Today’s post is all about how to make better business decisions, by filtering the advice and information you receive.
Bad advice with good intentions
There seems to be no shortage of people, eager to give their unrequested advice to business owners. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. A local business has recently changed ownership. The new owner told me that he’s being bombarded with well intentioned, yet bad business advice. He explained that those offering the advice, have told him they’ve never run a business and have no expertise in his field of business.
Yes, they are trying to help. Yes, they are sincere, as they tell him what to do and what to avoid. However, good intentions and sincerity do not transform bad advice into good advice.
Bad advice with powerful communication
The Internet is packed with voices, offering us the keys to business success. Some of these voices sound convincing. They come from people who are gifted communicators or powerful writers. The challenge, is that bad information that’s well communicated, is still bad information. Just as the intentions behind advice do not change the facts, neither does the way those facts are delivered. Toxic information, well communicated, will still damage us.
The lesson?
Before you act on business advice, detach the message from the intent and the delivery. When looked at in the cold light of day without all the hoopla, what seemed like a great idea often evaporates.
How do you filter the advice you are offered? Share your thoughts with a comment.
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I have had an online business for over 12 years. In that time I have taken the good and the bad, have learned the hard way and know what works. I often just smile and nod and give my thanks. If it is something I hadn’t thought of or heard before I will give it some extra thought and see if it would fit into my business or help in some way. The internet is FULL of “professionals”; just the other night I said to my wife, what makes them “professionals”? Is there a secret vote? Do they just decide they are experts or professionals on their own? Again, I have been doing this for over 12 years and I still don’t boast to be a professional or an expert. I know what I know, my business works and that’s that. Great article, it says a lot in a very few words.
Hi Ron. I think most are just trying to make money, by finding people who are one step behind them.
Sad.
Not only is the internet packed with voices, but these are voices that lose nothing by expressing themselves. As a result a lot of advice can be worthless. The good thing about the internet though is that you have the ability to look up similar situations and learn from others’ experiences.
Good point, Addison. There’s almost zero cost to entry today – anyone can claim to be anything.
Thanks for the comment.
Interesting points made there Jim. I heed qualified advice and shun unqualified advice. I also find that advice offered via webinars is worse then useless.
Agreed 100% on webinars. Even the word makes me cringe.
God bless the University of Hard Knocks, a great way to learn this lesson Jim
It’s a great way to learn, so long as we DO learn. Thanks Wade.
Great message Jim. I’ve found that it’s good to have the courage of my own convictions – it did take me a long time to realize this though
Sometimes we *think* we need to invest more time and money on business advice and training but what we *really* need to do (much of the time) is devote our energy to actually getting on with what we *already* know to do – make some mistakes, learn from them, and keep going.
It can certainly be a lot faster (and cheaper) than listening to wrong advice or staying frozen in ‘education’ mode. Many of us already have all the tools and advice we need in our hands. We just need to make start and build some momentum. This is not to completely take away from seeking good advice or carefully considering before acting of course.
My ‘filter’ is when reading any email, Post or pitch is to quickly identify the real ‘take-away’ (it may be a different one to what the author or marketer is trying to give me). Once I have it. I write it down (so I can potentially ‘own’ it). If it’s clearly sound advice I act as soon I’m able to – if I’m not really sure I let it sit. Jim as you say, what sometimes seems like a great idea often evaporates.
Hi Dean. Thanks for such a well thought out comment.
Like you, I too am a keen note taker. It’s one thing to miss a meal because we’re busy, but we should never miss a great idea.
Thanks again for adding so much to the original post. I appreciate you.
You’re very welcome Jim. I appreciate you and your Posts.
Tough one Jim. It’s very easy to get sucked into the wrong advice.