Can I give you some advice?
Hi there,
We’re heading into a fresh week, but it’s unlikely to be an ordinary week. Aside from your own efforts to stay safe and help others, your work might throw new and unexpected issues your way. Some good advice can save you tons of time figuring it all out.
Starting a new project or taking on new responsibilities can be a big challenge. Especially when it’s in a completely new area. You dive in with enthusiasm, feeling your way along, but before long you get stuck or realize the results aren’t anything to write home about.
What went wrong?
You forgot to ask for advice.
Not long ago, I was involved in an online marketing campaign. It’s a topic that’s not entirely mysterious to me, but I don’t really know all that much about it. At Blendle, we had the unwritten rule that for anything new, you had to run your ideas past at least one expert in the field. Sometimes it felt like a chore – it’s an extra step after all – and you often get told things you don’t want to hear.
But that’s precisely why it’s a good practice. You can almost always find someone who’s already done what you’re about to try for the first time. That means the half hour you spend running your plan by them will pay out in the long term and the short. You’ll get a better sense of how to proceed and get better results in the end.
What seemed like an extra step ends up saving you time.
So here are my 3 tips for getting better advice for experts of all kinds.
Ask the right people
“I don’t know anyone who does X.” That may be true, but if there was ever a chance to meet new people easily, it’s when you’ve got a concrete problem they can help with. Not sure where to find good people? Then start with businesses. What organizations seem to do well at this thing you’re going to try? Consulting their LinkedIn or Twitter can help you on your way.
Search for people who’ve faced the same problem, who have a similar role, or who you know have opted for the solution you’re considering. That way, their answers are more likely to help you further along.
An example: one of the marketing experts I spoke with recommended using the tool Adjust. (This was an expert who’d faced the same problem as me.) I then found someone else in my network who’d worked with Adjust before, so I could ask her some follow-up questions. (This was an expert familiar with the solution.)
Make a clear request
Everyone’s busy, so avoid sending an email with the question, “Do you have time to meet?” The more specific your question, the easier it will be for people to decide it’s worth their while. And you boost your chances of getting the answer you need.
I’ll ask, for instance, “Could I trouble you for half an hour of your time – tops – to ask you a few questions about how you’ve set up your Facebook campaigns?”
Not only are you up front about the subject, it’s also clear this won’t take long. Then people are often happy to help.
Take the time to prep
It’s a date? Great. Now for the next step: make sure you show up prepared. Know precisely what it is you want to know. Preparing for the meeting means you’ll get more out of it, and you show the other party that you respect their time.
If your questions are things the other person may need some time to think about, it can help to share your questions ahead of time. Odds are, you’ll get better answers.
After that, it’s just a matter of smart listening. That means not getting defensive about things you don’t know or may have done wrong, but taking action in line with your newly-acquired knowledge.
Once you experience just how much you can gain from a couple of short meetings with those in the know, you’ll never go back.
So next time you’re about to start a new project: Call on an expert. Get some well-founded advice. And start your plans off right.
Thanks for reading and take care out there, wherever you are.
Rick