Hey trainer, how can I lose this stomach fat?

As a fitness authority, I get asked for advice - A LOT. Getting asked questions is great on one hand, since it reflects favorably that someone would come to me seeking knowledge, and it gives me opportunity to teach and to promote myself.

Let me be clear: I don't mind specific questions seeking science-based answers; that is, something which anyone could look up in the right book or web site. But when someone wants me to apply this knowledge to their unique situation - connect the dots and prescribe a customized solution - that person is asking me to work for free.

And there's the rub: it's not fair when people expect me to work for free. You wouldn't ask a brick layer to build a wall for free in your home, would you? Well, my skill set is knowledge-based. I've made a livelihood of applying this knowledge to various custom needs - by writing articles and personal training. It's a trade, folks, even if the goods are intangible (the results are physical, BTW). Besides, I'm putting work into offering my goods for free already, through mightykat.net and this blog.

Furthermore, while I love discussing fitness matters, that's a different animal. Wanna talk lifting? Great! Let's talk lifting. But I can tell you on behalf of my peers everywhere that getting asked for free advice everywhere we go - from the online chatter to the friendly neighbor to the guy in the next seat at the airport - can be a pain. Yet some folks don't see the difference, and will get turned off when we resist getting into a personal consultation session under the guise of socializing.

Then there's the issue of how general or specific a question is, which we'll get to in a moment.

The point of my little diatribe today is not to vent, however; it's to set up this wonderful response that I want to record here so I can absorb it and share with the fitness community. Renowned book marketer John Kremer runs into a similar situation with questions on marketing advice. He crafted the following response - useful, diplomatic, clear, and so right-on.

(in response to a question on marketing)

When you send me a question like this, I have only one answer. Read my book. While the subject ... could use some specific answers, the question “Do you have any ideas on how I can ...” is way too general to give a decent answer for free (which this questioner wanted).

In most cases, I'm willing to give a free answer to a specific question, but any general question really requires a lot of time to answer fairly. I simply can't do that except in a consulting (training) session where I get paid for my time to apply my extensive knowledge to your specific situation, even when you ask general questions.

If you ever want me to answer a question for free, make it specific ... The more specific the question, the more likely that I will answer it quickly and freely.

Thanks, John!

John Kremer is author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books