"1. Be warm and welcoming
This is important. It sounds obvious, but you would be surprised at how brusk or business-like and impersonal many users in help forums can be. We need to acknowledge the steps that a user has already made and try to connect personally. Asking for help places the person in a vulnerable spot. We need to be aware of that and help them relax.
"As a teacher, I know that learning takes place in an environment and my success has as much to do with creating a positive learning climate as it does with my personal ability to teach. We need skills, but we need to be able to connect. When someone is reaching out for help, we need to extend a welcoming hand.
"2. Get background information
Learners arrive with sets of skills and knowledge. It is important for me to establish the baseline so that I can take them to the next level. Adult learners are able to communicate their experience, so it is just a matter of asking a few relevant questions."
