Imagine you’re at a conference and someone invites you to join a group of reindeer farmers for dinner. In accepting the invitation, it occurs to you that your product might have an application for this group of people but you know nothing about the subject of reindeer farming. Or say you’re waiting in the lobby to meet with a big prospect and, while chatting with his secretary, you learn that the prospect is really into Japanese gardening. You’ve got half an hour before your dinner or your meeting occurs – can you become an expert in one of these obscure topics?

Absolutely, says Gregory Hartley, who with Maryann Karinch recently authored the book, How to Become an Expert on Anything in Two Hours (AMACOM, 2008). Moreover, the “reindeer farmer” situation actually happened to Hartley – and he had just 15 minutes to do his research. Here’s how he did it and how you can do the same with just a short window of time in which to become an expert:

1. What are you trying to achieve? First, consider your goal. Are you trying to make a meaningful connection with someone you’re meeting for the first time? Discover the right questions to ask about a topic? Impress your boss? Avoid being left out of a conversation? Know your goal before you begin your education.
2. Determine core concepts. Two great places to start when you’re dealing with an unfamiliar topic are Wikipedia and Google. On Wikipedia, look for the hyperlinks; they are key words that will introduce you to some of the jargon and key concepts of your topic. On Google, go to the sponsored links. Those links will lead you to sites that reflect market research and key topics. “Keep a high level view of the information you find on these sponsored sites,” cautions Hartley. “Don’t go down the rabbit hole that the organization’s marketing people want to take you down. Use the information they highlight because it will show you what they have determined are the pain points.”
3. Look for recent news. Do a news search to find out if there have been any recent developments of which you should be aware. Perhaps some rare insect is attacking bonsai trees and your Japanese gardener might be struggling with this issue. If you’re simply trying to launch a conversation with him, asking whether the insect has impacted his hobby might be all you need to open the door.

   In the 15 minutes before Hartley met with the reindeer farmers, he quickly decided his goal was to get them to hire him as the worldwide spokesman for reindeer farmers; his plan of attack was to research the basics and focus on areas that connected to his knowledge base as someone who raised horses. He started with a Google search under the discrete phrase “reindeer farming” and returned 663 sites. He then refined his search by indicating the site must include the word “products,” going on the assumption that these sites would focus on the business considerations related to reindeer farming. That narrowed his field to 254 sites.

   Hartley then spent five minutes scanning the top sites produced by associations, government sources, and people in the business. He saw the word “genetics” which led to a discussion of “artificial insemination” and he realized there was an intersection between reindeer farming and breeding horses. With a few minutes left, he went back to a Google news search for recent articles on reindeer so that he would “know the buzz.” Scanning the roughly 200 articles, he found a hot topic to ask about. “I now have a question to ask of the reindeer farmers that will get them throwing around their expertise and debating information that should tell me a lot more about the business,” says Hartley. “It’s a basic ‘tell me more.’”

   In short, in 15 minutes Hartley was able to sound smart with his new prospects. He was able to connect the conversation to what he already knew, gleaning information as he went to add to his building knowledge base about the business of reindeer farming. The result: With minimal research, Hartley was able to engage his prospects in an hour of meaningful dialogue while building up his own knowledge – all of which put him in a position to follow up with this group and ultimately make the sale.

   In closing, Hartley reminds sales professionals to resist the temptation to dive too deeply into any one area in their research. Always bear in mind your audience, the desired outcome, and the duration of your call or meeting. By focusing on these three things at all times, you’ll keep your research directed and boost your chances of success.