We sometimes forget how much competition there is for that half hour with the executive.

Ford Harding

By: Ian Brodie

Ian Brodie — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:58:45 +0000

2a - She’s heard every clever script in the book - using one will bracket you as yet another salesperson more interested in manipulating her than in truly helping her boss.

11 Pressure tactics to get her to put you through won’t work nowadays - if they ever did.

Ian

By: Blaine

Blaine — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:23:15 +0000

10. She/He gets 25-50 phone calls a day from people trying to sell the boss something. What is so unique about your call?

A. Were you referred by a company employee or executive?

B. Have you already met the executive you are trying to get to at meet and greet and are following up?

C. Have you had other contact with the executive such as email?

Anything that makes your request for a meeting more of a follow up rather than a cold call has a greater chance of her/him actually asking the boss if she/he should book the meeting.

By: Ford Harding

Ford Harding — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:01:06 +0000

David:

Dead right.

Ford Harding

By: David Harkleroad

David Harkleroad — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:50:20 +0000

9. Simply telling the assistant you have to talk to the boss to explain your offer isn’t likely to get you through: rarely does anyone get past an assistant unless his or her boss wants them to, and that means the boss will want to understand why they should spend even two minutes listening to you.