Is It Time to Hire Team Support Staff? Tales of an Expansion Team – Part 8

By Brooke A. Sines Thanks for your continued support and encouragement along this journey! (Here are my previous updates.) In my last article, I stated that consistency is key to our success in this business. Another key I have found is surrounding myself with great people—not just in my personal life, but also in business. This is important in our teams. Grand Allure Home Group is now successfully operating teams in two markets: the West Michigan area and the Charlotte, N.C., area. What I’ve found to be the most important to this success is a solid foundation in our amazing admin team. What I mean by this is much more than saying they’re amazing. We, as a team, can depend on them each and every day. Our admin team of Loree, Alicia, Lisa and Tracy share our team culture, and almost one heartbeat and one mind, at times. They show up on time, and they don’t complain. (Well, rarely complain—ha ha!) No one sits around waiting for a list of tasks to do each day from me, and they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses to lean on. We are very lucky that these ladies have truly bonded over the years and work harmoniously. I realize that not all admins work this way and that office politics and personalities quite often interfere in the workplace. However, as the team leader, you must do your very best to foster a culture of productivity and have set core values to live by on a daily basis. It is also imperative to have clearly defined roles and responsibilities within the structure of a team. Our team has four admins: a client care coordinator, a transaction coordinator, a marketing director and a team support staff member. The purpose of the team support staff member is to make us all look good by literally offering assistance anywhere it’s needed. She assists us with sign placement, lockbox/key coordination, closing gift preparation, back-end support, recruiting help, IVR set-up, and more. As I’m sure you’ve heard said before, if you don’t have an admin, you are one. If you do have an admin and need some additional support, it may be worth hiring a part-time team support staff member to avoid higher costs for outsourcing certain tasks and give you the personalized support you may need. Who knows? This person may even prove themselves so valuable, it turns into a full-time position for you. Ensure you have a great foundation and as much team support as possible, and you are well on your way to expanding your business. Follow Brooke on her journey at www.ExpansionTeamMom.com. Brooke A. Sines is a Workman Success Systems coach and full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX in West Michigan and Charlotte, N.C., running Grand Home Allure Group, who has been in the business of working with people all her life. She is a mom, wife, real estate coach, team leader and broker. Contact her at Brooke@WorkmanSuccessSystems.com. For more information, please visit www.WorkmanSuccess.com.