How to answer: "So what can I do for you?"

Posting this in the IB forum since I think it'll get the best answers here, but it's not IB-specific and applies across the board. 

Recently went on a networking call with a higher up in an independent ER shop; the classic cold email "I'm a student at xyz, and I'd love to have a conversation about abc", then turns into a networking call.

In hindsight, he was an old school, just get to the damn point type of guy. Most networking calls I'm used to (particularly for IB & PE) are more structured, where you introduce yourself and vice versa, then they tell you about the firm, and so on. Basically, a warm introductory call.

In contrast, this ER analyst was the type who didn't want to beat around the bush and wanted a quick ask. He got on the call and briefly asked how I was, then said, "Great, so what can I do for you?" at which point I didn't handle it well since I hadn’t prepared a concise ask and ended up giving more of a personal background/experience story.

My question is: How do you handle networking calls with senior people who are blunt and efficiency-focused like this? Do you have a framework for quickly stating your ask and framing yourself as someone worth investing time in? I’m curious how others manage these “get to the point” calls, especially in ER/HF (where you find more of these personalities).

The issue is that if my ask is to get an internship/job, I can’t just state that, as it comes across as too transactional. On IB calls, I’m more used to framing it around learning about the firm, their process, and building a relationship, which naturally leads to opportunities. But that same process doesn't work with people who just want to get to the point, especially for public market roles where these personalities tend to be.