Last week I bought six jigsaw puzzles from my local independent bookstore. I LOVE independent bookstores! Every time I visit a new town, I make it a point to visit (and support) the local indie bookstore.
Last year, when the second edition of my book was published, I was contemplating putting together a book tour to promote it. Since my budget doesn’t allow me (yet) to hire a professional to plan and execute a book tour for me, and since I’ve never been on a book tour, I turned to an expert for advice. I could guess at some of the details, but bottom line, I didn’t even know what I needed to know.
So I called the owner of my local indie bookstore. I asked her if I could buy her a cup of tea and pick her brain. She graciously agreed. I came prepared with a list of questions: the last one being “what else do I need to know?”
Thirty minutes, and a cup of peppermint tea later, I had a great place to start. I also received assurance from the owner that if I needed more information, I could contact her again. A nice aside was the rest of the non-business conversation we had. Turns out we had a lot in common.
‘It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.’ –Claude Bernard
We all have our strengths. Our areas of expertise. In a situation like this, it behooves each of us to willingly (and completely) share what we know when called upon. I call it generosity of spirit. It also helps to know enough of what we don’t know to seek expert advice.
In this case, my strength was being bold enough to know putting together a book tour, at this moment, was not in my wheelhouse and being willing to seek outside guidance. Sometimes, simply admitting what you don’t know takes courage.
Giving freely of your expertise, without expectation of remuneration often has its own reward (even if it is delayed): I consulted an expert to learn more about something (a book tour) I knew almost nothing about. She was able to share the nuances of what she, as a bookstore owner, looks for when agreeing to host a book-signing for an author. Six months later, she gained a new loyal customer. (After all, I could have bought those puzzles online and skipped her store altogether.)
When was the last time someone sought out your expertise? Were you willing to share? What unexpected benefit did you receive? I’d love to know below!
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