The importance of research

I received a telephone call yesterday. It was a cold call but it was unusual, it did not go the normal way. We get targeted continually by telecoms, investment companies and the like. So on most occasions I just politely say that I don't buy over the phone and put the phone down, But something about this call made me stop. It was immediately clear that they had studied my website. They had looked at my LinkedIn profile and they had identified people who were common connections between us. So they were able to use names that I knew, companies that I dealt with and so I listened. In the end I did not end up buying, but I listened. It tells me that a properly researched approach to a company will always succeed better than a "Dear Sir, I would really like to join your company/organisation as I have the perfect background. Yours faithfully" type of approach. If you research the company properly, look for the hooks that will make them stop and think then you have a good chance of them listening. Once they listen, you have a better chance than the next person getting a meeting. The recruitment market is a competitive one, you need to get the edge if you're going to be noticed.