Watch This Before You Decide to Fake It...

[Jeremy Kelsall]

This is definitely something "different" - Some will appreciate it - Some won't...

But, I stumbled on this video and thought it was hilarious for a couple of reasons.

1. It was just funny
2. Someone pretty much made themselves look like an ass trying to "fake it"

YouTube - Convert2Media: Phone Application...

Basically, the video is of someone applying to one of the better CPA networks...The guy obviously has no clue so the interviewer has some fun with it...

[sarasayshi]

Haha that is too funny! Thanks for posting that Jeremy.

[Richard Tunnah]

You've been approved...for denial!

Rich

[Jeremy Kelsall]

Originally Posted by Richard Tunnah

You've been approved...for denial!

Rich

LOL

I want to find this dude so, I can find out the software he is using to help his SE-ZERO SE-1 SE-2 SE-3 and SE NINJA TACTICS - I hear it is a real beast and attracts the spiders...

[Tony X]

That was funny. I kinda feel sorry for that dude though.

While trying to be nosey, I actually typed in the website that guy mentioned.

I wish I hadn't.

[acrasial]

I feel sorry for this guy, and didn't find this funny.

Everyone starts somewhere, and maybe this works for that guy (in his head), but doesn't work for everyone else. But at least he knew what he uses, even if everything that he uses stinks. Whenever people ask me questions I just draw blanks...so at least this guy could shoot the ****

I am also wondering how the guy cannot hear them laughing or talking...

[Zanti]

I think I understand what your point is with this. Kind of like "keeping it real."

And you're right, some will appreciate it and some won't.

I guess I'm kind of old school, a product of the 60's and 70's. integrity, honesty, and being a Man of Honor are what's important to me.

I don't find much humor in anyone taking advantage of another for their own personal enjoyment like this. It actually tells me more about the interviewer than the interviewee.

I do get shows like the Austin Kutcher's "Punked," and find humor in most of them. When I really listen to this, it just seems different than that series.

Like I said, I'm kind of old school, from the era of peace, love and Woodstock.

But to each their own.

By the way, I have enjoyed and learned from most of your post and I think you provide a great deal of value to many people here, myself included.

Z

[Aj Wilson]

Originally Posted by acrasial

I feel sorry for this guy, and didn't find this funny.

Everyone starts somewhere, and maybe this works for that guy (in his head), but doesn't work for everyone else. But at least he knew what he uses, even if everything that he uses stinks. Whenever people ask me questions I just draw blanks...so at least this guy could shoot the ****

I am also wondering how the guy cannot hear them laughing or talking...

They muted the phone... "When D Google, looks at D spiders"....
My new product... SEZero


great post mate, needed a good laugh

[BIG Mike]

I think you'll really only find humor in it if you're in a position where you frequently deal with people who are "Faking it". I am and found it hilarious on a number of levels.

There's a good lesson here too for those doing it (or even thinking of doing it) - while it may make you feel good and impress your peers, it doesn't impress those who aren't faking it at all. We can spot you a mile away and all it does is eliminate any chance we'd want to do something with you.

I've never understood the fake it till you make it mentality at all - seems to me that in the long run, it only holds you back, makes you look foolish (losing credibility), and loses you opportunities.

[acrasial]

Originally Posted by BIG Mike

I've never understood the fake it till you make it mentality at all - seems to me that in the long run, it only holds you back, makes you look foolish (losing credibility), and loses you opportunities.

I suppose, but I found it completely classless that they purposefully left the guys' name and information in the video, without muting it out. That was classless.

Perhaps the guy was blowing the horn too much, but maybe he really wanted this job so bad, and felt no other option? It's like a kid who begs the parents for something, and starts saying things like:

"Please, i'll do the dishes for a year"...."please, I promise to keep my room clean!!" "I'll wash the car!" "I will be good!!"

I just would liken it to that, and I have felt that way about jobs sometimes too when I applied, however I don't feel I acted like this guy, because as I said, when put on the spot I usually just draw blanks and probably look like a deer caught in headlights.

Still classless what they did to give his name out like that, and I find that disrespectful as well, I am not sure how they would have any credibility either after doing that to someone else?

[ForeignProfessor]

Originally Posted by BIG Mike

I've never understood the fake it till you make it mentality at all - seems to me that in the long run, it only holds you back, makes you look foolish (losing credibility), and loses you opportunities.

