12 Sep Larry Page and Sergey Brin Didn’t Invent Google For You to Be Unprepared

I’m always a little surprised when someone I’m meeting with seems to know absolutely nothing about me. It’s not an ego thing; I just can’t understand why anyone in the digital age would walk into a meeting cold.

If you and I should ever meet, rest assured that I’ve spent considerable time researching your background. Depending on how public you are, I’ll probably know a lot more than just where you’ve worked or attended school. You can bet I’ll have checked out your Twitter or Facebook page, skimmed any blogs you may have written, and have at least a decent understanding of your tone and perspective. To me, a first meeting rarely feels like a first meeting. And that’s a good thing. The more information you have, the more productive a conversation can be.

Here’s a great example: twice in the last year I’ve been invited to a steakhouse for dinner by a new contact. While I appreciate the generous invitation, you need only google my name to discover pretty quickly that I’m a vegetarian. Now, I’m certainly not offended by the offer—I would never expect anyone to keep tabs on my dietary choices—but if you really wanted to make the very best first impression, wouldn’t it be more effective to invite me to that hip, new vegan place? Of course it would.

If business is about relationships, and of course it is, why wouldn’t you want to have the absolute best shot of creating a meaningful one? Why not do everything in your power to set yourself up for success?

Oprah believes that luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation. And like many things, of course she’s right. And while you don’t always have control over the opportunity part, preparation is 100 percent your responsibility—and one you must take with the utmost seriousness. Otherwise, you may be selling yourself shorter than you even know.