Same thing happens to us all the time, really annoying. I've had some associates have the balls to call us up, not do any research, and then try to lecture me on how we should be running our business.

Fortunately, I've had a few "hero" associates who have dug down deep into my social network and found friends that we share, or read quite a few of my blog posts.

Either way, I've found that these associate calls are a complete waste of time. It can be hard enough getting taken seriously if you aren't brought in by the right partner, and getting funded off of an associate or analyst introduction is very unlikely, despite the fact that each and every one of them makes it sound like they are ready to cut a fat check on the spot.