Last week I was quite frustrated with my fellow LinkedIn Experts. I posted a question on LinkedIn.com regarding Best In Class Sales Programs. The answers I received all referenced Best In Class Sales “Training” Progams-even though the word training did not exist anywhere in my question. Thinking I was not clear as to what I had asked, I had several colleagues read my question and the subsequent answers. From their perspective they agreed that my question was definitely not being answered. In fact, the answers completely missed my question. When I clarified my question, I received few responses. In those responses, I was not provided any new information, because the question I asked was not designed to allow people to promote products or services–I was really looking for knowledge.
On that experience, I started researching the LinkedIn.com Q&A. Here is what I observed:
Too Much Self-Promotion. There are a lot of “experts” simply answering questions. Some experts have way too much time on their hands to answer questions. I have no idea who has the time to answer as many as five questions a day. I started reading some questions and answers and saw a lot of self-promotion and shallow responses. If you want to be an expert, say what needs to be said. Do not promote yourself. Providing a great answer is the best form of promotion. If you have to talk about your system and its value and why someone needs to talk with you about it–you are selling and you are not helping. The value is in your response, not in your self-promotion.
Not understanding or reading the questions. As I started researching some of the questions and answers, there were a lot of folks simply searching for a question as an excuse to be an expert. Much like call-in radio shows where some local listener calls in everyday just to hear themselves on the radio. It seems there are a few too many professionals with too much desire to be an expert so they make sure they do their daily “call in” by answering some question they obviously did not understand. If you want to answer a question, be on the mark and make sure you understand the question first (hint: try reading it better).
Experts writing books instead of simple, concise responses. Who says an answer has to be an epistle? Answers to questions must be like blogs–short, simple and, to the point. If you cannot answer a question in three paragraphs or less, do all of us a favor–do not answer it. Questions are designed to give information, insight, and a place to go for more information. I am not looking for your latest white paper. Want to publish your white paper on a particular subject–go to EZineArticles.com.
LinkedIn’s questions and answers section are a great forum for information sharing. I appreciate that there is passion in these forums. I would like to see a little more readily accessible value in the process. When discussing Q&A with other users, I get mixed reviews. Yet, all agree that it takes work to get good answers. If that is the case, the system is not working. Pay attention to your contributions–whose needs are they serving? It needs to be those who are asking the questions. If not, you probably need to find another forum–like a soapbox or your own blog–for your expertise.