Some Things Never Seem to Change
Posted On: 2016-02-22
For the first time in a very long time Steve and I joined an online group last week. It's a closed Facebook group led by a couple of very switched on people who are very proactive in the group and we joined because we want to take my business ... and Steve's online business ... in a very different direction.
While we have a lot of experience in some of the areas we need to know about if we are to succeed in this new venture, being part of this group should help us get up to speed on the areas where we have no previous expertise.
So we jumped in to listen and learn and, so far, the group has certainly given us plenty of useful tips and information. While that's something that could not be said for all the groups we have been part of over the years this group definitely has promise but there are some things about groups that never seem to change.
They haven't changed over the years and they certainly haven't changed simply because the group is here in adult or over the fence in mainstream. While that might surprise people here in adult and horrify people over there in mainstream, it seems to be a fact of life.
You are going to meet the same type of people in both places and one of the most common types of people you will meet is the "expert".
The "expert" is someone who knows absolutely everything about a subject and simply will not tolerate anyone else who may have a suggestion or want to offer a different point of view ... no matter how slight the deviation might be from the original point of view put forward by the "expert".
I should point out here that there is a vast difference between the "expert" ... the guy who thinks he knows everything ... and a true expert. The true expert doesn't think he knows everything, is quite happy to admit that they don't know everything and he or she is perfectly willing to look at other people's points of view.
The true expert also understands that not everyone's experience will be the same here on line. What works for one person may not work for another and everyone's experience will vary to a lesser or greater degree.
The other difference between the true expert and person who thinks that he, or she, knows everything is that the true expert may offer comments or suggestions but won't waste time trying to defend them when the other type of expert jumps into the conversation.
There's no point trying to debate anything with the "expert" because only one person can be right in the "expert's" eyes and they will defend their point of view to the death.
They will offer their point of view and they will back it up with links to what others have said ... as long as it supports their point of view. The one thing they won't do is to talk about their own experiences, their own research, their own data ... because they don't have any.
Almost everything that they have to say is based on what they have read, not what they have done.
Needless to say, we have already come across several of those "experts" in that mainstream Facebook group that we've joined and of course we have bumped into them in threads that always attract "experts"; the search engine optimisation threads.
Personally I never join in those discussions, it's pointless to argue with them, but not my Steve. He just has to bait some of those "experts". He fires them up and then sits back and watches them beat their chests and quote questionable articles and blog posts on sites like SEOmoz.
If you know how these guys react it can be fun to watch them go off like firecrackers but it is also sad to see that some things just never change.
If you are new to the online industry, whether it be adult or mainstream, these "experts" can quickly lead you astray with their fake expertise and leave you struggling to grow your business. If you follow them blindly all they will do is destroy you.
So don't take anyone's advice without testing it ... or at least asking others if the advice you have been given is worth anything. If you have no one else to ask and you're not sure about the advice an "expert" has given you then ask them to clarify what they are saying.
Ask them what their personal experience is and don't take their word as gospel simply because they quote some industry website.
The success of your business could depend on the advice you get so make sure that the advice you get comes from a genuine expert.