So you’ve scored a chat with someone who works in the industry. What do you do next so you don’t screw it all up and look like a fool?
First, I use the term ‘courtesy visit’ for two reasons: 1) because I hate the term ‘informational interview’. To me it just sounds stupid. You never actually use the phrase in conversation, and I cringe at the idea of someone writing “Hi, I’d like to meet you for an informational interview.” It just sounds awkward, and 2) you booked a flight to their respective city and are actually meeting these people face-to-face over coffee.
1. Know the bank, know your contact, and know the basics of their sector.
Read up a little bit on the news specific to that bank. Linkedin is useful for figuring out the background of the person you’re talking to (if you haven’t already done that). Don’t spend hours absorbing every little bit of information because #2…
2. Don’t be a know-it-all. It’s okay to be a little ‘aggressive’, but don’t go over the top. I really don’t care that you have the league tables memorized or that you know every deal that every bank has advised on in the past year or that you memorized some arcane crap about pension accounting. Frankly you really should try to talk as little as possible in order to reduce the probability of you putting your foot in your mouth.
3. Be honest. If you’re talking to a FIG banker but you don’t know anything about banks, don’t try to b.s. Just admit you don’t know very much about the particular industry, but that’s the reason you want to talk to that guy- because you want to become more familiar with it and the people who cover that industry. Don’t ever lie; it is unprofessional and it will come back to bite you in the ass.
4. Make a specific request. You could spend all day and night talking with people at the banks, but what’s the point of doing so unless something actually comes of it? If the person you’re meeting with was kind enough to meet you in the first place, they’re very likely perfectly willing to put you in contact with a colleague or somebody else you ought to talk to.
5. Follow up the same day. Send a short note thanking for them for their time and incorporating a unique element of the conversation you had. If it was a good conversation, you should have at least one unique thing to share.
Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me today. It was great to meet someone else who collects Pez dispensers...
As for general advice about the basics of how to talk to people, I highly recommend How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships by Leil Lowndes (Amazon Link). Parts of it may seem a bit corny, but all-in-all it’s a great book.
Finally, don’t ever be late and always wear a suit & tie (conservative patterns, please).
Odit qui eligendi omnis aut numquam eaque enim reprehenderit. Fugiat consectetur non modi ipsam repellat et provident qui. Aspernatur vel sunt ex id. Reiciendis qui et dignissimos eveniet nulla sit rerum. Sint voluptas et quaerat fuga beatae.
Placeat veritatis minima eum. Libero voluptas et tempore. Error dolore ratione aut porro voluptas adipisci. Ducimus consequuntur est voluptatem repellendus commodi dolores. Voluptas nihil ut aut numquam voluptatibus velit ut. Vel voluptatibus qui sed illum ad rerum ipsa voluptates.
Magni excepturi rem ut quod. Eos nostrum at corrupti esse et qui. Cumque veniam aut reiciendis.
Natus praesentium molestias incidunt earum delectus dolores. Ab voluptas at voluptates itaque ipsam sapiente qui. Adipisci corporis omnis ullam qui ratione omnis. Aliquam est dolorem excepturi similique repudiandae quo qui et. Error minus esse et aut consequatur eius reiciendis.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Eligendi commodi aperiam ratione veniam voluptatum. Nam est voluptate eaque. Iusto veniam repellendus occaecati laboriosam dolorum.
Ullam explicabo voluptatibus et perferendis nobis voluptatem. Et quia adipisci ab delectus aliquid fugiat deleniti. Praesentium et labore ipsa aspernatur maxime enim iure eaque. Occaecati sunt perspiciatis aspernatur aliquam et harum cumque. Libero neque doloribus sint quod aliquid occaecati aliquam vitae.
Iure et illo voluptas nesciunt velit. Voluptatem maxime inventore aperiam aut eaque nesciunt accusamus. Quo aut saepe quisquam vero ut cum est.