I first heard of "fake it till you make it" when working in door to door sales for a temporary job a few years ago. The way it was explained to us made sense.

What we were 'faking' was confidence in order to make a sale. We were not faking knowledge of our product; we genuinely had that knowledge. It was a mere motivational tool. Basically: "Even though you are not confident, pretend that you are. Eventually you will become confident. Fake it until you make it." I think this is a valid and useful method for selling in person.

This is different to the guy in the video, he was faking KNOWLEDGE, not faking confidence. Faking knowledge is definitely not good. Faking confidence however can be incredibly useful.

[Pat Ordenes]

floored!!
I really needed a good laugh..

[Mike Hersh]

Thanks Jeremy,

That was so funny, he killed me with the se0 part.

While we laugh, this man is really talented. He has an answer to any question!

Amazing...

Thanks again,

Mike G

[sanjid112]

feel sorry for the guy...
can't stop laughing...
damn, it's really cool video...
it take away my stress instantly...

-Malik

[TLTheLiberator]

When I read the headline, I thought it was about someone trying to tell/help someone else learn how to make money on the net when they don't have a clue as to how to do it themselves.

That's one thing.

The dude is simply trying to join a cpa network and providing TMI.

TL

[Lady_T]

That's pretty shameful. Poor guy.

He doesn't have a clue...if he came
to this forum and studied it for a
couple of hours he would learn
a thing or two...

He has not studied any of the
stuff he's probably bought on
SE Zero - I'm gonna laugh at
that one for a while!!!

[Brad Gosse]

I am torn over this.

1. Unprofessional for this company to do things this way
2. Reminds me of the high school cool kids playing jokes on the unpopular kids.
3. Funny. I get lot's of oddball calls in my office and I can relate.

Overall it's a decent laugh but I feel bad for the guy calling. he is just trying to get ahead in business and he lost 10 minutes to this CPA network while they have fun with him.

[Floyd Fisher]

Originally Posted by acrasial

I feel sorry for this guy, and didn't find this funny.

Everyone starts somewhere, and maybe this works for that guy (in his head), but doesn't work for everyone else. But at least he knew what he uses, even if everything that he uses stinks. Whenever people ask me questions I just draw blanks...so at least this guy could shoot the ****

I am also wondering how the guy cannot hear them laughing or talking...

Read the explanation on youtube...you won't be feeling so sorry for him.

[Paul M]

I don't feel sorry for the guy at all.

He submitted a fraudulent application.

He was deliberately trying to deceive the network and fake his way in.

These are not the actions of a legitimate person just trying to join a CPA network.


-Paul

[seasoned]

Originally Posted by Zanti

I don't find much humor in anyone taking advantage of another for their own personal enjoyment like this. It actually tells me more about the interviewer than the interviewee.

IF this is real, I CAN RELATE, and the interviewee is an IDIOT that is just trying to CHEAT people.

I don't understand this though! His VOICE sounded like a black american. His NAME sounded spanish. His language, and confusion, sounded like he was NOT a native speaker of english. His knowledge of the internet made him sound like someone that either has NO interest in computers and is VERY low class, or he has been somewhere else for the past DECADE!

But I HAVE had interviewees that were JUST as stupid, funny, etc.... Sometimes I got a good laugh as well.

Steve

[paulmac]

The Interviewee is just a fraud.

[Bill Farnham]

Originally Posted by acrasial

Still classless what they did to give his name out like that, and I find that disrespectful as well, I am not sure how they would have any credibility either after doing that to someone else?

acrasial,

What you were witnessing was a self-inflicted wound by someone trying to scam his way through the situation.

He was a fraud, not someone trying their best to get ahead.

Disrespectful? On whose part...

KJ

[seanyd]

needed that , cheered me up

[HeySal]

Originally Posted by seasoned

IF this is real, I CAN RELATE, and the interviewee is an IDIOT that is just trying to CHEAT people.

I don't understand this though! His VOICE sounded like a black american. His NAME sounded spanish. His language, and confusion, sounded like he was NOT a native speaker of english. His knowledge of the internet made him sound like someone that either has NO interest in computers and is VERY low class, or he has been somewhere else for the past DECADE!

But I HAVE had interviewees that were JUST as stupid, funny, etc.... Sometimes I got a good laugh as well.

