Preparing a presentation? Getting ready for a networking event in an industry removed from your own? With the wealth of information resources available today, it’s possible to become an instant expert in virtually any niche you develop an interest in. Jim Edwards, co-producer of AffiliateBusinessBlueprint.com, outlines a three-step formula for doing just that.
Three-step formula
- Step 1. Buy a book or ebook on the subject by an expert and read it from cover to cover.
- Step 2. Visit Amazon.com and read the table of contents of at least five more books on the subject.
- Step 3. Make a list of the 10 main problems faced by people interested in that topic and the techniques used to solve them.
Applying the formula
Edwards used his three-step process to learn about online gambling – a topic he knew nothing about – in preparation for setting up a content-driven website. He gave himself an afternoon. First he turned to the Internet to find the top five issues facing online gamblers; next he wanted to know the five main forms of online gambling. One of the first things he learnt is that the industry prefers the terms “online betting” and “online gaming” to“gambling”, probably because they make the activity sound more socially acceptable.
Following his online searches, he went to Amazon and looked up the best books on the industry and found an “Idiot’s Guide” and a “Dummies” book – both excellent places to start if you want to gain an overview of a subject quickly and easily.
One of the great things about Amazon is that you can read a few chapters online of many of the books available, as well as the contents and index pages, making it unnecessary to actually buy any of them if all you want is a general idea of the landscape.
These guidelines can be applied in many other instances where you have to familiarise yourself with a new topic, such as the preparation of tenders, client pitches, and general research into industries, markets and business topics.
