Asking for Help

There is a diffused behaviour that I find peculiar, even strange. Yet it’s common of most of the people i meet in my life: it’s the tendency to solve problems by yourself.

Yes, people say, I might ask for help solving this specific problem, from a person more qualified than me in solving it, but you know what, I would spend money, and I just like my money more than caring to have someone solve that problem.

The economic problem is not considering the opportunity cost. How much could I gain if I worked top productivity instead than spending much more time than necessary solving a problem someone else could solve? I believe that the Four Hour Workweek is all about this, and before that we go back to the eighties, with all the outsourcing movement, and its strategic implications.

I understand that many people (at least those who didn’t take any economics classes) have some difficulty with the concept of opportunity cost, but that’s not the only issue at hand. Many are ok with having someone clean their apartment, or babysit their children. But when it comes to more personal problems they just seem too shy to ask for help.

Just think about going to see a psychologist. Human society has built a taboo around being ill, especially if that illness is about the mind. Some small problems which could be solved quite easily if properly addressed in their early stages, could easily become invalidating if people just try to solve them by themself. Because if it’s in your head, that’s nothing you couldn’t cope with by yourself, right?

Well, wrong, actually.

Another example I find too often in my consulting work is when an Entrepreneur fails to see he or she needs help in managing his or her business.

We are talking about small Italian entrepreneurs here, artisans for the most part, or owners of small commercial activities. Many people have not a solid economics preparation. Still, they are so good in their work that they often had a great success in the past. And now the business goes not-so-well, and resources are scarce, and at the time they should need the most help, they don’t have the ability to pay for it, or even ask for it.

I will say it here and now.

There is nothing shameful about asking a professional for help.

I have still to meet a small business owner who does not need at all the services of a business coach, or a branding and marketing specialist (I’m talking about my consulting services here, obviously, but I’m sure that many other professionals will find easy to address other needs). I understand that is difficult, and there are many untrustworthy people out there. Thus I feel I should provide you with an easy three-steps guide to understand if any consultant or agency is good for you, especially if you are on a tight budget, and you can’t afford failures.

1. A true professional defines SMART objectives: this is an absolute yes/no condition to hiring a professional. If your consultant doesn’t talk about measurable business objectives, then he or she is not to be trusted. Mind me, I’m talking about business objectives, that must be measurable form at least a qualitative point of view, and are proved to have a positive effect on your numbers. Likes on a facebook page are surely easy to measure, but aren’t a business result. Improved sales, or hot leads are business results. Improvement in referrals is a business result. Don’t be talked into results about which you find difficult to understand the value. If in doubt, ask for a second opinion, possibly from a competitor of the first consultant. If you still have the doubt, then you probably need their services. Always ask how the agreed upon objectives influence the business.
2. A true professional has referrals: when in doubt, ask to talk directly to previous clients of your consultant. Do a quick google search to verify that the person you are calling is not your consultant’s brother or best friend. Ask him to describe the work they have done together. This is an effortless step in assuring that the money you are going to spend are well spent.
3. …or he is willing to be paid after the objective is reached: well, everybody has to start someplace, and your consultant could be new to your industry, new to the business, or not willing to disclose his previous clients (who may want to stay anonymous). You shouldn’t trust him then? Well, if you were able to agree upon an objective that you find reasonable, but he has no proof that he can really make you reach that objective, at least he should be willing to be paid when the objective is reached. And mind you, you must pay him, at the end. Truth is, true professional work by objectives, and if someone does not have a strong reputation, he should be willing at objective reached (my suggestion is to think about partial objectives here, especially in case of long term objectives. Everyone has to eat, even consultants).

I’ll say it again. Asking for help is in your best interest. Just be careful on how you choose your helping hand, and everything will be great for you!