How to: Ask the right question

There is no such thing as a stupid question. You might have a dumb question, but that's besides the point. For any "dumb" question you might have I'm sure there is a perfectly good reason to back you up. You may be tired or not paying attention. I ask dumb questions all the time so I know.

So, I won't hold it against anyone when they ask a dumb question! After re-reading my past blog entry about how to hire the right web designer, a thought occurred to me. You might think you need a certain tool to accomplish a certain task, but all you really "know" is that you want to accomplish a certain task.

This is why you are going to hire someone to do it!

When you approach a designer or developer, tell them what you want to accomplish and see what they have to say. For example, a client of mine recently emailed me and wrote: "We need a calendar function on our website, call me to discuss." (yes, Erin I'm talking about you.)

The first thing that flashed through my head was that there is already an event listing, so maybe they want to turn it into a pretty little calendar or add some admin capability. So, of course, I am already researching options that could work based on my assumptions.

I give the client a call prepared to hand her three options with quotes that would work for the project, (the project according to my assumptions). Well, the first five minutes of the conversation were a whirlwind of confusion. After the dust settled, I realized they wanted a scheduling tool for the administration people to use to schedule flu shot clinics internally. Luckily the company uses a Microsoft Shared Server, so I just showed them how to create a calendar on the server that they could all share in their own Outlook calendar.

Then, the real meat came out. They also wanted to create an online scheduling tool for clients to allow their employees to schedule their own flu shot in 15 minute increments.

OOOohhhhh...so why didn't they just say that? Okay, calendars do have dates and times in increments, but they needed a scheduling tool.

So, I promise to stop assuming anything before I get all of the details! You should find someone you trust enough to tell you what you need that would best fit what you need to accomplish.

Instead of posting an ad or calling web designers saying I need a 10 page website that lists all of my services and is pink...say I need to create an online presence for my business to accomplish this goal and this is how much I have to spend. Then maybe I'll tell you that we can spend less money on the website and more money advertising on the web or perfecting your online "profile," or dropping leaflets from an airplane over a festival (they would be printed on untreated biodegradable paper).

Any Questions? Any Comments? Tell me!