Subscriber Discussion

LinkedIn Requests For "Expertise" Consultations

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Stephen Green
Feb 20, 2019
IONODES

Has anyone else seen a sudden uptick in solicitations on LinkedIn for "expertise consultations"?  Are these legit or a new (at least to me) form of elaborate data gathering scam (I.e.:  get you on the phone for an interview with the purpose of getting a few additional bits of personal info that could be used to steal your identity").

Typically the request comes as a LinkedIn message.  The tend to be well written, and claim to be looking for expertise to help an unnamed company learn more about the "visual monitoring" or surveillance industry.  The writer requests a brief interview, which would be followed by a paid 1 hour interview with their client.

So my questions are:

- Is this ever legit?

- Is there a setting in LinkedIn that I can flip to stop getting these?

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JH
John Honovich
Feb 20, 2019
IPVM

I have not gotten them recently but I have seen them in the past. It is often legitimate. The ones that I have seen are legitimate would set you up to be paid before doing any calls (GLG is an example of that).

However, this description sounds troublesome:

The writer requests a brief interview, which would be followed by a paid 1 hour interview with their client.

Can you share the name of any of the companies that have contacted you?

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Avatar
Stephen Green
Feb 20, 2019
IONODES

GLG and 10EQS are the most recent.  They certainly sound legit and have none of the grammar or spelling red flags of an obvious scam.  I looked up GLG and they do look "real" but haven't bothered to look up 10EQS.

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CD
Chalon Dilber
Feb 20, 2019

Alphasights is also real.  Basically, they have a bunch of young MBAs/recent grads contacting 'experts' that can help their customer better understand a new market or technology; qualifying the expert; and setting up conference calls with their customer.  Average about $100/hr or session for a direct conference with their client but that was several years ago.

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Avatar
Stephen Green
Feb 20, 2019
IONODES

Thanks Chalon.  I have also been contacted directly by several industry friends regarding this thread.  They all said that they had done one or more consultations and that they were legit.  (GLG and AlphaSights were the specific firms mentioned)

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
Feb 20, 2019

I get these all the time. I just ignore them. 

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U
Undisclosed #2
Feb 20, 2019
IPVMU Certified
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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Feb 21, 2019

I get these a lot, and I tend to respond to them.  I have a lot of time in the car, so I schedule calls with them while I'm in the wilderness.  I've done two calls, and I've made $900.

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U
Undisclosed #2
Feb 21, 2019
IPVMU Certified

What are the questions?

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Feb 21, 2019

They have both been 1 hr. interviews about specific subjects.  One was about body wearable cameras, the other about border security trends.  They were general "state of the industry" types of questions - who are the players, what are end users asking for, what's missing in the industry, etc.

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JH
John Honovich
Feb 21, 2019
IPVM

I have not done them in years but usually, they are pretty basic.

Imagine an Ivy League graduate who knows a lot about finance and business but not the first thing about the industry. What's a camera? Who sells them? Why do people want to buy cameras? 

Thinking about it more broadly, the type of people who pay money for these calls are one month evaluating investments into video surveillance and then the next evaluating investments into electric cars, etc. They need to quickly ramp up into each space and use these calls to do so.

Intellectually, I found them to be very boring but I cannot understand the logic from their side.

U
Undisclosed #2
Feb 21, 2019
IPVMU Certified

I have not done them in years but usually, they are pretty basic.

Somewhere in Hawaii, 2007

JH: In summary I would say that the a failure to quickly adapt to the coming industry transformation will upend many of today’s major players, some fatally, others will hang on, lingering languidly; while still others will wholly embrace the new paradigm of the network camera, as it quickly reshapes the technological  landscape and unfurls the flag of the emergent and dominant IP Video Market throughout the land.

Ivy Leaguer: Thanks, Mr. Honovich! That’s great stuff. Now, just a little formatting, a few pictures, and a graph or two, and Voila!: another edition of our Premium Paid content out to the masses. I’ll send you a proof, okay Mr.Honovich?

JH: (click)

U
Undisclosed #4
Feb 22, 2019

Guidepoint and GLG are legit. I made about $6,000 last year between the two of them.

I charge $250/hr (the highest they seem to let you go). They try to push you to a lower amount, but IMO it's not worth it at lower amounts (you're going to get a tax form at the end of the year, so your net is much lower than your actual rate).

I have had a couple of others contact me as well, I can't recall the names, but when I tell them $250/hr they kind of try to push lower (one even offered that I could "donate" my time!), and I just tell them I get that rate elsewhere, so it's $250 or nothing. Have not had any of those actually book anything yet.

Some of the clients have rebooked me for followup calls, or even to write brief summaries, throw some numbers in a spreadsheet, etc. They pay $250 for that as well.

These calls can also be a good way to get an inside scoop on some industry trends, I have been asked for opinion/input on companies for sale (from PE firms), input on product (re)naming, and other things.

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