In response to my previous post, I had several people ask about approaching strangers for research purposes -- I guess because by and large, I tend to be pretty successful at getting people to talk to me. Maybe I'm just naturally pushy and nosy or something, and God knows I ain't shy. But since not all people who need information have been chasing it down for years, I gave it some thought.

When forced to break down the process, I felt like all my conclusions are fairly obvious; but then again, I've spent half my life doing research for graduate school, freelance jobs, and fiction settings, so what's become second nature to me might not be second nature to someone else. Therefore, I give you what's worked for me. It may or may not work for you, your results may vary, etcetera.

How to Talk to Strangers

The Approach

This may sound obvious, but the first thing you need to do is make sure you're approaching the right person -- not the almost-right person, or the person who might be mistaken for right at twenty paces. You can often get away with the assistant or the secretary to the right person; that's probably close enough and (depending on how busy your target is) it might be even better. But by all means, do your homework before you make your pitch.

If you're not perfectly spot-on but you're in the right ballpark, that might be okay too. If the recipient of your email, note, or phone call can recognize that he or she is a logical destination for your question -- but is unable to answer it -- he or she may be kind enough to direct you to the appropriate party. But the odds are good that it will depend on how you ask.

The Presentation

Which brings us to point #2: for the love of all that's holy, be polite. Go out of your way to be polite. When in doubt, err on the side of being overly polite. Don't kiss ass, because it makes you look silly; but do be clear that you're aware that you're intruding on someone else's time and seeking their expertise, for which you do not intend to pay them.

If you are approaching a professional and asking for his or her professional response, be aware that they get a lot of folks asking for their informed and free wisdom, and that it probably bugs the ever-living heck out of them. See also: doctors who get chatted up at dinner parties about strange spots, warts, or swellings; lawyers who receive phone calls from their tax-dodging friends; and writers who are solicited to read/edit other people's manuscripts -- all from the kindness of their respective hearts.

The general rule of thumb in these circumstances: don't ask for free services unless you're close enough with the servicer that he or she has offered such services first -- and offered them with the specific, unambiguous qualification of, "I could help you out for free," not "If you need a good divorce attorney, look me up."

The Specifics

Be specific. Don't ask general questions that require a thesis for an answer. Instead, narrow your approach before you start your asking. "Tell me about the American gold rush" is bad. "Did most of the gold rush prospectors go to California?" is better. "What years were the busiest for the Alaskan gold rush?" is better still.

The faster your questions are to answer, the more likely it is that you'll get a response. If the object of your inquisitive affections can respond quickly and without a lot of effort, the odds are exponentially increased that he or she will reply.

The Motive

Be clear that you're not just pestering this person because, like, you were curious or something. Introduce yourself along with a plausible, reasonable, verifiable, and above all true explanation for what you're doing. "What's Google?" is insufficient. "I'm a graduate student with a thesis on this subject and I was hoping to approach the issue from an innovative angle" is pretty good. "I'm an published author working on another book and I want to make sure that I represent your field/hometown/restaurant/whatever with fairness and precision" is double-plus good, but don't do that if a quick search engine query will prove that you're a liar and a scoundrel.

The Method

If possible and practical, go in person. I don't mean that you should show up on somebody's doorstep; I mean, find public establishments where informed people might work and be readily available. If you're interested in oh, say, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee -- don't start your search with a cruise. Go down to a coffeeshop and ask if anyone behind the counter can help. If you're curious about the growing requirements of a rare French flower, don't book a flight. Stop by a nursery. Don't call the Governer when you want a parking ticket waived, that's all I'm saying.

If that's not practical, let your fingers do the walking. Phone books are your friend, especially when it comes to local specialty shops and offices. And of course, there's always the internets. Drop an email, but don't necessarily be discouraged or offended if you don't get an immediate response. Business sites are often slow to answer correspondence that doesn't come with an order and a credit card number. You may have better luck with a small business, and you'll definitely have better luck if you can address your email (or your letter -- if you're old school) to a specific person.

Speaking of schools -- universities often list the email addresses of the teachers on their websites; but if you're reluctant to bother a professor, poke around and look for a senior who's majoring in your field of inquiry, or possibly a graduate/post-graduate candidate. Serious students of any subject are often happy to be approached as if they're experts. It's not as good as speaking to a dedicated professional, but it's better than nothing and you'll get a good idea of where to start looking for more info, if nothing else.

[As an aside, this is roughly how I feel about Wikipedia. I wouldn't take anything posted on the site for granted as gospel truth, but it's almost always an excellent place to learn what questions you need to begin asking.]

In Conclusion
Because four of the five people who asked me about this were writers by trade and/or aspiring writers, let me add this: you should treat all requests for information exactly the way you treat queries to editors or agents. Except for the part about showing up in person, the same rules apply because the goal is pretty much the same. You're asking someone to pay attention to you, maybe answer a question or two, and respond favorably in a manner that will make you happy.

Above all, remember that you're asking someone for a favor. Thank them in advance for their time, and don't send any nasty follow-up calls or emails if you don't get the answer you were looking for. It's up to you to be gracious about the outcome, hone your approach, and keep trying.