Don’t be rude to Assistants
In business, especially the entertainment industry the Assistant can become the boss overnight. I have worked with hundreds of people who are too busy of have so much going on that they have their own assistants. From Managers, top label executives, to financial advisors. It is very common place for people to direct you to their assistants to or connect your assistant to someone else’s assistant to figure out schedules or planning events.
They Are Human!
Aside from assistants being gate keepers, they are human. They are another human, which means they deserve the same level of respect and decency as you would expect. For some reason we hear the word “assistant” and some automatically think they are less than or below them, which is something I‘ve had to warn artists and other clients about. When you go into these offices you need to treat everyone with the respect you want shown to you. It’s honestly just great karma if anything else; you never know when you might see these people, work with them again or need them to assist with something. People may not always remember what you’ve done or who you are but they will always remember how you have made them feel.
They have the power!
Many times, the assistant might be the most powerful person in the room besides the head honcho. Assistants control access, assistants control schedules, and assistants have all the contacts. You won’t be able to get that one - on- one without going through the assistant. Also, a lot of people in high positions lean on their assistants for advice, recommendations, and feedback. Sometimes all you need is for someone’s assistant to vouch for you and you may be given an opportunity that will change your life.
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen assistants go out of their way to help people that they had a connection with, or genuinely believed in. In the same breath I have seen assistants make things hard for people they did not like. Do you realize how easy it is for the assistant of a record exec, program director, manager, or publicist etc.. to make your life harder than it needs to be? From bumping your meetings, giving you wrong times /info, giving a negative report or completely just blocking all communication you have or are trying to have with their boss. I have seen it with my very own eyes. Assistants deleting emails or trashing phone messages because they did not like how a person treated them. It may not be ethical but it is done.
Leave your ego at the door!
Don’t allow your inflated ego or false sense of security unintentionally piss off the wrong people.
Remember in business, but more importantly the music business, everyone has a role and everyone can either hurt or help you. Do not give people a reason to want to hurt you.
Make it a goal of yours to make sure everyone leaves meeting you feeling great about the encounter. The easiest way to do this is to treat everyone with dignity and respect, from the person that handles the garbage, the man that delivers mail, the assistant, to the decision making executive.
Be Nice To Assistants, They May Be Your One Day