Dangers of some 'expert' advice
At D&Co we really strive to empower our fellow business owners. But, it pains me to say that lately I've seen a lot of advice from 'experts' that is straight up wrong. Either that or they are really not giving you the full picture.
For instance, I saw a post from a coach/ business advisor about sending gifts to clients. While it's absolutely great to do that, it truly depends on the right circumstances. Nowhere in the message did this professional indicate that depending on who your client is, what their company policies are, and/or what industry you're in there can be ethical regulations and constraints about gifting. If you don't take the time to understand these, you can jeopardize your relationship with the client and put your client (or even yourself) in a tough position. I later saw another professional say that because she was wearing a mask during a recent purchase that she was a better negotiator - indicating that her smiling facial gestures are "maybe this is a woman thing?". Please know that you can smile and be friendly, whilst still being firm with negotiations. Some people have a natural talent for negotiations, but this can be also be polished through proper training.
What these types of messages indicate to me is that these professional coaches or business experts have had a decent amount of luck with their success. They might have been able to adopt a handful of their actions to replicable steps to package up and resell to their clients. However, these types of messages really indicate that people are either not properly trained or they don't have enough long-standing experience to know what action will work opposed to what they have been able to get by doing.
Here are a few tips for you to navigate & cut through this clutter:
Check your sources. Does this person have more than just a massive amount of followers? Does this individual have professional credentials or does this person have a proven track record of success prior to their work as an entrepreneur?
Do your research when hiring a professional. Your hard earned money shouldn't leave your hands so quickly. Do a little digging before you make a financial investment. Where did this person work? Why did this professional go on their own? Do they have client testimonials? Do they have varied experience or have they worked at the same type of company (e.g. size
Do your own research. You might come across one article or watch an IG post with some tips and advice. But rarely is this ever the full picture. Check a few other professional opinions and make a decision for yourself.
Have you ever felt that you have been given advice by an ‘expert’ that wasn’t the full picture? What happened? What did you do? Comment below, I’d love to hear your story.
