How do I go from informational interview to vouching for me for an SA position

I'm a rising sophomore at a non target. As a freshman I networked with a lot of people in boutiques in my hometown to try and find a summer internship. I probably, between LinkedIn and email, messaged around 40 people only to have most not even respond or reject me when I mentioned I was looking for an internship. The handful of people that the initial informational interview went well and then got me into the application process after I asked to be considered in my follow up, I was very blunt with. After the initial interview of me building rapport with them the next time I reached out I directly stated that I was looking for an internship and both conversations felt awkward to me as everyone I spoke to had me lead the conversation.

With the new accelerated timeline I want to start networking with people in NY but I want to know how to go about it. Am I supposed to be blunt after the initial conversation? So far I've just mentioned my interest in their career and asked to discuss it with them. I don't want to mess up now that the conversations will have a much more significant impact on my future. Also how do I direct the conversation more fluidly? All of my conversations have been somewhat awkward so far like I mentioned. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to talk about. I prepare a few questions about recent deals and ask general questions, but I find it hard to transition into a personal conversation over the phone and actually relate to someone. Is there any advice you can give on how to steer the conversation more towards things not related to finance?