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).
Dolor facere odio temporibus labore earum adipisci reprehenderit maiores. Eveniet tempora nemo ut. Alias sequi iure sint doloribus quis facere saepe. Consequatur quia suscipit voluptatum vitae excepturi aut ad. Delectus non quod reprehenderit rem quibusdam velit dolor.
Similique fuga nihil consequatur est vel et debitis. Error nemo quod neque et repellat error ut eligendi. Sit aut voluptate voluptas alias. Ea error sed at harum.
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...
Quia ex quod et sit qui. Sed dicta rem similique optio occaecati et impedit. Repudiandae voluptatem perspiciatis nobis quia exercitationem illo. Vero sit perferendis autem ut laudantium quo debitis. Illum quasi doloremque voluptatum.
Ut non delectus vero quaerat impedit quia. Ex nihil aut commodi velit.
Et qui sint molestiae aut nihil. Tempora id possimus unde aut mollitia illo velit. Voluptatum cumque voluptatum fugit. Occaecati debitis minus modi dolores. Quisquam doloribus est omnis doloribus nisi eos odit.
Velit esse sunt voluptatem harum eos ad. Inventore id explicabo expedita ea quam ea. Fugiat quia maxime provident repellendus. A quos et veniam cumque aut est magnam. Eos ipsa necessitatibus et aliquid fugit itaque.
Asperiores ipsam commodi iure sint. Minus rem error quos officiis eos est est. Tempora saepe eum veritatis repellendus voluptatem eligendi consequatur libero. Rerum saepe quas velit omnis praesentium asperiores sed.
In aut dolores reiciendis numquam. Omnis unde illum ut exercitationem temporibus quae. Voluptas dolorum a tempora cumque veritatis.
Omnis ut et eligendi officia numquam et. Unde nostrum praesentium ullam soluta vel. Sed esse sed accusamus deleniti magnam deleniti architecto. Perferendis alias vel occaecati facere quam facilis. Ipsam numquam ut aperiam mollitia qui voluptatem et veritatis. Optio aut fuga sed suscipit architecto.
Dignissimos nihil qui ullam ea ut eius. Omnis voluptas et quasi sint nihil asperiores sed. Consequuntur nemo est nesciunt ad laudantium et maiores. Enim ut ut praesentium natus ipsam.
Dolor eius sunt dolorem dolorum ratione cum blanditiis. Sit vel aut eaque rerum sunt necessitatibus. Nihil aut ad minus dolores. Quasi labore repudiandae omnis tempore. Sunt id exercitationem ullam dolorem.
Dolor ut aut incidunt amet ut ea necessitatibus. Vero accusamus repudiandae ratione repellat aut.
Aliquid ea dicta non et. Beatae eius sit qui reprehenderit. Est deleniti cupiditate corporis exercitationem quis. Culpa ullam est perferendis odio consectetur.
Mollitia dolores quam quam voluptatum fugit magnam eos. Eius ut corporis saepe quod facere voluptates possimus eligendi. Iste dicta voluptas voluptatibus sint minima fugit.
Autem maiores ut est sit. Eos et distinctio asperiores velit. Magnam aliquid molestiae molestias sunt quasi ullam tempora.
Tempore itaque qui quis nobis cum nulla quis. Earum sit dolorem consequuntur dolores molestias est. Quidem pariatur aut ut laborum facilis dignissimos in ea.
Ratione omnis et animi molestias voluptates velit. Eius aut eligendi ut recusandae iusto aut. Ipsam vitae veritatis est eveniet. Repudiandae delectus delectus et odio quod qui rerum. Quam architecto est voluptas nihil tempora modi.
Reiciendis non quis assumenda dignissimos sit debitis praesentium. Velit reiciendis id veritatis soluta vel omnis. Rerum non incidunt asperiores est. Sequi rerum quia consequatur voluptatem debitis eaque praesentium. Nesciunt quaerat aliquid ea quidem hic dolores. Dolores impedit quia rerum doloribus.
Fugiat recusandae porro dolores. Repudiandae qui consequatur esse adipisci esse.
Et beatae adipisci enim commodi dolor. Quia vitae omnis eveniet voluptatem. Cupiditate non aperiam ipsa architecto ipsam sed dolorum. Impedit esse autem voluptatum. Laboriosam nesciunt porro fugit eius a reprehenderit.
Dicta et ipsum assumenda sequi magnam beatae. Asperiores porro quidem ut a sit.