How To Ensure That Your Advice Is Helpful

Note: This article is Section H of 26 Ways For Professionals To Get New Business.

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As a service professional, giving advice is a component of your work.

In too many cases, advice is more of an automatic response to a question than a mindful delivery of service.

Instead of just dispensing the first chunk of information that comes to mind, why not serve up some truly helpful advice?

Rather than simply telling clients what they should do, try helping them understand what they can do and how to do it.

Clients cherish and remember the helpfulness of advice long after the exact details might have been forgotten.

Consistently providing helpful advice enhances relationships with clients: the perfect nutrient for the growth of repeat and referral business.

“…Not What I Want!”

Early in my career as lawyer, Alex was one of my first clients.

Following our introductory greetings, he launched into the story of his ongoing dispute with a neighbor.

When he seemed to have finished his story, I asked if there was anything else he wanted me to know he said no.

I then summarized his story and offered several suggestions about what he might do about the situation.

When I had finished my part of the dialogue, with a disgusted look on his face, Alex shook his head and said, “You got the facts right, but what you said ain’t what I want.”

Taken aback by his comment all I could do was to ask him what he wanted.

And what he wanted was a lawyer’s letter telling his neighbor to keep his cow out of Alex’s garden.?

Some gentle questioning confirmed that was exactly what Alex wanted…nothing more, nothing less.

Lessons learned:

1.?????sometimes clients aren’t always totally clear on what they really want.

2.?????it can be really helpful to ask clients specifically what they want.

Start With End In Mind

Looking back at my conversation with Alex, it’s obvious that I inadvertently stumbled into the wisdom of Stephen R. Covey’s famous quote:

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination.”

In Alex’s case this would have meant after hearing the story of the dispute with his neighbor, my best response would have been something along the lines of: what would an ideal resolution look like to you?

For whatever reason, it seems that when facing problems, we can become so engaged with the issues associated with the problems that we cannot see beyond them.

As was the case with Alex, we can become so consumed with and focused on problematic situations that we cannot see a solution…without being asked directly.

Similarly, as advice-givers sometimes we become so focused on our expertise and knowledge that we are prepared to offer advice without fully understanding what the advice recipients really want or need.

Invariably the most helpful advice assists advice recipients move closer to their desired outcomes or results.?

Engaged Listening

As providers of professional services, not only do we get paid for what we know, we also get paid for applying what we know in order to improve our clients’ individual situations.

Although we seldom get paid just for listening, listening is the critical first step of the process that leads to getting paid.

By listening carefully to what clients tell us, we can uncover their real problems.

Engaged in listening involves more that simply hearing spoken words.?It also includes:

• Observing body language.

Given that most experts agree that 70 to 93 percent of all communication is nonverbal, it is as important to pay attention to body language as it is to hear the words that are spoken.

• Asking strategic questions

The purposes of strategic questions is to gather accurate information about our clients’ situations…nothing more and nothing less.

This includes requesting clarification when necessary.

• Paraphrasing and summarizing what has been said

The first step in applying what we know in order to help clients is to confirm what we know and understand about their unique situation.

The best way to do this is to tell clients what you understand their situation is.?Like Alex, they will be quite prepared to correct any misunderstanding.

Strategic Questioning

In case the term Strategic Questioning is new to you, it is defined as:

“Strategic questioning is an approach to communication developed …?in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Strategic questioning is a powerful tool for personal and social change which helps people discover their own strategies and ideas for change.

“Strategic questioning can be valuable in campaign strategy processes, group consultations, one-to-one organizing conversations, coaching and many other contexts.”

(Source: Strategic Questioning Manual)

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In practice, there are two levels of questions: one to identify the issue or problem, the other to dig deeper into the identified issue or problem.

For purposes of offering helpful advice, the second level of questions can be helpful.

Once again drawing from the Strategic Questioning Manual, you might consider these questions when digging deeper into clients’ issues:

• ‘How could the situation be changed for it to be as you would like it?’
• ‘What will it take to bring the current situation towards the ideal?
• ‘What exactly needs to change here?’
• ‘How might those changes come about? Name as many ways as possible’
• ‘Who can make a difference?’
• ‘What are changes you have seen or read about?’
• ‘How did those changes come about?’

Consider All The Alternatives

In my conversation with Alex, I became so focused on my proposed solutions that I didn’t even bother considering alternatives.

The first inkling of an alternative was Alex’s reference to a lawyer’s letter.

Several years ago, I joined a nearby health club.?In all respects it was a marvelous experience.

Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed running on the treadmill.?What surprised me was that I had never enjoyed running before…ever!

Encouraged by my newfound enjoyment of running on the treadmill, I tried running outside.

Unfortunately, my running outside was not as positive an experience as running on a treadmill.

Within a week or so, my right knee was more painful as it had ever been.

Like many people of my generation, I have a gimpy knee, the result of untreated teenage athletic injuries and the general wear and tear of an active adolescence.

I didn’t want the return of my gimpy knee to end my new enjoyment of working out so I scheduled an appointment with my family physician.?After telling him the long sordid story of my adolescent injuries, he scheduled a series of X-rays and tests as well as a follow-up appointment.

At the follow-up appointment, before even discussing the outcome of the X-rays and tests, we revisited the issue of when my knee hurt and when it was ok.?

When we agreed that the only time my knee hurt was when I ran outside, his advice was “stop running outside.”

Long story short, I followed his advice and have had no more problems with my gimpy knee.

As suggested earlier, sometimes we become so focused on my accepted or expected solutions that we don’t bother considering alternatives.

Neither Helpful Nor Advice

Jargon

Every industry has its own jargon, some more so than others.

For industry insiders, jargon is like shorthand that makes it easier share ideas and otherwise engage in shop-talk with like-minded people.

For industry outsiders, at best it’s amusing gibberish; at worst it’s confusing and offensive as it’s possible to be.

Instead of relying upon jargon, try using terminology that a reasonably intelligent person can understand.

TMI

In a world overloaded with information, it’s not surprising that TMI or Too Much Information has become such a communication curse.

Instead of dumping TMI in the guise of helpful advice, a better approach would be to offer clear and concise suggestions for how clients or advice recipients can address identified issues.

One-Size Fits All Solutions

As a service professional, you are unique.?No one else has your combination of skills, resources and experience.?As a result, no one serves and satisfies clients the way you do.

Similarly, each of your clients is unique with his or her own individual needs, wants and expectations.

This means that instead of simply offering a one-size-fits-all solution as helpful advice, customize it so that it delivers what clients want, need and deserve.

Promotion And Selling

Helpful advice is not, and should not, be about promoting and selling services.?

When offered free, sound advice can be both a trail run for potentially ideal clients as well as an exercise in relationship-building.

As a fee-for-service offering, ideally your advice is about helping clients achieve desired results.

When thoughtfully and carefully delivered, good, sound advice can help increase the awareness of your personal brand and brand promise.

It’s also an excellent way to attract and build sustainable relationships with ideal clients…and as a result, generate more of the new business that you want and deserve.

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