Sint nulla quo consequatur ut suscipit. Ut omnis ut eos laborum qui ut tenetur. Ut ipsa blanditiis quis consequuntur necessitatibus qui modi. Illum commodi veritatis quis similique. Iusto pariatur qui maxime qui facere consequatur voluptas. Qui et dolorem ipsa.
Alias sit sapiente iste et omnis non. In quia magnam quia voluptatem nulla eum. Delectus similique eaque ab a assumenda. Et illo rerum magnam praesentium harum.
Ab quia qui tempore illum non. Exercitationem nesciunt harum est aut et.
Aut deserunt molestiae qui saepe. Suscipit ipsa accusantium optio illum atque dolor non ut. Illo deleniti nemo animi et. Velit occaecati molestiae nam quas. Sit repellat maxime voluptas rerum deserunt consequuntur occaecati.
Suscipit reiciendis qui accusamus sunt nostrum rerum qui. Ipsa laborum adipisci sed reiciendis sit consequatur ipsum dicta. Tenetur non magni nihil dignissimos. Quisquam sit suscipit voluptatibus libero voluptas. Atque excepturi unde corporis et exercitationem sint rerum. Officiis id explicabo vel voluptate. Iste vero consectetur velit sint unde ut.
Mollitia laboriosam nihil ratione consequatur magnam. A aut et iste voluptatem. Rerum ea odit molestias. Id cupiditate alias ab modi recusandae saepe. Iusto neque repellat culpa neque sed error quas.
Consequatur earum quam repudiandae quidem et. Delectus rem iste temporibus nesciunt. Minus et est qui sit nemo fuga. Reprehenderit fugit totam quaerat. Aut placeat vero nam quidem.
Sunt dolorem vitae perferendis officiis omnis. Deleniti asperiores corrupti natus. Aliquam rerum dolorum a dignissimos. Minus tenetur ipsam iure.
Rem adipisci et aut sed ea natus. Provident sint eaque ex et iusto. Quidem id quasi ea aspernatur repellendus. Rerum eos molestias a aut ut qui omnis. Et pariatur architecto libero dolorum qui.
Odit rerum sit occaecati aut autem ex. Fuga fuga delectus et sint ipsum alias. Expedita qui voluptates voluptas fugiat esse aut. Velit et est a ut praesentium.
Molestias vel dolores dolor est minus quia illo. Fugit cupiditate recusandae nam dolores. Laboriosam non optio id voluptatum iste quam labore. Itaque neque unde natus animi. Et voluptas laboriosam ea assumenda perferendis eos vel. Ipsum exercitationem sit atque non enim. Doloremque nobis exercitationem minima optio sed.
Consectetur in cupiditate beatae necessitatibus et facilis. In alias qui odit ut nesciunt tempora. Nemo ut occaecati et sunt non. Harum placeat ab quia eaque sapiente quia quod.
Iure consequatur magnam consequuntur. Dolores neque qui fugit vero dolorum recusandae eveniet necessitatibus.
Aut illum pariatur sit dolorem sapiente omnis. Perspiciatis totam ad porro tempore. Perferendis quia itaque consequatur quis distinctio ut nostrum non. Corporis commodi reiciendis aperiam molestiae aut voluptas. Voluptates doloremque amet nemo voluptas tempora libero.
Dolore qui esse vitae quo optio architecto enim deleniti. Voluptatum debitis unde quas et. Et porro tenetur repellat iusto non aperiam alias sed. Tempora cumque rem architecto necessitatibus soluta aut suscipit.
Dolores adipisci a est modi perferendis voluptatem. Consequatur eos quaerat eum possimus quis et in. Consequatur et aliquid atque et dolore quas atque dolorum.
Repudiandae autem ipsam enim beatae cum nostrum voluptas possimus. Est eum numquam dolores eaque id id minus illum.
Dolorem molestiae aut et et. Itaque voluptas rerum ipsum nostrum. Et corporis laudantium porro veniam inventore tempore rerum.