How to spot a truly helpful person here on WF

A person's response rate doesn't indicate legitimacy. Con-artists will respond just as quickly or as slowly as a serious and knowledgeable person.

What I do is pay attention to what a person says.

• If it resonates with what I've already researched, then that's a plus.
• If I don't know what a person is talking about, but it seems plausible and doesn't contradict with other stuff that I already know, that's another plus.
• If a person is consistent on either one of those points above, that's yet another plus.

Examples of people I can't take seriously:

• People who insist on black-hat practices or practices that have been proven to be detrimental.
• People whose posts contradict with their signature (Example: "I can't make money!" Signature: "I'm Rich - Follow Meeeee!")
• People who don't thoroughly read or pay attention to details and rail off into the fourth-dimension.
• People who've been here for years and do that thing right above this one or who ask beginner questions.

There's also a "tone." Hard to describe -- but there's a tone in which I can seemingly tell right away whether I'm dealing with an expert or an absolute bonehead. Interpreting that tone is personal and probably relies on experience. I've been online since '95, so I've seen and heard a LOT.

I can't help but wonder how many will read this and then start using your "tip".

I don't know about others, but I didn't join the WF so that I could give free one on one coaching.

Therefore, you may/may not get a response from me (and I suspect others) via PM. I do, occasionally - but it's rare. I probably evaluate the questioner as much as you evaluate the responders.

As nmwf replied, above, in time you will be able to pick up on various clues in the responses. It's good practice and in time may help you to gauge the level of BS found in many salesletters as well.

Forum posting on this forum and any other forum in any other niche, is to market your level of expertise in that niche, and your products and/or services in your signature. That's not always the case, but that's one of the reasons it is called 'forum marketing' by some marketers.
When you add value to fellow forum members by helping them solve a problem fast in that niche you are in, then they will want to click on the link in your signature to find out more about you, and your products & services you have to offer them.

Read through the posts and use your own judgement. No one is forcing you to buy anything. Lots of Warriors on here give great advice. Use your best judgement and if something seems sales-pitch-y, ignore it.

That's dreadful advice. This is a forum - a platform for general discussion, not private coaching.

You're a relative newcomer. Maybe you should wait awhile before advising others on how this place works.

.

Lots of very knowledgeable people here, including me, provide LOTS of solid, real-world advice and insight. Discounting that advice because we include a signature and telling people to start sending unsolicited PMs is just awful advice.

^^^^^
Niche Man and I have our differences of opinion on some things but I have to agree with him on this.

Unfortunately, those who most need the help often are the most hesitant to recognize it when given.

Great! Thanks for offering up this Pandora's Box. Yes, I am helpful. Yes, I've encouraged people to PM me for free info (with no strings attached nor ulterior motive).

So, lo and behold, I just got a PM from someone (probably because of your wisdom here) who does not offer anything here ---- only questions, but is now asking me for tons of advice! Geez, how do I handle this tactfully?

Yes, and Google helps you find what you want, but shows relevant ads that could possibly interest you, and some of those advertised products may or may not be the solution you've been looking for ...

That's a very strange way to look at it, but then again, this is the WaFo after all ...

A truly helpful person, in my opinion, is someone who helps others not for the benefit of themselves, but for the benefit of the community as a whole.

Although some could argue that the community itself is compiled of people who 'help themselves'.

Nicolas is correct. We should want to help others just to help others.

There is plenty of room in IM for all of us, so there is no reason that we cannot lift each other up and help each other. No one is perfect. Everyone should have questions about something.

Let's work together to help each other reach his or her financial goals.

Yes - if they respond more than twice there's a good probability that they have way too much time on their hands from not having a successful enterprise of their own to devote their time to.

I don't know if I'd be looking to them for quality advice. :-)

Cheers. - Frank

I'm the only one that truly cares.

How do you spot a truly helpful person?

