Step 1: Company Research (30 seconds)

• Check company LinkedIn page for recent posts
• Look for recent news articles (Google News quick search)
• Note company size, growth stage, and market position

Step 2: Personal Research (45 seconds)

• Scan prospect's last 2-3 LinkedIn posts/activities
• Note career transitions in last 6-12 months
• Identify content they've engaged with recently

Step 3: Connection Points (45 seconds)

• Find genuine commonalities (location, industry, education)
• Look for mutual connections or shared groups
• Identify specific problems their role/industry faces

The POWER Technique

• Position (their job title and responsibilities)
• Organization (company size, industry, challenges)
• Why them? (why are they specifically worth reaching out to?)
• Engagement history (what content do they interact with?)
• Relationships (mutual connections or shared experiences)

Expert Insight: "There was some commonality between us. It could be your university, business school, geography... I always try to avoid people that I have nothing in common with." - Jorge Martínez-Arroyo (37% response rate)