Assistants Assistance with Shelley Culbertson Matt and Garrett welcome a very special guest, Shelley Culbertson, to the podcast today. A highly successful real estate agent and coach from Medford, Oregon, Shelley joins our hosts for a discussion regarding how to hire assistants effectively and efficiently. She shares her unique approach to bringing on assistants to help with your business - an approach which may seem counterintuitive to some - and explains how it has worked for her and how it can work for others.  Along the way, Shelley emphasizes the importance of clear communication, documented processes, and the need to be open with employees about bringing in additional help. She also discusses the importance of letting go of employees quickly if they are not working out, notes the fact that her team dynamics follow a strict code of ethics, and shares insights into creating a successful team. A fascinating guest with a wealth of wisdom and experience, Shelley Culbertson shares so much here today that will prove extremely beneficial in helping listeners achieve their goal of maintaining an effective and sustainable business model. Even more wisdom can be yours by joining the community of almost 12,000 Ninjas who collaborate, ask and answer questions, network, and more in the Ninja Selling Podcast group on Facebook at Ninja Selling Podcast Facebook. Leave a voicemail at 208-MY-NINJA if you’d like to offer more direct feedback. Be sure to check out Ninja Selling Events for upcoming installations and other events, and if you’d like personalized help in achieving your goals, visit Ninja Coaching to connect with one of our fantastic coaches.   Episode Highlights: Shelley’s background in real estate and coaching Her approach to hiring assistants and why it works Tips for finding the right assistants Training assistants effectively Letting go of assistants when the time is right The need for clear communication and documented processes  Being open with employees about bringing in additional help when needed. Addressing red flags early on Employees understanding that they are representatives of the brand Team dynamics are built on a strict code of ethics Providing quality service upfront to build long-term relationships with clients   Quotes: "I bring them on, I take them to a certain level, and then I kick them out of the nest." "One of my missions is to make it a better industry, one agent at a time." "You have to really put the work in upfront so that the payoff is at the end." "It's not just about hiring the right person; it's about training them properly." "Hire slow, fire fast. I think take your time to really find the right person, but if it's not the right person, you’ve got to get them out of your world." "These are things that you want to address early on to make that determination. Is this person going to stay and learn or is this person going to move on and build a different type of business?" "When you bring on...a buyer's agent, they are representative of your brand. They're not John Smith agent. They're a Shelley Culbertson team agent." "We will not represent a buyer or seller in the same transaction." "I did not get into this industry so I could manage agents." "At a certain point, it is not possible to accommodate everyone's preferences."   Links: www.TheNinjaSellingPodcast.com Email us at TSW@TheNinjaSellingPodcast.com Leave a voicemail at (208) MY-NINJA   Ninja Selling www.NinjaSelling.com @ninjasellingofficial   Ninja Coaching: www.NinjaCoaching.com @ninja.coaching   Ninja Events www.NinjaSelling.com/Events   Garrett garrett@ninjacoaching.com @ninjaredding   Matt matt@ninjacoaching.com @matthewjbonelli   The Ninja Selling Podcast Facebook Group Ninja Coaching Book Study