VETTING A PERSON BEFORE YOU DO BUSINESS WITH THEM

Vetting Defined: Formal and thorough examination prior to grant of approval or clearance.

Words don’t cost anything. People can say anything they want—it is a free country. As a businessperson, you are judged by the company you keep. It is in your best interest to do your own due diligence before you enter into a contract with someone.

Some steps to consider:

Ask for a resume. Yes, I know many people do not have one. However, many people of prominence do have resumes. A resume provides a great deal of useful information. Often you may be surprised that you may have even more in common than you thought.

Ask people in the same field for their opinion of the person. Yes, it will/can be biased; yet, if you are good at reading body language there is much to learn from their peers.

Ask the person if there anything in is his background that you should know.

Ask at least one other person to accompany you on the final interview. I suggest you have one man and one woman interview the person. (I am a big believer that men and women make a great team because they think differently.)

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

Before doing business with anyone, be sure to Google his or her name.