It may seem that an experienced agent who knows the ropes would make for a good hire. However, for a number of reasons agents make poor assistants. For one, the personality type and habitual behaviors that makes for a good agent is quite different than that of a good assistant.
If you are familiar with the DISC behavioral assessment tool, you’ll remember that we all contain varying degrees of each of the four personality traits; Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. Agents tend to have a higher amount of Dominance and Influence, making them “take charge” people assertive in action and convincing in communication. Both are leadership qualities excellent for performing the tasks of an agent, such as lead generation and negotiating.
Individuals with more strength in the Steadiness and Compliance departments tend to make for better assistants. They exude the qualities of patience, persistence and thoughtfulness that are hallmarks of Steadiness. Compliance, in this case, is not considered a weakness but a strength that relates to structure and organization.
In reading these two personality portraits, who would you rather have as an assistant?