Soul Proprietor - How to deal with brain pickers

Braiiiinnnnnnssssss…..I want to pick your brain!

Sounds like a scene straight out of The Walking Dead, right? But I’m not talking about zombies – I’m talking about the people who come into your business orbit asking to “pick your brain” for free.

If you’re rocking your business like a boss, you can be sure that they will show up.

An email, a phone call, an invitation for coffee…they have no desire to work with you. They just want free advice.

Flattering? Maybe. But it’s also an energy-drainer for entrepreneurs and bloggers.

After all, when you’re running your own grind, you don’t have a lot of time. And maybe you don’t want to spend your precious time “hanging out” over coffee and dishing out free advice.

How do you set boundaries, say no and avoid having your time wrapped up in constant free advisor mode?

Here are a few options that work really well:

Simply say “Nope.” This is honest and right to the point. Many heart-centered entrepreneurs struggle to say no but it’s the best path. It’s also a valid option and especially important if the brain picker is someone you do not want to pal around with (you don’t have time for crazy).

Say, “Sure! And… you can pay me for the privilege.” Create a paid biz mentoring service and point them in that direction. For example, I recently launched an inexpensive biz mentoring email option for the constant stream of people wanting to pick my business cranium. They get access to my best advice and my time is respected. It’s a win/win for both sides!

Say, “No, but I love answering questions on my blog / podcast / in my advice column. I’d be happy to address your question in public so that others can benefit, too.” My friend Alexandra Franzen did just this with her Good Question column and I think it’s brilliant! Take those questions and turn them into content for your site – shazam!

Say, “No, but here’s a great resource for you…” Point them to a blog post you’ve already written, a great e-book, or something from your body of work that might help. In some cases, you may want to direct their attention to someone else’s work that might be more appropriate to their situation. This still helps them but keeps your time sacred.

Use these simple tips the next time you get one of those awkward “just grab a coffee” invitations and you’ll be fending off the brain pickers like a well-armed Daryl Dixon – without the gore or sweat.

Blessings!

Theresa

Here’s another post I wrote on how to deal with friends and family who try to score tarot readings for free. You might get some good ideas on how to handle those requests with good humor and tact: What do to (and say) when “friends” try to score your skills for free.

Theresa fact: I am absolutely TERRIFIED of zombies. I cannot watch any zombie movie without screaming. Not kidding.