Help??!!!

It’s a bit easy at certain situations that when we need help we ask for it, we figure out what we want, and who to ask, and when to ask, and how to ask … this way, we can benefit best and be precise.

But when it's the other way around, you look and see someone who needs help and for some reason you want to help, but the thing is, you want your help to be effective and to the point, you want the other party to benefit from you as much as possible, but how do you approach the person?, do you let them know that you know what they're going through, or do you act like you know nothing? do you wait for them to ask you, or do you keep pushing yourself letting them know that you're there when they need you?, do you offer solution, or just nod your head empathically? do you correct them, or guide them to find the road themselves?, and at what point do you take that action -of approaching the person in need of help-

when do you go to them and start helping? at the first sign of a cry for help, or at the desperate case?, when they admit they need help, or even if they're in denial?

when does it exactly become effective to help people?