How to prepare for using a legend during ethical hacking or custom competitor verification

The purpose of the contact is to obtain information that will confirm or deny the company's data security gaps. To do this, you need to have trust between you and the representative. If you are not trusted, there is no chance of obtaining information, even if you do it on a regular basis. 

So, let's pay attention to the legend. It should clearly outline the image of an interested person who wants to learn more than what is indicated on the website, for example.  

Perfectly, the legend contains all the necessary information for a positive result, a prepared conversation script, and answers to common questions. The other party will be eager to provide you with all the information you need, and even more so with great pleasure. 

However, the human factor is inevitable, so you should take a few steps to help you stay focused while working on a project and not give yourself away.   

1. Allow yourself 20-30 minutes before the contact to fully concentrate on your task, review the legend, script, and immerse yourself in the context of your topic. A good practice is to use the method of "rubber ducking" when you speak or explain something out loud to an imaginary colleague. This way, you will understand where you can forget, what issues you are swimming in, and what issues are obvious but not described in your script. Such a rehearsal helps you to track your own mood, tone of voice, intonation, and the impression you can make on the interlocutor. It is better to record yourself and then listen to yourself. 

2. Quite often, you may feel anxious before contact. This is quite natural and should not be taken as a negative indicator. You should consider whether you can use your anxiety in a conversation. Most often, the answer will be yes. Let's imagine that the purpose of your contact is to find out the specific prices of a seller of prostheses for people who need them. Wouldn't a young man who has long dreamed of helping his grandfather and fitting him with a quality prosthesis feel excited? Of course, he will. So, your nervousness can be turned into excitement about doing something nice for your loved one. And the adrenaline rush will help activate your thinking processes. Thus, we can draw parallels with almost any emotion and feeling: Fear - what if the prosthesis doesn't fit; anger - the 4th company refuses to help; confusion - you don't know where to turn and this is your last hope. 

3. Another very simple and effective technique is to give the potential blocker a head start. You know that some feature of your contact will stand out and attract attention. This can be a hindrance. So, say it right away, disarm the other person. You can't use a camera - oh, crap, my new company gave me a laptop without a camera, didn't they think about the important meetings I have every day? You have to communicate in French, but for some reason you speak English - tell them that you really like Paris, but unfortunately, in 4 months of work, you will not start learning it because of your workload. This game will look natural and help you avoid mistrust, questions that are not asked and negatively affect the conversation. Note a small note - potential blockers should be discussed immediately, but you should not spill everything you have prepared for your legend when you are not asked about it. An ordinary person does not have to prove that they are who they say they are. This is a universal truth. You should use it. The less you talk and the more the other person talks, the better. No wonder the ability to listen is worth its weight in gold. 

4. The last tip will be more of a topic for discussion and debate, where we will be very happy to learn about your methods of dealing with emotions before contact. In the meantime, here are some effective examples:   

Simple and effective at the level of body sensation - open palms, not crossed arms and legs. When we are open, it sends a signal to our brain that we are safe, which significantly reduces stress. Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, because we usually eat when we are comfortable, safe and convenient. Plus, this can be your daily ritual and will also signal to your brain that everything is fine and there is nothing to worry about. Talk about/write down how you feel before you start the conversation. This will allow you to accept your own emotions and start working with them. As a team. You will spend less energy on taming them.   

And then exhale and work.  

We will be very happy to hear your suggestions and recommendations that you use during work and in new situations.