In last month’s column, we provided background on “Laying the Groundwork to Become an Effective Influencer.”
After conducting all of the research on the company that we laid out in last month’s column, there is one more element of research that is essential. Last but not least, research the individual(s) with whom you are going to meet. Building a personal connection with someone is vital to creating a compelling reason for the individual to want to listen to you in the future and to consider your views. It also goes a long way to gaining their future support for initiatives you will be fielding. You will want to find out things like: where did the individual go to school?; how long has he or she been with the company?; what roles or positions has the individual held in the company prior to their current position?; where did they previously work? This type of research can significantly assist you in having a productive discussion with the individual and provide you with opportunities to “connect” with them.