TIP: If they don't sound like they're full of sh#t and their advice sounds reasonable, thank them and go try it out. If it works, they were helpful.

I have no sig line - nothing to see here - I don't sell anything

I often give helpful advice to the best of my ability - more on the offline forum..

I also have a lot of affiliate marketing experience - but sick of the way that has gone downhill

I do like the idea that I and others are not here to give one on one coaching...some people just have no skills, no money , nothing set up but they come on here and want to make money.

It would be nice to discuss what works, what doesn't, share tips, ideas, tweak a part of your business.
However...

what I see here is a lot of total newbies who want to make fast money and some people there to take advantage of that and try to make a desperate sale to the newbie. Some don't even bother to keep it in their sig - they put it right in the body of the post. <sigh>

Google is your friend. Some basic skills online - being able to set up your own website, auto responder, find a suitable email program....learn how to write copy, figure out what you are going to offer....and from there seo, how to get traffic - GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND

You really do not need to spend money and buy endless reports.

Offline - you need all of the above plus some skill to sell - something to offer - and IMHO you need some basic sales skills - pick up a phone, meet with a client, close close close

Just one take on being helpful... if yes, great. If no, great.

Being thanked and getting criticized are different sides of the same sword...of your opinion, and like Big Frank so eloquently put it...some of us don't care.

Thank me, quack, quack...criticize me, quack, quack...the duck keeps paddling under the water during the harsh cold rains and gentle summer mist...and both roll off his back.

It's MY time. Only I get to spend it doing what I WANT to do. Sometimes that means weeks without comment, sometimes, more time to spend in the sandbox.

Like many, I seldom look at PM, prefer email. But when I do, and recently have been spammed several times via PM...it is my choice to respond or not.

If you find the advice useful and comments worth your time, well, that is good for you, I don't need to be thanked. Actually, I've probably learned more at WF during the times of disagreement, even attack...valuable lessons for me.

Like all open forums, the advice is free. Helpful? I'd have to say that is a personal opinion and one size does NOT fit all. Take it or leave it.

But my time is my time, I spend it how and when and with whom, the way I want. My take on the subject.

Quack, quack.

gjabiz

Yes. If you really want to determine who's helpful on this forum, just pay attention. The truly helpful people are actually quite easy to spot. The ones who just want eyeballs on their sig link are also easy to spot. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence can tell the difference if they just pay attention.

But telling people to start sending pm's with questions to "find out who's helpful"?? Definitely some of the worst advice I've ever seen on this forum.

And while you're asking for tips, here's another one: stop starting nonsense threads (like this one) day after day.

You have to consider the nature of the issue. If it involves one quick line of code then many of us will just supply it. If I give an answer and it is too difficult for some one to follow the directions because they don't have the experience to understand what I'm telling them and it is a few hours work to fix their problem, then smart people know that at that point they need to hire some one (hopefully the one who gave them free advice in the first place). People who keep asking for free help past what is reasonable (and the amount will vary with who is helping you and how much time they can spare) are asking to be ignored.

Really some people need to use google..."google is your friend"

Endless posts about "how can I make money" are truly annoying.

Lately the offline forum has this same insanity...when looking at the history of 2 of the latest "noobs" one can easily see they have been around awhile...

one has started and abandoned 2 other threads for 2 other moneymaker ideas....people patiently told how to get paypal account, start website, social media....but OP never ever returned

now third thread - another idea - asks the same stuff. Has never participated in anything or tried to help or contribute.

Why bother? I wish we could all stop coddling these perpetual quest seekers or maybe their should be forum called newbies asking questions and those who are martyrs or selling something can go answer at their leisure.

Oh the irony...PMing for free personal advice only helps the person doing the asking in private.


A truly helpful person would ask the question publicly so other people could benefit, as well as potentially getting "helpful" advice from more than one person in response.


To be honest, I never understood why some people think it's best to send a PM when they could have easily posted the question so all could share. It's a lot more effective use of everyone's time IMO.