By far the most overlooked, yet most helpful source of information is other people. In a sense, the process of hunting—whether for a company report, a school paper, or a civic club report—mirrors the modus operandi of a detective. Where do you begin? To answer this question you must first ask yourself what, in general, you want to know. If, for instance, you want to learn more about how to obtain computer technology for your new office, you need to think like a detective and to list on paper where you would find your most logical leads.
First, you might consider someone in your company who recently went through the same kind of search. Why reinvent the wheel? If someone else has done something similar to what you want to do, presumably that person had to go through the same steps you’d have to follow. He or she is likely to already have made all the false starts and mistakes along the way that you would make. Therefore, that person should be able to help you take the most direct route to success. In short, don’t overlook human resources in favor of written ones.
Second, if you are a new employee, you may want to interview the person whose job you filled. Your predecessor can give you a valuable historical perspective. Remember, you should place a real premium on experience, and learning from that experience for the price of a phone call, even a long-distance one, is valuable.
Third, look to experts to guide your reading and tell you where to look next. Factory representatives, people in associations, and professionals can provide you with the kind of early direction you need as a writing detective. Covering some leads on the phone and others in person; listing and asking questions; and taking and transcribing good notes—all these things constitute the first big steps in hunting.
What do you get when you talk to an expert? You get information, both oral and written. For example, your “expert” may hand you a magazine article or two or even a book or Internet reference that contains the exact information you want. In other words, the person you’ve interviewed has already done some research for you—free of charge. You may, in fact, find all the answers you need in your first interview. But even if you don’t, you will have more leads.
How do you question an expert? The best way is to state your interest and then begin with an open-ended question. For example: “I’m writing a proposal for new database applications for our corporate training office. Do you have any ideas or suggestions on the kind of equipment or requirements I should look for?” This kind of a wide-open question should induce any expert to wax eloquently, which in turn will lead you to other questions. By starting with broad questions, you’ll stimulate a relaxed and free-flowing dialogue. From there you’ll find the interviewing process a natural one.
Before you get right into questioning your experts, however, you must establish a degree of rapport with them—you have to earn the right to ask them a question. This is a ritual in all societies. If you walk up to a total stranger on your commuter train and begin asking a series of questions about anything except the time, your chances of being rebuffed are high. However, if you strike up a friendly, low-key discussion about the commute, you can then gradually discuss where you work and what you do. Eventually your commuting acquaintance may allow you to ask more probing questions.
The same holds true when you talk to experts. Introduce yourself and tell them what you want to do. If you expect their help, you must first give them information. Tell them why you came to them, and they’ll start off being flattered. If you believe that these people know their stuff, tell them so. You’ll immediately score points and open the door to discussion.
One interview may lead to several others, and after a short time you can focus on a particular idea. Turning this idea into words early on makes hunting and subsequent writing much easier.