Don't Know? Say So!

Imagine you are a Maven Client searching for someone to help you understand an obscure topic- ski lifts, for example. You are trying to learn more about a new ski lift design, and hope to speak with someone who has evaluated the design for a ski resort. You search the Maven network and find several individuals who appear as if they might know something about the topic. Some of the Mavens you select are clearly good matches, because they explicitly state in their profiles that they are ski resort engineering managers or ski lift consultants; others are a bit more obscure, though there are enough context clues to motivate you to invite them, hoping that some are knowledgeable on the topic or might know someone who is.

Note- The description above is EXACTLY the  process that Maven’s Clients go through when searching for Mavens to interact with! A Client will often invite several individuals to consult, knowing that some are great fits, others might not be, and still others might provide referrals.

You invite the people you selected, specifying in your invitation that you are interested in learning more about the new lift design. You also ask four questions:

Q1- Are you a ski resort engineering manager or professional aerial tramway/ski lift consultant?

Q2- Are you familiar with the new Acme Super Wham-O-Dyne 9000 tramway design?

Q3- When was the last time you reviewed the Super Wham-O-Dyne 9000 design?

Q4- Have you purchased and/or installed the new design at a ski resort? If so, when?

A few hours later you check and see that you have received four responses:

Member 102326: Declined

Member 66144: Referred Someone Else

Member 88345: Accepted

Member 13358: Accepted

Great, you have two acceptances! Let’s have a look at their comments and answers to your questions:




Member 88345- Jane L. Doe

Squawk Alley, CA, USA

Comments

I am the Chief Engineer at Squawk Alley, CA, one of the premier ski resorts in North America. I am in charge of all lift operations and ski area development activities and am the final decision-maker on all lift design selections. I review new lift and tramway designs on an ongoing basis and recently completed a comprehensive review of available designs for a new lift we plan to install in Summer 2010.

Q1- Are you a ski resort engineering manager or professional aerial tramway/ski lift consultant?

Yes, I am Chief Engineer at a large ski resort.

Q2- Are you familiar with the new Acme Super Wham-O-Dyne 9000 tramway design?

Yes. I am very familiar with the technology and consider it an impressive design. However, there are newer tramway designs available from other manufacturers that I believe are superior the Super Wham-O-Dyne 9000.

Q3- When was the last time you reviewed the Super Wham-O-Dyne design?

I completed a design review for a new tramway at Squawk Alley last month. The Acme lift was one of the designs I evaluated.

Q4- Have you purchased and/or installed the new design at a ski resort? If so, when?

Yes. Although I selected a competing design from Doppelmayr CTEC for the new lift we are building this summer, last year we installed an Acme Super Wham-O-Dyne 9000 on another part of the mountain. It is performing admirably and is the most efficient lift on the mountain. I would certainly purchase this lift again for the right application.




Wow, it looks like we hit the jackpot with this Maven! She is well-placed and very knowledgeable on the topic of interest. Now let’s have a look at Member 13358’s response:




Member 13358 – John M. Smith

Location- Cincinnati, OH, USA

Comments

n/a

Q1- Are you a ski resort engineering manager or professional aerial tramway/ski lift consultant?

No, but my brother-in-law is the Chief Engineer at Birkwood in California and my college roommate is a lift consultant in British Columbia.

Q2- Are you familiar with the new Acme Super Wham-O-Dyne 9000 tramway design?

No, but I have reviewed their website and can describe their products.

Q3- When was the last time you reviewed the Super Wham-O-Dyne design?

Never. I can talk to my brother-in-law and college roommate and see what they think and then tell you what they say over the phone.

Q4- Have you purchased and/or installed the new design at a ski resort? If so, when?

No, but the last time I went skiing I think I saw the Acme logo on one of the lifts. Not sure though.



Yikes! What a dud! John Smith clearly isn’t appropriate for this inquiry, and he even admits as much (“n/a”) in his comments. So why did he accept? Whether out of zeal, ignorance, or greed, he has accepted an invitation to consult on a topic for which he has no qualifications, and in the process wasted your (the Client’s) time.

John Smith would have been better off by being honest about his qualifications and simply declining the invitation- or, better yet, he could have referred his brother-in-law and college roommate to Maven, since it looks like they actually know something about ski lifts. In the end, the joke is on John, though. After reviewing their responses, you schedule a call with Jane and reject John. If this happens enough times to John, his MavenScore will suffer.

The lesson here is obvious- don’t be John Smith. If you don’t have SPECIFIC, PERSONAL knowledge of the topic described by the Client, DON’T ACCEPT THE CONSULTATION. Your MavenScore will suffer, whereas it will actually improve if you decline or refer someone else. At Maven we reward honesty… so be honest and straightforward about your qualifications and watch your MavenScore rise.