You're in our marketing and sales program and therefore have access to the weekly Office Hours. But until now, you have been taking little or no advantage of these. Perhaps you find it difficult to make time in your schedule, wonder if your questions are important enough, or simply don't know exactly what to expect from these sessions.

As a head coach at Buzzlytics, I facilitate these Office Hours regularly and see firsthand which participants make the most progress: those who actively use these sessions. I also see the difference between participants who come regularly and those who don't. The difference is noticeable in how quickly they make progress and how much value they get out of the program.

In this article, I explain exactly what Office Hours are and why they are so valuable for your development. I discuss the common barriers participants experience, how Office Hours work in practice and give you practical tips to get the most out of them. I give you some examples of topics that may come up during Office Hours. After reading this article, you will know exactly how to use Office Hours to accelerate your development and get more out of the marketing and sales program.

Office Hours are weekly moments in your training where you have direct access to experts ready to answer all your questions. It can be compared to a walk-in clinic, where the door is open and you walk in with your specific questions.

These sessions are designed specifically for anyone - marketers, salespeople, business owners - who participates in the program. It's a unique opportunity to delve deeper into topics you've learned during regular training sessions, but which you run into in practice.

Office Hours are not meant to be a one-way street, but an interactive session where you and your fellow participants set the agenda with your questions and challenges.

You get a lot of information during training sessions, but it's only when you put this information into practice that you really experience what you're up against. The Americans call this "where the rubber hits the road" - the moment when theory becomes practice, and you notice how complex implementation can be.

Office Hours offer you crucial support in that moment. Imagine: you want to adjust the call-to-action on your website after a training session, but get feedback from a colleague who suggests a different approach. Or you want to apply a sales technique to a specific customer case, but aren't sure how to go about it. These are exactly the moments when Office Hours prove their value.

Office Hours offer you crucial support the moment theory becomes practice.

A key benefit is the personalized guidance you'll receive. Although others are present during Office Hours, it's essentially a one-on-one conversation about your specific challenges. You get access to broadly trained experts who have put a lot of time into their own development, even with international training. These experts can switch quickly on a wide range of topics, making a conversation with them extremely valuable for your development.

Despite the value of Office Hours, we find that many participants do not take full advantage of them. Here are some common barriers you may recognize:

Time constraints and agenda priorities: In a full schedule, it's easy to consider Office Hours "optional. It then seems tempting to spend this time on other tasks.

Feeling that your question isn't important enough: Some participants doubt that their question is "good enough" for the Office Hours. They may think their question is too simple or too complex.

Unsure what to ask: You may be unsure what types of questions are welcome during Office Hours, which makes you reluctant to attend.

Wrong image of Office Hours: You may have a wrong image of what Office Hours are like, such as having 20 people standing in line and listening to irrelevant questions for an hour.

Do you recognize one or more of these barriers? That's understandable, but remember that these very thresholds are holding you back from experiencing the benefits that Office Hours offer.

By not participating, you are denying yourself the opportunity to get results faster, get targeted support for your specific challenges, and have direct contact with experts who can help you move forward.

It's like skipping a workout at the gym - you miss exactly what could have accelerated your progress.

At the start of the Office Hours, there is a joint check-in moment. Here, all questions and topics participants want to discuss are inventoried. Based on this, the session is assigned.

The Office Hours are designed to be flexible. If you want to discuss a specific topic that will be covered later, you can choose to join later. Or if the topics discussed are not relevant to you, you are free to leave earlier.

You can see who facilitates the Office Hours in advance in the schedule. This can be relevant if you know a particular expert has specific knowledge that matches your question.

If you ask a question that the expert can't provide all the details on at the time, that's not a problem. The expert can refer you to the right website, place or party to help you further. It is also possible that the expert will send a video after the session to explain something further, or find another time to go deeper into your question.

Skipping Office Hours is like skipping a workout at the gym - you miss out on exactly what could have accelerated your progress.

Good preparation is essential to get the most out of Office Hours. Schedule a regular reflection moment in your week, such as on Fridays. Use this moment to look back over the past week and identify what you ran into or what questions you have.

Think carefully about specific questions and challenges. The more specific you can be, the more valuable the answer will be. Try to go beyond general questions and think about what a solution might look like in your specific situation.

Consider sharing materials in advance at team@buzzlytics.nl. This gives the experts a chance to review your material ahead of time, allowing you to get straight to the point during Office Hours.

During Office Hours, it's important to actively participate, even if your own question isn't directly addressed. Other people's questions may be relevant to your situation or give you new ideas.

Take notes, not only of the answers to your own questions, but also of insights that may be relevant to your work. This will help you get more value out of the session.

Stay flexible and be prepared to delve into topics you might not have expected. Sometimes the most valuable insights are the ones you didn't anticipate.

After the Office Hours, it's crucial to actually implement what you've learned. Make time in your schedule for this.

You may encounter new questions during implementation. Write these down immediately as possible topics for the next Office Hours. This way you create a cycle of learning, applying and improving.

If you have to miss a session, ask if recordings are available or ask a colleague to share key insights. That way, you'll still stay on top of what was discussed.

Tip: You'll get the most out of Office Hours if you prepare for them.

Wondering what topics are appropriate for Office Hours? Here are some examples:

Implementing Training Materials: You've attended a training session or watched a recording back, but run into challenges implementing what you've learned.

Dealing with Internal Resistance: You understand the concepts, but find that colleagues have trouble applying or accepting them. How do you deal with this?

Apply concepts in a different context: For example, you try to apply the structure you learned for writing an article to a social media post and find that it doesn't work seamlessly.

Feedback on your own work: You've created something (such as an article or quote) and would like feedback. While there's not always time for a full review during Office Hours, experts can help you with specific parts or provide general guidance.

Technical Questions: You may have questions about technical aspects such as setting up Google Search Console or other tools relevant to your work.

No question is too crazy or too simple. The Office Hours are there precisely to help you apply what you've learned, regardless of the topic or level of your question.

No question is too crazy or too simple during Office Hours.

Office Hours are a crucial part of your development path within the marketing and sales program. They give you the chance to put theory into practice, overcome specific challenges and gain direct access to experts who can help you further. By consciously setting aside time in your schedule for these sessions and preparing well, you will get significantly more out of the program.

Remember, no question is too crazy or too simple. The experts are here to help you and understand that implementation is often complex. They are ready to help you further, even if that means sending additional information after the session or going deeper into your question at another time.

At Buzzlytics, we see that participants who regularly use Office Hours progress faster and get more value out of the program. They encounter fewer obstacles and are able to apply their knowledge more effectively.

Want to get the most out of your participation in the marketing and sales program? Then schedule the next Office Hours in your calendar today and prepare your questions in advance. You'll be amazed at the impact this relatively small time investment can have on your development and results.