“Spectacular achievements are often preceded by spectacular preparation”

Do Your Homework - Recap

There’s always a barrier to overcome when meeting someone new. It’s difficult to overcome the basic pleasantries and small talk to form a deeper connection. That’s why researching about the person you want to introduce yourself to and find common grounds can help. Find what they are interested in, what problems they might be facing, what they believe in, what they are passionate about. Learning more about them and finding common ground to connect with helps overcome those barriers and form a deeper connection.

• Google the person. See what turns up online about them. This will also reveal how much of themselves are put out in public.
• Find their connections and professional history on LinkedIn.
• Look at their company PR
• See ongoing conversations on Twitter, this can reveal their interests, passion.

Not doing homework is a missed opportunity.

The author raised a couple of examples on his research into a CEO that recently ran a marathon and used that as a basis to start a more personalised conversation.