Many online article writers hold themselves out to be experts in their field and they offer question and answers with the understanding that the answers to the questions they give to people who e-mail them will be posted on their web site and hopefully that will help other people. This is a pretty good strategy and generally these experts will write online articles to get people to the web site in the first place and many times the web sites will have a place that you can fill out a form to ask questions. Unfortunately in using many of these I have noticed that they are willing to give out a few answers to a few questions, but then their sole motive for making money is readily apparent in that the immediately attempt to convert you into a paying customer for their advice. I completely understand the situation as they are self-employed consultants and they need to feed their families, but it is really unfortunate that they only answer basic questions and you have no real indication that they even know what they're talking about before you get into the juicy stuff. So it would be hard for me to want to sign an agreement or consulting contract with them based on their first answer to the first question. If you own a private consulting service and you do business this way as a tactic to get new business then perhaps you should reevaluate how you are perceived by your inquiries. Many of them probably understand that you are a valuable asset, but if you do not give them any indication of relevant advice or a glimmer of intellect on the subject then how can they gauge your expertise. Sure you can tell them of your great rsum at all the things that you've done, but when your answers to your basic questions do not match what they expect of your ability then you will not be impressing them. Please consider this in 2006. |
