Whatever dream you may have for your future, you can be sure that someone has already figured out how to make it into a reality.
Have you ever considered going to one of these people directly for advice?
If you haven't, you really should, since this one action might save you hundreds of hours of frustration along your path to achieving your dreams.
But these experts are superhuman, aren't they? There's no way I could just approach them directly for advice.
Most people aren't bold enough to get in touch with these valuable individuals. This is a shame, since these are the people to contact if you want to take massive progress towards your goals.
But what we do instead?
We ask advice from people we are comfortable talking to, no matter what their level of expertise is.
Your mom might not be the greatest help when it comes to advice on starting your own business.
You should always try to reach the people who have actual experience.
Asking advice from the right person can mean the difference between realizing your dreams, or falling flat on your face.
The reason we'd rather keep to ourselves
Sure, it can be a bit frightening to contact these people who have much more experience than you.
They have all kinds of titles, and rewards to show for their efforts. To you, they might almost seem like gods because they've been able to succeed in something you only dream about.
This social status acts as a barrier for contact in most cases. Even the idea of contacting these people, is way too much for most people to handle. It isn't even considered an option.
You'll be a bit nervous before contacting someone who you admire. This is expected.
But I've discovered that most people have completely unrealistic expectations of what would happen if they did approach someone more experienced. These beliefs make the process much harder than it need be.
For some reason we imagine that these people would never even talk to us. We might even picture these people laughing at our simple questions, and possibly even getting mad.
What if I told you that, in real life, the complete opposite reaction could be closer to the truth?
Hey, they're human too
When you ask someone for advice you are actually giving them the greatest compliment they've ever received!
Let me explain.
Think back on a time when someone came to you, asking for advice on a topic you're experienced in. Didn't you feel flattered?
The person who approached you was actually saying that he respects your achievements and considers you capable of helping him to the next level.
When people ask me for advice I'm always happy to help, and I want to give these people the best guidance I'm capable of giving.
The people you look up to probably think the same way as well.
Chances are that the person you reach out to is dying to share his experience with other like-minded people. It could even lead to a long lasting relationship.
But only if you do it right.
The three steps to asking for advice successfully
With a little common sense you'll be just fine when asking for advice.
Still, it's good to have a general idea of how to do it the right way.
I'd break the process into three steps:
1. Prepare:Come prepared with questions that are worthy of the expert's time. If you come in with a question you could have easily Googled, you are wasting both of your time. Remember to respect her time to the highest degree possible.
2. Listen up:When you get in contact with your person of choice, you need to be all ears. This isn't the time to argue or debate. Listen up, and hang tight on every word. Keep in mind that this person has actually experienced what you are still only dreaming of doing.
3. Give thanks:No matter what the response was, remember to thank the person at the end of the interaction. Let them know how much you value their advice.
Follow these steps and you'll create a pleasurable experience for both people.
In conclusion
Many of us have very distorted beliefs about what would happen if we contacted someone we admired for advice. These views stand in the way of us getting in contact with people who could change our lives for the better.
You owe it to yourself, to at least test, if these beliefs hold any truth in reality.
Asking for advice can be a bit scary but the potential rewards are well worth it. Overcoming the initial discomfort could lead to incredibly valuable advice from someone with real life experience.
Most people want to help, and they?ll be flattered that you came to them for advice.
Do this the right way and you'll be creating a win-win situation for both parties.
Have you ever asked an expert for advice? What was the result? Please leave your comments below!
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