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Fifteen minutes of research before a meeting will do more for your career than fifteen hours of presentation polish.
I've sat across from executives, board members, and clients who thought they had the upper hand. They didn't. Because I walked in knowing things they didn't expect me to know.
This isn't stalking. It's professional intelligence gathering. And everyone at the top does it.
The OSINT Protocol (15 Minutes)
OSINT stands for Open Source Intelligence. It's how intelligence agencies gather publicly available information. The same principles work for any professional conversation.
Minutes 1-5: The LinkedIn Deep Dive
Skip their current title. Everyone reads that. Instead:
Career trajectory: Where did they come from? What moves did they make? This reveals what they value.
Content they've posted or shared: These are their public opinions. Gold for finding common ground.
Mutual connections: Who do you both know? This is leverage you can use naturally.
Recommendations they've written: Not received. Written. Shows what they praise in others.
Minutes 6-10: The Google Expansion
Search their name plus:
Company name (recent news, press releases)
"Interview" or "podcast" (their unfiltered thoughts)
"Keynote" or "presentation" (what they want to be known for)
Industry terms (where they position themselves as expert)
Minutes 11-15: The Company Context
Recent funding, acquisitions, or layoffs (their current pressure)
Glassdoor or industry chatter (internal culture signals)
Competitor moves (what's threatening them)
Public financials if available (budget reality)
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Why This Works
Robert Cialdini's research on influence proves that people trust those who understand them. Walking in with context signals competence and respect.
But there's a deeper psychological principle at play: the preparation gap.
Most people prepare what they'll say. Almost nobody prepares who they're saying it to. When you demonstrate knowledge of their world, you immediately separate yourself from everyone else they've met that week.
The Dual-Track Application
Corporate track: Before your next one-on-one with leadership, run this protocol on your boss's boss. Understand their priorities, their career path, their public positions. Then frame your asks in language that aligns with what they already care about.
Creator track: Before your next sales call, run this protocol on the prospect. Find their company's pain points, their personal posts about challenges, their industry pressures. Then open the conversation by referencing something specific. Watch their guard drop.
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The Pre-Meeting Research Checklist
Use this before any high-stakes conversation:
☐ Career trajectory mapped (where they've been, where they're heading) ☐ Recent content reviewed (posts, shares, comments) ☐ Company context understood (news, financials, pressures) ☐ Mutual connections identified ☐ One specific detail to reference naturally in conversation
Time investment: 15 minutes Return: Walking in as the most prepared person in the room
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Behind the paywall: The Advanced OSINT Toolkit, specific search operators, the exact browser extensions you can use, and the 5-minute "rapid research" version for last-minute meetings.
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