Steve

This was a native English speaker. There was no language confusion - he was thinking as he was talking and it made his speech a bit jerky (and yes I mean that any way you can take that word).

Like they said they get calls every day from blackhatters and con-artists, this one was stupid enough to take it two days running.

[seasoned]

Originally Posted by HeySal

This was a native English speaker. There was no language confusion - he was thinking as he was talking and it made his speech a bit jerky (and yes I mean that any way you can take that word).

Like they said they get calls every day from BlueFartters and con-artists, this one was stupid enough to take it two days running.

He used articles wrong, or didn't use them at all, used SE ZERO(number 0), not realizing it was SE OH(letter o), for Search Engine Optimization, etc..... He did NOT recognize the words spelled out in the URLs. He did *****NOT***** sound like a native English speaker AT ALL!!!!! GEE, sometimes I stumble, get nervous, etc... and it is like my IQ drops 20 points, and STILL I don't seem anywhere NEAR that bad!

Hey, little things like that were ******SO******* uncommon when I was growing up that they REALLY stand out. The guy might as well have been blowing a fog horn every time it happened.

OR, to puit it in terms he might understand...

He used the articles wrong, or didn't use they at all, used the SE ZERO(number 0), not realizing it was the SE OH(letter o), for the Search Engine Optimization, etc..... He did NOT recognize words spelled out in URLs. He did *****NOT***** sound like native English speaker AT ALL!!!!! GEE, sometimes I stumble, get the nervous, etc... and it is like my the IQ drops 20 points, and STILL I don't seem the anywhere NEAR that bad!

Hey, little things like that were ******SO******* uncommon when I was growing up that them REALLY stand out. Guy might as well have been blowing fog horn every time it happened.

Steve

[HeySal]

GEE, sometimes I stumble, get nervous, etc... and it is like my IQ drops 20 points, and STILL I don't seem anywhere NEAR that bad!

Guess you've never tried to read your own writing

The SEZero wasn't a language error - it was one of the things that was a tip off on how exactly clueless the scammer was.
I heard some stammering and hymming and hawing while he was thinking about how he could sound informed, but not any kind of error that would tip him off as a foreign speaker. This was a major attempt at con-artistry and the guy is failing his attempt badly. I can't hear anything like missing articles. I've heard some muffled stuff, but not any clue he wasn't an American or Canadian.

I will say they could use a bit better volume on the tape. I would also think that if the call had been made from outside the US, they would have known and might not have played with the guy like that.

[Jeremy Kelsall]

This was a case of someone trying to BS their way into a CPA network that is very selective.

The initial call was the day before I guess and the things the applicant was saying were so funny, I guess they decided to set up another call for the sole purpose of recording it.

Some might say it was in poor taste, I say it was funny as hell...Even the guy knew what was up when he got "approved for denial" lol all he said was "thank you sir" .

Maybe the DR was in poor taste, but the call itself was funny as can be

I'm off to read up on my SE-ZERO - 1-2 and 3

[zerofill]

haha... I dunno I found it funny as all hell...

If your just starting out and know as much as that guy does...and haven't had anyone help you with what is expected etc from a CPA company... (OR READ ANYTHING ON THE SUBJECT) Save your money on SE-0,SE1,SE2, etc and get an ebook or try learning about CPA from all the blogs and forums out there before making an ass out of yourself...he deserved it...sorry...

All he was going to do was piss advertisers off and get them angry with the cpa network when they saw some of the things this guy would have probably tried. Then make it harder for the rest of us...

[Jeremy Kelsall]

Originally Posted by zerofill

haha... I dunno I found it funny as all hell...

If your just starting out and know as much as that guy does...and haven't had anyone help you with what is expected etc from a CPA company... (OR READ ANYTHING ON THE SUBJECT) Save your money on SE-0,SE1,SE2, etc and get an ebook or try learning about CPA from all the blogs and forums out there before making an ass out of yourself...he deserved it...sorry...

All he was going to do was piss advertisers off and get them angry with the cpa network when they saw some of the things this guy would have probably tried. Then make it harder for the rest of us...

The advertisers and CPA networks can not defeat the google, the spinders, or the ninja SEO lmao

[seasoned]

Originally Posted by HeySal

Guess you've never tried to read your own writing

The SEZero wasn't a language error - it was one of the things that was a tip off on how exactly clueless the scammer was.
I heard some stammering and hymming and hawing while he was thinking about how he could sound informed, but not any kind of error that would tip him off as a foreign speaker. This was a major attempt at con-artistry and the guy is failing his attempt badly. I can't hear anything like missing articles. I've heard some muffled stuff, but not any clue he wasn't an American or Canadian.

