When is the last time you sat down with someone for the express purpose of learning? Maybe your neighbor is a professional video editor and you’ve been thinking about creating a family DVD for the holidays. Assuming that scenario, would you ask for advice?
I find it interesting that people spend so much money on professional seminars, training, books, multimedia presentations, etc. and yet avoid talking to the experts closest to them. In some rare cases, asking for professional advice may be socially unacceptable. For example, bothering your attorney neighbor for free legal tips isn’t normally considered to be in good taste. However, in the overwhelming majority of cases, your neighbor wants to tell you about what she does and share her expertise.
Flipping the question
Now consider your offering. You need customers, clients, readers, viewers — fans. You need people to care about what you’re providing. You’re just waiting for your neighbor to ask what you do so you can use your elevator pitch. Right?
Participating and engaging in conversations is the best way to transfer knowledge. It doesn’t necessarily matter if the conversation is real time and face to face or if it takes place over weeks and thousands of miles. It only matters that there is a conversation. Starting a conversation is simple — just ask a question. If you’re genuinely interested in knowing the answer, you’ll learn much more than you were expecting.
The magical conclusion
In elementary school I often heard this great advice: “If you want a friend, you need to be a friend.” Doesn’t that same advice apply here? In the world of the unreachable, we can’t expect people to listen to us if we’re not listening to them. It’s a conversation, not a seminar — conversations are always more engaging.
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