What to say during a networking call

- What do you say during a networking conversation? If you were the one who initiated the conversation, you need to take control upfront. Come in with a clear objective. Ask yourself, what would make this conversation a success? Are you trying to meet more people, ask for something, or learn more about an industry? The person you're talking with does not know what you were thinking, so make sure you shape the conversation based on what you think would be most beneficial to talk about. Start with an icebreaker. I'd love to create icebreakers about what the person does outside of work. You can often find people's hobbies or interests in the about section of their LinkedIn profile. Next, share a brief outline for the meeting. Try to strike a balance between being prepared but not reading off a script. Next, share a brief background or elevator pitch. Tailor your story to what is relevant to the conversation, rather than rattling off your entire life story or resume. Once finished, you can ask the other person to share their story if you need context. As the other person is speaking, make sure to be taking notes either on paper or electronically. Then, ask the tailored questions that you made during the research phase. Be sure to watch the clock. If you scheduled a meeting for 15 minutes, be respectful of the other person's time, and acknowledge that 15 minutes have passed. You should leave the networking conversation with one of three things, people, places, or things. For instance, people will mean that you receive another name of someone's network with, places would be other places or companies to research, and things would be resources like podcasts to listen to such as The Final Round.