Find an Expert on Any Topic in About Three Phone Calls

Definition:

Utilizing your network to initiate a search for experts on any topic.

• What it is: By progressively calling more knowledgeable people, you will eventually find an expert. You start by calling the most knowledgeable person you know and asking them who might know the answer you are looking for. If they can not answer the question, they will likely know someone more knowledgeable than them.

• What it does: By finding the most knowledgeable person you know, you have tapped into an area of their interest. Hopefully, they have spent some time in this area and have met or heard of someone who knows more than they do. Each time you call the next person, you are moving up the ramp to more and more knowledgeable people.

Uses:

• How it is used: When you are researching a product, market, company, industry, technology, etc., you need to find an expert who can help you learn more. But since the product, industry, etc. is new to you, you do not know any experts. If you can find anyone in your circle of friends or associates who knows something about the topic, they will likely know someone who knows more than them. Depending on how knowledgeable your first contact is, you can often find an expert in three phone calls or less.

• Where: You can use the phone call rule for advice on a variety of topics, including the following:

• New product development for a specific application

• A competitor company or a potential acquisition you want to learn more about

• A new technology or opportunity you are trying to pursue

• Costs and contract manufacturing resources to make something  A process you want to implement within your company and how the process has worked for others

• Why: Blind searches on the internet can be fruitless or lead to inaccurate information from people who are not experts. If you can find an expert, you can jump-start your research and focus your efforts on the most important topics.

Limitations:

• Where it shouldn't be used: If you are working on a highly secret program in your company, making 3–4 phone calls to people and asking them about the topic could tip off potential competitors to something you will be doing. You may want to use a consultant to complete the search for you so your name is not associated with the search.

• Any restrictions: There are many experts who will not provide information without being paid a fee. You may need to pay the experts to speak to you.

• Warnings: While someone may say they are an expert, that may not be true. You should never trust a single expert or their associates. You should try and find at least two independent experts and see if they say the same things. If not, you should search for 3–4 experts until you start to see a converging of ideas.

Demonstrations:

• The three Phone Call Rule

Step-by-Step Process:

• Where do you start to find an expert?

• LinkedIn contacts in your network

• Authors of books, articles or journals

• People who have spoken about the topic on TV

• University professors or company leaders

• Speakers at conferences, conventions and other gatherings about the topic

• Attendees at conferences, conventions and other gatherings about the topic

• People blogging or publishing on the internet

• Start by seeking out the person you know who you think will know the most about the topic.

• If you do not know anyone who is knowledgeable on the topic, you need to find a place to start. Some examples include the following:

• Make the first call

• If it is to a friend, explain what you are doing and what kind of information you need. Ask if they know anyone who could answer your question. Ask for contact information and permission to use their name as a reference.

• If you call someone you found on LinkedIn, the internet, booklist, conference attendee list, etc. explain who you are (being a college student often helps) and what kind of information you are searching for. If they can help you, great! Ask your questions. But whether they can answer your questions or not, ask who the most knowledgeable person they know is and ask for contact information and whether you can use them as a referral.

• Make the second call and be sure to use the name of who suggested that you call them. That will normally make them more open to talking with you. If they can help you, great! Ask your questions. But whether they can answer your questions or not, ask who the most knowledgeable person they know is and ask for contact information and whether you can use them as a referral.

• Make the third phone call or more as needed until you feel you have found one or more experts who meet your needs.

Template for Capturing Data:

• No template is needed for this process. Just keep notes of who you called and who they referred you to.

Output Representation and Recommendations:

There is no presentation of the expert finding process. But you will want to use standard presentation styles to present your findings.

Examples:

• See the Demonstrations section for a video about Idaho Potato Farmers.