Don't you hate it when the bell rings in the middle of a really good lecture? The teacher promises he'll pick right up where he left off, but begins the next lesson with some lengthy preamble and unnecessary recap? Well, stuff that noise! We're picking up exactly where we left off, with my rules and tips for putting a good group together fast.
The most basic way to fill a group is to spam LFG and/or general chat. Do not actually spam. Drop your offer about once per two minutes, once per minute if chat is moving really fast. Use all relevant channels.
Of course, if you want to zone into the dungeon before the cows come home, this cannot be all you do. Immediately ask any friends who are online to ask their friends to go, and then start "headhunting," or sending out targeted whispers. Run a player search, either for a specific class or a reputable guild. If the guild has some or all of the classes you'd like, send those fellows a tell. In the class search, pick people with names you like, or again, people in reputable guilds.
Some headhunting parameters: Do not ask anyone who's already in a dungeon, obviously. Do not bother with vulgar or ToS-baiting names, as such people are usually the jerks on whom you'll end up being tough. People with clever joke names are alright, but "Teabags" or "Gokugolas" are probably not the DPS for you.
Write a clever pitch! Group invites tend to become white noise. Even whispered invites tend to be ignored, especially by tanks or healers. You need to get the prospective teammate's attention with something friendly and inviting. Let of your personality show here, so if someone responds, you know you can vibe. Don't write more than sentence, just a clear hook with how many you need, for which dungeon.
Copy and paste this pitch. Don't worry if it's a "form letter." People will notice a catchy form letter before they will just another "LF 2 DPS." Even for the whispers you send to victims... er... subjects of your headhunt, copy-pasting is much more efficient than hand-typing every last invite. Make sure not to refer to anyone by name, of course. A form-letter with the wrong person's name is rude.
When headhunting, always fill the tank and/or healer spots first, as DPS is everywhere and in much lower individual demand, while tanks and healers might be reluctant to join groups without the other role filled. DPSers will respond to your LFG posts before anyone else. With tanks and healers, try for dedicated specs or at least, decent gear. With DPS, favor ranged over melee, and never go all-melee (I will discuss why later.)
Always make sure to chat a bit with every prospective group member. Just a few lines back and forth to get a feel for the person. A polite how-are-you, a follow-up to the other person's joke, answers to any questions. Get a feel for your prospective teammate before you waste an hour of your life on a jerk. This also makes the person feel like you're interested in them as an individual or some hippie nonsense.
Finally, don't be desperate. No matter how much you want to run an instance, don't let a guy named Magmaskrote tank in Fury gear. Don't run with someone who acts entitled or responds to your attempt to get to know him with "hurry up, I don't have all day." Someone who joins the group and starts throwing his weight around, spewing hate-speech or making others miserable can have a slice of "thanks but no thanks" before being removed. Leadership and group-building are ultimately more valuable than any one player, and mature group-mates should understand this. Even if, when all your options are exhausted, you cannot find anyone to fill a needed role and must disband the group, just tell your teammates you'd rather not run at all then subject them to an unpleasant person. So many miserable, disastrous PUGs could be avoided if leaders never settled for obnoxious players just to get into the dungeon.
If you are proactive, friendly, and steadfast in looking out for your allies' good time, they will wait as long as you need, because they recognize the value of a good leader. Some might leave out of necessity, and will be willing to team up another time. Those who storm off, or get mad at you for getting rid of an obvious jerk, will spare you the agony of their company in the dungeon to come.
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