Linda, great story!

Keith, this is absolutely true! When you take the time to do your homework and find out the seemingly insignificant small details about other people, you open yourself up to a world of opportunities. For example, I once interviewed Warren Buffett for a radio commercial for the NYSE and the day before, I read in his bio that he loved Cherry Coke (he had also made a killing off Coca-Cola stock). So, right before the interview, I treated him to a glass and he turned to me and said, "Linda, I'll tell you anything you want to know, because you just brought me a Cherry Coke." How's that for sweetening the deal?

But be careful what you say and how you say it. I asked the CFO of a Fortune 100 company about the financial quarter and the conversation went cold. After some reflection I surmised that he must have thought I was looking for inside information and my question made him extremely uncomfortable.

You know this is very true, here is the flip side and is something I address now and in forthcoming days, a lot of "successful individuals in our media spotlight, newspapers, tabloids and books are all under the self "pre-conceived" notion that they are big shots and should have to be respected, "Well how would you respect the indivdiual whose time is only spent with the other guru big shots and then kind of disregard Little Jimmy Joe who wants to say hello. Here is the solution and render it the first time I actually conveyed this: Little Jimmy or "Big" Jimmy should one approach in the full utmost confidence first and then the respect for himself, as another human being like Jack Welch, Donald, or "others" whose name will be mentioned at a later time. The Jacks, Donalds, and Hillary's should then allow the 2-5 minutes if and only if they are legitimately busy, as in a family, close friend, important meeting, time out, lunch break, henceforth with this in retrospect from every previous encounter one can learn the "chi" of accomplish successful business high roller encounters of the third kind. "More will be revealed" -John Cecconi, Jr.

Keith is dead on in this short blog. This is definitely true. I have been able to meet extraordinary people by doing my homework. One example that comes to mind is when I attended one of Keith's book seminars in Houston and I had less than one minute to speak with him and we connected on social innovation. It's that easy people. If you can connect with someone on a deeper level, great things can come from it. It is sort of like a personal elevator pitch as to why two people should connect.