Collecting
Information
If you plan
to package information, publish a customer newsletter or establish yourself
as an expert by writing and/or speaking, you'll find yourself collecting
information all the time. After a while, however, it's easy to depend
on your regular sources and forget about the other options you have for
finding useful material. To make your information gathering more effective,
you'll want to tap into as many sources as possible.
Before you
do, however, set up a system for handling the material that you collect.
A series of file folders labeled with the broad categories you're most
likely to use is the easiest system. When you see an item of interest
in the newspaper or a magazine, you can clip it and file it quickly. Consider
having a folder for random ideas, too, so when you think of a subject
or anecdote that you'd like to use in the future, you can make note of
it and slip it into its proper place. Since ideas are fleeting and can
occur anytime and anyplace, you have to be prepared to preserve them on
the spot.
Although you'll
be depending on personal experience for some of your writing and speaking,
your work will be livelier and have more impact if you support what you
have to say in a variety of ways. When it's time to collect ideas and
information, here are additional sources to consider:
Conduct
a poll or design a questionnaire. Who would people most like
to be seated next to on a long flight? The hands-down winner in one poll
was Oprah Winfrey. We love to know what other people are thinking and
doing. As a result, pollsters have created a lively business interviewing
folks on every conceivable subject. You don't need to be Gallup to conduct
a poll of your own and publish the results.
Several years
ago, Suzy Mallory instigated her annual poll to select the Most Watchable
Men in America. Mallory, the founder of Manwatcher's International, sent
out a questionnaire to her members, who then voted on the men they found
most attractive. Once the results were tabulated, Mallory would send the
findings to newspapers and other major media outlets, generating a ton
of publicity for her organization and, I assume, attracting more paid
members.
If you publish
a newsletter, you could follow Mallory's lead and quiz your readers. Or
you could spend a few hours at a mall or an airport polling anyone who
will talk to you. Members of an affinity group also make fine candidates
for polling.
Once you've
got the results (and it doesn't have to be highly scientific), write a
press release or include your findings in some other work.
Interview
interesting people. Experts in your field, your peers, and unusual
folks in your neighborhood are all good subjects for interviews. The key
to a successful interview is to come prepared with questions that you
want to cover. Sometimes that means doing some preliminary research on
your subject; at other times, you can ask your subject for suggestions
about topics they want to discuss.
If your interview
is taking place in person, ask your subject if it's okay to tape record
the conversation. You'll have a more accurate account of your interview
than if you rely on your notes or memory. If the person objects to being
recorded, however, you must comply with their wishes. Some celebrities
do not allow interviews to be recorded, but your local inventor will probably
have no such objections.
Subscribe
to related publications in your field. What are the trends in
your industry? New discoveries? Who are the movers and shakers? Keeping
up in the Information Age can be challenging, but the better informed
you are, the more credible your work will be. Take time to glean information
from trade journals, general publications and specialty newsletters. Online
services are another vast source. As an expert, one of your jobs is to
condense huge amounts of information and pass along the most pertinent
to your audience.
Keep
up with the latest books. Knowing the newest books in your field
is, obviously, important. If you publish a newsletter or frequently write
and review books in your field, you may find that book publishers are
willing to send you review copies of their new titles. (Yes, for free.)
Here's how
it works. First of all, you must request titles that are new or nearly
new — published within the last year. Make regular trips to your
local bookseller to see what new titles have arrived. Another good source
is Publishers Weekly magazine, which you can find at your library.
When you come across a title that appeals to you, write to the promotion
department of the publisher.
Not all requests
will be granted, of course, but when you do review a book, send two copies
of your piece to the publisher. You may even find an excerpt from your
review included as a testimonial when the book comes out in paperback.
Do
hardcore research. Your reference librarian can be a great asset
to your research efforts. Take time to get to know what resources your
local library has. Colleges and universities often let legitimate scholars
use their facilities, even if they are not affiliated with the school.
Backing up
your ideas with quotes, examples and stories from other experts in your
field can add credibility and also demonstrate that you've done a thorough
job of investigating your subject. Don't skimp.
Sometimes
your information gathering will take on the personality of a detective
hunt. At other times, information will seem to drop into your lap. Either
way, the search is endless and the more you have to draw on, the more
interesting the search will be for both you and your audience.
There's
more where this came from.
Order Winning Ways now!
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