Karen Repoli — September 11, 2019 — September 11, 2019
During WW1 Henry Ford sued a Chicago newspaper for libeling him when they called him “an ignorant pacifist.” At the ensuing trial, the defense lawyers grilled with Mr. Ford with a line of questioning regarding general knowledge in an effort to prove to the jury that he was, as they said, ignorant.
Mr. Ford’s response, “If I should really want to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the other questions you have been asking me, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk, and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer any question I desire to ask concerning the business to which I am devoting most of my efforts. Now, will you kindly tell me, why I should clutter up my mind with general knowledge, for the purpose of being able to answer questions, when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?”
The lawyers did not succeed in their intent to prove Mr. Ford an ignorant man. Every person in the court realized that it was the answer of a man of education.
This story, related in Napolean Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, brilliantly illustrates, “It was not essential that he have this knowledge in his own mind.” Rather he relied on the assistance of those who worked in his organization.
This is exactly why you should be building your dream team – starting with a professional virtual assistant.
Think about it. You decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge because you were passionate about your vision of what you could offer the world. It may have been inspiring others to live abundantly through life coaching services or assisting your fellow entrepreneur in reaching their goals through your service or product.
Most likely it was NOT doing administrative tasks, technical work, internet marketing or any of the other multitude of back-office business tasks that must be done in any business!
So, you need to be able “summon to your aid” a team who can answer your questions and supply the knowledge you require.
One of the questions I often get from the entrepreneurs I consult with is “How do I decide what to delegate to a virtual assistant? A great way to start is to put keep a pen and paper (okay, or your ipad) with you as you go through your day and every time you find yourself thinking ‘I don’t like doing this’ or ‘This is not my expertise’ or similar thought, write down what you are doing. The resulting list is what you need to delegate! That list could include:
- Creating opt-in, sales and web pages
- Social Media Marketing
- Blog posting
- Email marketing – sending sales letters, newsletters etc
- Customer service
- Creating and maintaining your membership site
- Graphic creation
- Copy writing
- Scheduling appointments
- Responding to routine emails
- Bookkeeping
I’m sure you may come up with many more!
The key is that you do not have to have all the “general knowledge” in your own mind when you have a dream team to assist. Mr. Ford had a row of electric push buttons. You have email, texting, phone and internet to contact the right people to supply the knowledge and skills you need!
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