Your Advice

Do you have people contacting you for advice, expecting it at no cost? And when you direct them to your consulting services it's the last you ever hear from them? It's not uncommon for consultants to have that experience. Usually the person asking for the advice loses track of the fact that advice is a consultant's stock in trade, the stuff that puts food on the consultant's table. Rarely is the person asking the question from the point of taking undue advantage of you. They just don't seem to know any better. You're an expert and they think they can just ask.

A tips booklet can be an excellent way to short-circuit the "I just have a quick question for you" syndrome. It can be comprised of the most frequently asked questions, an "FAQ" in booklet format. There are times it makes sense to give it away at no cost, or charge a small amount for a single copy, either as a PDF file or a hard copy. And there's times to say you'd be happy to schedule some consulting time "on the clock," something the person may not have realized was available. Either way, it's up to you to guide the advice seeker's path in ways that work best for both of you.

Until next time,
Paulette - who had a few more of those advice-seekers show up in today's inbox
www.tipsbooklets.com