I will say they could use a bit better volume on the tape. I would also think that if the call had been made from outside the US, they would have known and might not have played with the guy like that.

I expected you to say that.

The SEZERO error appears to be a language problem just because he didn't realize that seo was search engine optimization, EVEN after the guy said it. He OBVIOUSLY thought about it a bit, and STILL never figured it out.

HECK, if I had such a site, *I* might use se0 at some points, but ONLY because I would figure someone would slip up, or think it was se0. That is common "seo" practice. In the text, I would mention that it was seo.

I wasn't talking about delays AT ALL! YOU mentioned that. I didn't.

BTW, this guy might have been one of a "new breed" of scammers. One person I know was duped by a similar attempt. They have software that can do certain things, and make them appear nice and professional, etc.... SOMETIMES, the software is even used by professionals! The SCAM comes in when they overprice because they figure that they can bluff, and you don't know any better. Sometimes, they HAVE to know more! The person I spoke of tried to get a house designed, and the guy, that passed himself off as an architect, wasn't an architect. The plans were practically worthless.

So this "seo guy" may have simply wanted to have the SOFTWARE do the work, and figured it could make him look good.

Steve

[Steven Wagenheim]

This was almost too painful to watch.

And that's all I'm going to say on the matter.

[Jeremy Kelsall]

Originally Posted by seasoned

I expected you to say that.

The SEZERO error appears to be a language problem just because he didn't realize that seo was search engine optimization, EVEN after the guy said it. He OBVIOUSLY thought about it a bit, and STILL never figured it out.

HECK, if I had such a site, *I* might use se0 at some points, but ONLY because I would figure someone would slip up, or think it was se0. That is common "seo" practice. In the text, I would mention that it was seo.

I wasn't talking about delays AT ALL! YOU mentioned that. I didn't.

BTW, this guy might have been one of a "new breed" of scammers. One person I know was duped by a similar attempt. They have software that can do certain things, and make them appear nice and professional, etc.... SOMETIMES, the software is even used by professionals! The SCAM comes in when they overprice because they figure that they can bluff, and you don't know any better. Sometimes, they HAVE to know more! The person I spoke of tried to get a house designed, and the guy, that passed himself off as an architect, wasn't an architect. The plans were practically worthless.

So this "seo guy" may have simply wanted to have the SOFTWARE do the work, and figured it could make him look good.

Steve

If he doesn't know the difference between SEO and SE-ZERO then he has no business applying to a network - He has even less business pretending that he knows what he is talking about.

If you read the guys site, you can tell he has no clue, yet he tries to pass himself off as if he does....

The networks are alot more receptive if you call them and say "Hello, I'm brand new into this and I want to throw up a blogger blog and try to do some CPA" rather than trying to pass yourself off as a SE-ZERO ninja...

Nobody wants to be lied to, especially not a CPA network whose livelyhood depends on a relationship with advertisers who either stay with a network or not depending on performance and the lack of FRAUD.

[Jhf14]

This is so freaking funny! Thank you for posting this hahahha SE-Zero! ... and the Bing

[seasoned]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kelsall

If he doesn't know the difference between SEO and SE-ZERO then he has no business applying to a network - He has even less business pretending that he knows what he is talking about.

If you read the guys site, you can tell he has no clue, yet he tries to pass himself off as if he does....

The networks are alot more receptive if you call them and say "Hello, I'm brand new into this and I want to throw up a blogger blog and try to do some CPA" rather than trying to pass yourself off as a SE-ZERO ninja...

Nobody wants to be lied to, especially not a CPA network whose livelyhood depends on a relationship with advertisers who either stay with a network or not depending on performance and the lack of FRAUD.

Just to make it clear, I AGREE with you and, at least on this topic, always have!

BTW this guy IS a ninja! They even made a MOVIE about him! Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) - Plot Summary Chris Farley even SPEAKS like the "se0 ninja" does! Of course, Chris Farley plays a jerk that tries to PRETEND he is a ninja, and he spent his life in JAPAN!

Steve

[CompleteOnlineMarketer]

hmmm -- That's wrong on so many levels!

I'm glad I don't share the humor of the majority...