Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore Flickr via Compfight cc
This week I interviewed not one, but two experts.
The first expert I interviewed is a multimillionaire with at least 8 businesses. These include car washes, child care centers, a building and remodeling firm, a food distribution company, an organic produce delivery service, and more.
The second expert has worked in sales and marketing since 1991. He has helped businesses like Career Builder, GE Medical, and Pure Fun, Inc. Because of his work, these businesses have earned hundreds of millions of dollars.
How did I get these two to talk to me?
It wasn’t as hard as you think.
What Kind of Expert Should You Interview?
Maybe you think you’ve got to talk to someone like Michael Hyatt, Seth Godin, or John Maxwell to get good information.
You don’t.
In fact, if you want to know what these experts think, visit their websites. Read their books. Go to their seminars. You’ll get a good summary there.
Celebrities can be hard to contact. And if you do get through, you’ll be lucky to get more than a few minutes of their time – if that.
Why not choose someone who isn’t famous but knows something useful that you don’t?
That’s what I did.
I’ll bet that person’s wisdom is like gold to you and your tribe.
You already know someone who would love to help you. Click To Tweet
How Do You Find an Expert to Interview?
I found these 2 in my network. One owns the company where I work. The other is our marketing director.
Your network is bigger than you think. Remember how Kevin Bacon was six degrees away from everybody?
You might be two degrees away from an expert.
Do you belong to a church, a club, or another organization? Who among those people could you interview?
Don’t know anyone? Look at your friends. Who do they know? Do any of them know an expert you can interview?
Stretch your social web wide enough and you’ll find someone to interview.
When you find an expert, ask if you can talk.
Here’s what I said:
“I’ve got a small tribe of writers who want to make a living with their writing. You’ve succeeded in lots of business ventures. Would you be interested in doing an interview to share what you know?”
If he says ‘yes’, read on to see what to do next.
If you want to interview an expert, just ask. Click To Tweet
What to Do When You Interview the Expert
There are a few things you can do to make your interview a success.
Make it easy for him to say yes.
I offered my experts a few options.
- a phone call
- an email list of questions they could return
- a face to face meeting.
There are other ways you could do it.
- over lunch
- on a Skype call
- online chat
Do whatever fits your expert’s schedule. Be flexible. And try again if the first appointment falls through.
Write out your questions beforehand.
Don’t come unprepared. The expert’s time is valuable. So be ready with insightful, well-thought questions.
Don’t let your questions dictate the course of the interview.
Your questions are a starting point.
As the conversation unfolds, other questions may arise.
Go with it.
Rephrase your latter questions if you need to. Or maybe you scrap them altogether.
Listen first, and let what happens happen.
When you interview an expert, ask insightful questions. Click To Tweet
What You’ll Get is Priceless
What could you do with what you learn from an expert?
- increase your own ability
- package it to share or sell
- use it to shape what you write from now on
The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
Be sure to tell the expert what you want to do with the material. He’ll probably give you his blessing – but if not, at least you’ll know.
Do This Now
What expert can you interview in the next few weeks?
- Identify at least 3 people.
- Contact each of them and send a personalized message.
- Make it as easy as possible for the expert to talk to you.
When you get the interview:
- Be prepared with questions.
- Change your questions if better ones arise.
- Thank the expert for his time.
- Let him know when you publish.
I wish you much success!
Feel free to share your story in the comments. Or if you want, you can email me at
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