How to Keep Virtual Networking Conversations Flowing

"You are so interesting to talk to!" My networking partner said this after our coffee chat last week. Plot twist: I barely talked about myself. For 45 minutes, I asked about her career transition. Her challenges with remote team management. What she was learning about AI implementation. I listened. Asked follow-up questions. Showed genuine curiosity about her experience. She did 80% of the talking. Yet somehow, I was the "interesting" one. This reminded me of something negotiation expert Chris Voss teaches: interested people are interesting!!! It sounds backwards, but it works. The best networking conversations I have had? I spent most of them learning about the other person's journey, not pitching my own. The strongest professional relationships I have built? They started with me asking "What's the most challenging part of your role right now?" instead of leading with my resume. Here's what I have learned about building real connections: Stop trying to be impressive. Start being impressed by others. Ask questions that matter to them. Listen like their answer will teach you something new. Because it probably will. The fastest way to become memorable is to make others feel heard. What's the best question you have been asked in a networking conversation? What made it so good?

How To Turn Networking Conversations Into Referrals (7 Simple Steps): 1. Getting “Stuck” After A Great Call Most of us get stuck in this trap. You worked so hard to get this call. You jump on, ask your questions, and it went great! Then you realize you have no idea what to say or do to keep the relationship going. 2. The “Open Door” Strategy I ran into this same problem during my job search. And I created the “Open Door” Strategy as a solution. Once I began implementing it, I always knew exactly what step to take next. That led to referrals and, eventually, job offers. 3. The Overarching Concept At a high level, the goal of the “Open Door” Strategy is to create a plan to keep the door open for the next step. When you set this as an intention, you can proactively plan around it. This gives you multiple options to “open the door” no matter how the conversation goes. 4. Start With A Brainstorm First, start by brainstorming different ways you could use to create a “Door Opener.” Ex: You could ask for a piece of advice, then you could ask if it’s ok to follow up after you take action on it. You could ask about a specific challenge, then ask if it’d be ok to follow up with some ideas around it. 5. Keep Several Options On Hand When you book your next networking conversation, keep you list of “Door Openers” on hand. When it feels natural in the conversation, introduce one of them and see what kind of response you get. If they don’t bite on one, introduce another option from your list when it makes sense. 6. Get A Follow Up Commitment This is the most important part. After you use the “Door Opener,” ask if it’s ok to follow up by X date. When they say “yes,” you’ve essentially added a placeholder in their mind for the next step in the relationship. Now you can confidently follow up knowing you both agreed to it! 7. Repeat At Each Relationship Stage The best part about this strategy is that it works at every stage and touchpoint. Your goal should be to never leave a networking conversation without leveraging it. If you adopt that approach, you’ll always know the next step you need to take and your contact will have the same expectations set on their end!

If you struggle to keep conversations going during networking, this tip will increase your response rate. Talk about people’s passions. Why? After getting more than 17,000 followers and networking with hundreds of job searchers, I can confidently say that: People love talking about what excites them. It’s an easy way to build rapport. Here’s how I’ve helped 50+ data professionals leverage this strategy to increase response rates and build meaningful relationships: 1️⃣ Do some research. Look at their LinkedIn or portfolio. Find something impressive. 2️⃣ Start with flattery and curiosity. Example: “Hey [Name], I noticed you [accomplishment/project]. That’s incredible! What’s the part you enjoy most about it?” 3️⃣ Follow their passion. Ask questions to show genuine interest. Let the conversation flow naturally. 4️⃣ Find common ground. When they mention something you relate to, dig deeper. Build the connection. 5️⃣ Tie it back to your goal. Shift the conversation to their role or company. Example: “Oh, does your team work on X?” “How does your company approach Y?” For instance, let’s say their passion is travel. You: “That’s awesome! Where’s the most interesting place you’ve been?” Them: “I loved Thailand!” You: “That’s on my list! Did you manage to work remotely while there?” From there, the conversation naturally moves toward their job. Pro Tip: Not everyone will engage, and that’s okay. You don't have to be "perfect" to start networking. Yes, you will still get rejected, that’s part of the game. But you'll get better after multiple iterations. Focus on connecting with the right people. Try this next time you’re stuck in a conversation and let me know how it went.