How long should coffee chats be?

I just started networking and ended up talking to an MD at a BB. We chatted on the phone for 40+ minutes. He has since then recommended other people at his firm to talk to. Is talking for 40+ minutes too long? I always here coffee chats are 10-15 min but I feel like you really don’t know about a person if it’s that short. Should I try to cut down on the time spend on talking or on the phone?

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IMO if you're the network-er rather than network-ee, you allow for as long as you have questions and the person is willing to engage you. At some point (30 minutes?), say "I have plenty more I could ask you but I want to be respectful of your time..." and they'll tell you if you should keep going or sign off. When you run out of questions, "That's all I had prepared to ask. Do you have any questions for me?"

 

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