The best people to ask for help are often the people who are the busiest. Knowing this, some small business owners shy away from imposing. In reality, there is no substitute for expertise, and getting it from others is one of the most efficient and effective ways to do it. Building on the ideas of Paula Caproni here is an eight-step approach to asking others for help:

• Request from people you trust: Either ask people who already know you, or establish a relationship with the people you want to ask before seeking help from them. This can be as little as a few minutes of talk to find common ground or common friends at a chamber of commerce reception, but it is an important foundation for the relationship.
• Ask for specific behavior: Your request is more likely to fit someone’s schedule if it is specific and something that has a definite end. So, asking, "How can I get an introduction to someone in purchasing at BigCorp?" is more likely to get a positive response than, "What can I do to sell more?"
• Do not be defensive: When explaining what you need, do not blame others for your needing help. And when asked questions by potential helpers, do not get upset or accusatory. Often they need to know what you have tried, how you did it, and how it worked out. They also often need to know what you are capable of doing, or what expertise you bring to the situation. Give concise answers and show your willingness to answer more. After all, they need the information to help you.
• Do not overreact or underreact: Think of your regular conversations with good customers or friends. That kind of give and take and that kind of emotional level is what a good asking-for-help exchange sounds like. While being brief is good—after all, time is money—if you sound like you are holding back or are unwilling to talk, it does not help build the relationship. On the other hand, going overboard with praise and information can come across as phony or irritating. Think of regular conversations, and try to emulate them here.
• Summarize what was said to ensure understanding: When your conversation is nearing the end, repeat what you understood as the advice. It is fine to put it in your own words. The goal here is for you and the person helping you to know that each of you understood the other. If you are going to try the advice on your own, you want to be certain you understand what to do, how to do it, and maybe even why to do it that way. Summarizing is a great way to confirm all that and show how attentive you have been.
• Explain what you are going to do about feedback: People you approach as experts often take part of their satisfaction from knowing that their expertise has made a difference—especially in your business, but at least in your thinking. If you can tell such people how you will use their help, it can provide them with an immediate reward. If you are not sure what action you will take, be honest about this, but also point to the new things you have learned or discovered from the help they offered.
• Thank the person for the input: This is in part providing an immediate payout to the person helping you, but also laying a foundation for future contact. Provide a simple thanks and mention how you hope to return the favor or help someday. A good handshake and a smile, and you are ready to get back to business.
• Follow through: It is always a good idea to inform any person who tried to help you about how your efforts came out. Tell them how you solved your business problem in general terms. If their help was used, mention this. Thank them for their help (whether you used it or not). Finish with a mention of your appreciation of their help and your willingness to help them in the future.