How to Ask Good Power BI Questions? & Get Them Answered??

This article has three parts

1. Part I - The Problem
2. Part II - Where to Ask for Help
3. Part III - How to Ask Your Power BI Question (So they Get Answered)

Part I - The Problem

You are stuck!

• You are stuck trying to make a DAX Measure work
• Or Your Visuals are just not behaving! Argh!
• Or you have another technical Power BI Question

I sometimes joke with my kids that "Google is God!", implying it knows everything.

But when you are stuck late in your office (or home office), trying to find that answer, it certainly doesn't feel that way.

Google gives you LOTS of answers...just not yours!

So you finally decide to ask others for help.

But ★where★ should you ask for help? And ★how★ should you ask for help?

It's quite possible, you have tried asking for help before, but had only been disappointed.

This article will teach you, how you can ask good Power BI questions?...and get them answered??

Ready? Let's go.

Part II - Where to Ask for Help

You could go on...

Option 1: Power BI Community Forums

And other similar forums on the web (there are lots and lots of them!). These can be hit or miss.

Option 2: LearnPowerBI Private Community

This is a private community, exclusively for members of the LearnPowerBI Program.

? Advantages:

? This has a more selected group of individuals (since this is an exclusive community)

? That may make you more comfortable in asking questions inside this closed, private group

? Everyone is part of the same program, and is grounded in the same LearnPowerBI principles. So you are more likely to get consistent advice you can trust

? Avi (that's me ??) can step in to assist with questions wherever needed

? Disadvantages:

— Some times it can be hard ?? to explain your problem on a forum. And that's when the next option, may be the best one :-)

Option 3: Power BI Q&A Live Zoom Call (Best Option!)

We host LIVE Power BI Q&A Calls on Zoom, and this can have several advantages.

? Advantages:

? On a live call you can just talk to someone and explain your problem

? You can easily share your screen and/or files if needed*

? You can work together on the LIVE Call to find a solution ?

* Of course, we don't recommend you share any sensitive data without an NDA. So if you do have sensitive data either hide it, use dummy data or anonymize it. Or just hire a Consultant.

To learn more about the LIVE Power BI Q&A Calls on Zoom, just click here.

Bonus Option: Hire an Expert Power BI Consultant

If you are looking for immediate help from an expert, in a completely private setting, where you can safely share your private data and files, consider hiring a Power BI Consultant

_____________________________

But whether you are posting your question on a forum, or asking in a live session; you still need to ask your question ? the right way (by including the right elements) to improve your chances of getting an answer ??

Part III - How to Ask Your Power BI Question (So They Get Answered)

Including one or more of these elements, when asking your question, could greatly increase the chances of you getting an answer.

• Question Text: Explain your question in words
• Annotated Screenshot
• Attached File (Excel or Power BI File)
• Recorded Video or Live Screen Sharing

Including these elements can help you get your Power BI Question Answered ??. Keep reading to learn exactly how to do that.

Level 1: Question Text Only

You may get an answer, but probability may be low :-(

Here's what Level 1 May Look Like:

I am showing sales by month.
I would like to show the "Average Monthly Sales" for the selected period.

I can show Total Sales (Sum of Sales).
But I tried switching that to Average and that gives a very different number :-(

I am stumped, please help.
        

Level 2: Question + Annotated Screenshot

A picture is worth a thousand words :-)

A Useful Tip here:

• Besides pointing out what is NOT working
• Also specify what the right answer or behavior should be

See Video below ?? on "How to Create Annotated Screenshots" and scroll down further to see an example of an annotated screenshot.

Here's what Level 2 May Look Like, with the Annotated Screenshot:

I am showing sales by month.
I would like to show the "Average Monthly Sales" for the selected period.
?? See Screenshot below.

I can show Total Sales (Sum of Sales).
But I tried switching that to Average and that gives a very different number :-(

I am stumped, please help.
        

Level 3: Question + Annotated Screenshot + Attached File

Adding a file, makes it much easier for someone to step in and help.

You can either include

• Power BI File (see earlier note about sharing sensitive data)
• Excel File with Some Input Data or Sample Data

Usually the easiest ways to actually "attach" the file, is to upload it to Google Drive / One Drive / Dropbox etc. and create a "Shared Link"

Here's what Level 3 May Look Like:

I am showing sales by month.
I would like to show the "Average Monthly Sales" for the selected period.
?? See Linked File & Screenshot below.

I can show Total Sales (Sum of Sales).
But I tried switching that to Average and that gives a very different number :-(


I am stumped, please help.
        

?? Linked PBIX File: Click to Download (Shared via OneDrive)

Level 4: Question + Attached File + Recorded Video or Live Screen Sharing

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth? Ha! Quite a bit. Videos can be really helpful.

Recorded Video of you walking through the problem (see example below, recorded using Loom)

Live Screen Sharing with the Person trying to help you and walk them through the problem. The big advantage here of course is

• They can ask for clarification
• They can take over screen control to guide you
• You may be able to see them solve the problem in real time. Thus not only getting the answer, but also understanding their approach to problem solving

As I mentioned before, that's exactly why we host LIVE Q&A calls inside our Learn Power BI Training Program.

* As we also said before, we don't recommend you share any sensitive data without an NDA. So if you do have sensitive data either hide it, use dummy data or anonymize it. Or just hire a Consultant.

Here's what Level 4 May Look Like:

I am showing sales by month.
I would like to show the "Average Monthly Sales" for the selected period.
?? See Linked File & Video below.

I can show Total Sales (Sum of Sales).
But I tried switching that to Average and that gives a very different number :-(


I am stumped, please help.
        

?? Linked PBIX File: Click to Download (Shared via OneDrive)

Recap

I am not saying that every single time you have a question you should do all those things.

But just understand that including these additional elements, may increase the probability of your question getting answered

• Question Text: Explain your question in words
• Annotated Screenshot
• Attached File (Excel or Power BI File)
• Recorded Video or Live Screen Sharing

As always...

?Power On!? / Avi