Oogling and Googling

Am I the only one who Googles everybody I am going to meet or have just met for the first time? Am I the last living paranoid, yenta, busybody ... or what?

I'm interviewing a bunch of marketing and PR agencies. I'm sending out RFPs and going on go-see meetings. You'd think that before I showed up these ace marketers would check me out, not necessarily because I'm such a big shot, but just to anticipate who I am, what i know, what I might say, what I might ask or what topics might either delight me as a prospective client or send me round the bend. I was genuinely surprised and not a little miffed when several potential partners spoke to me as if I had no understanding of anything digital and condescendingly ran me through the basics of PR.  You'd think my bald head and age spots would give them a minimal cue. 

Am I the only one who thinks knowing somebody's background, demography and work history might better prepare me to engage them professionally or socially? Am I the last guy who thinks that a little advance prep might make the pitch perfect? Could I be the last serious fan of Jewish geography and other forms of "who knows who"? Have I inherited my mother's insatiable voyeuristic interest in the personal details of random people or am I the lost bastard child of J. Edgar Hoover running amok with the richness of personal information available online?

Okay. I was an Eagle Scout and "Be Prepared" was our motto. But how can anyone seriously interested in engagement, connection or interaction, not to mention a closed sale, ignore what is available absolutely free in three clicks on Google, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, Facebook or any number of social networks or research sites?

If my single friends Google their blind J-dates in anticipation of a first date, why wouldn't hungry agencies Google prospective clients in anticipation of a first meeting?

Comments

[Erica DeWolf]

I totally understand this frustration- I always Googled everybody I was going to meet- I even googled my first college roommate way back when to see what she was like.

When I go on interviews I always find it really important to know who I'm going to meet with. When they don't put the same effort into getting to know me- I sometimes get offended.

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