LESSON 2 OF 6 · INTERMEDIATE
Research a professional reason to connect
Use public professional information to understand a person’s role, market and stated interests. Verify that the information is current and record its source. Do not infer confidential production, distress or personal circumstances from a profile. Public visibility is not permission for scraping restricted systems or sharing candidate details. Turn research into a relevant question instead of a claim that you know the person’s needs.
Create a short research note: source, observed fact, possible relevance, question and uncertainty.
About 2 minutes reading + 12 minutes practice. Take longer when needed.
Apply the method
Create a research card with five sections: observed fact, source and date, professional relevance, uncertainty and an opening question. Review the person’s own public professional information where available and avoid collecting unnecessary personal details. Look for business themes: mentoring, market education, referral development or team leadership. Do not convert a post into evidence of dissatisfaction. Before using a fact in outreach, ask whether the person would recognize it as accurate and relevant. Keep the research light enough to support a conversation rather than building a speculative dossier. Use approved systems and access methods; platform visibility does not authorize every collection or outreach practice.
A worked application
Fictional worked example: Devon writes about helping newer LOs prepare partner presentations. The research card records the post and asks whether developing others is an important future responsibility. It does not say Devon is underpaid or overlooked. A second source lists an old employer; the recruiter marks the conflict and uses neutral wording. The eventual opening references the mentoring topic without claiming an existing relationship. If Devon corrects the role or employer, the record is updated rather than defending the original research.
Common mistake to avoid
Personalization should demonstrate relevance, not surveillance. A detail can be public yet still be unnecessary or inappropriate for a recruiting message.
Work through the case
FICTIONAL SCENARIO
A loan officer posts about coaching newer colleagues. That supports a question about leadership goals; it does not prove dissatisfaction with the current company.
Make it practical
Create a short research note: source, observed fact, possible relevance, question and uncertainty.
Compare your reasoning with a worked response
Observed fact: mentoring post. Question: is developing others part of your longer-term plan? Uncertainty: whether a move is wanted. Keep inference separate from fact.
Takeaway
Use the method to explain your decision, identify what you still need to verify and choose an accountable next step.
Treat the response as a model for reasoning, not the only possible wording. Adapt it to the role, evidence and appropriate organizational guidance.