Hey Words, depends on what you are smoking. If you are doing ribs, pork butts, or briskets, start with cold meat in a cold smoker. If you are doing something like a prime rib roast, you'll reverse-sear (after the meat reaches internal temp). Forget your grill experience (for the most part) when it comes to low and slow smoking. I'm pretty darn good on my Weber gasser, but it's totally different cooking with a dedicated smoker.
Remember, also, that you're not smoking steaks or the like. You're usually smoking large cuts, poultry or ribs, with the occasional "odd ball" item thrown in!
I find myself using mine almost every weekend (when I'm not working), so the process couldn't be that hard! Hehehe! Seriously though, it's "lazy Q" at its finest!