Networking Through Preparation

The following post was inspired by the book Never Eat Alone written by Keith Ferrazzi with Tahl Raz.

Armed with knowledge about a person’s passions, needs, or interests, you can do more than connect; you’ll have an opportunity to bond and impress.

Never Eat Alone

Flying Into Orbit

Hurtling through space at 17,100 mph 254 miles above the earth is not the place you want to make a mistake. That’s why NASA astronauts spend roughly three years in training prior to their mission to the International Space Station.

During that time, they’ll spend roughly 300 hours in state-of-the-art simulators. Some replicate the noise and vibrations of takeoff and landing. Others are perfect replicas of the space station itself, allowing astronauts to familiarize themselves with the layout of the ISS before they arrive.

In addition, astronauts will spend 10 hours training underwater at the Sonny Carter Training facility for every 1 hour they plan to perform spacewalks outside of the ISS. The facility is home to a 6.2 million gallon pool that spans 200 feet long and 40 feet deep. In full astro-scuba gear, they practice maintenance tasks in a simulated zero-gravity environment.

Preparation Leads to Better Outcomes

NASA’s success in space is a testament to the careful planning and preparation that goes into each mission. But of course, careful preparation isn’t just reserved for space travel. Preparation is something we all do when we aim to influence an outcome in our favor.

Musicians prepare for recitals. Students prepare for exams. Quarterbacks watch film in preparation for Sunday night.

When we want something to go well, we prepare for it. There’s no reason then that we shouldn’t apply this straightforward concept to building new relationships too. 

Building Relationships with Intent

I’ll admit that I never gave preparation any thought when it came to networking before reading Never Eat Alone. And that’s probably because opportunities to meet new people is often a spontaneous occurrence.

But sometimes you do know who you’re meeting (or would like to meet) at any given event. For example, maybe you’re meeting a potential new client for the first time, or you’re going in for an interview, or you’re attending a party with a public guest list.

In situations where you have someone in mind whom you’d like to get to know, preparation is your ticket to transforming a forgettable introduction into a budding new relationship.

But what are we preparing for?

One of the most effective way of building trust and rapport with a new acquaintance is to find common interests. And I’m not talking about working in the same industry. If you want to build a real relationship, then you need to connect with people on a personal level.

Finding out these details about someone in advance requires preparation.

You need to get to know their hobbies, interests, and successes outside of their day-to-day professional life. The goal is to find some potential avenues you might be able to take the conversation to spark some shared interest.

Researching the background of the person you intend to meet might sound a little stalkish, but really it’s an act of appreciation. Most people will be flattered to find out that you’ve taken the time to find out something unique about them. And it’s in those moments that real connections are made.

Tactical Advice

Don’t leave building your network up to chance. The people who are best connected are intentional about preparing for situations that lend them to building new relationships.

Here are four tactics from the book that can help you prepare to make a new connection:

1. Search them on Google. Find their company website. Explore their profile on LinkedIn or Facebook if available.
2. Look for books, periodicals, magazines, or trade journals that have been written about or authored by the person you intend to meet.
3. Call the company’s public relations department. Explain that you have a scheduled meeting and would like some background information.
4. Review company reports to get a sense for what direction the company is headed. Try to understand what headwinds and opportunities the company is facing.

Making a Better Connection

Some of the above advice is more appropriate when planning to meet company CEOs or top level executives. But the overall idea here is that you want to exhaust all your resources available to understand what’s going on in the life of the person you intend to meet.

Networking with generosity means preparing in advance to make someone feel appreciated. Doing your homework shows that you care deeply about connecting with someone on a personal level. Don’t waste a networking opportunity by showing up unprepared.