"Smart" Networking questions
Hey monkeys.
Just want to start by saying I am an extrovert and have no problem at all dealing with all kinds of people.
Whenever I ask about how to network, people tell me to establish a mutual connection and ask "smart" questions. What exactly are ''smart" questions ? For example, what kind of deals they were on or what aspect of their industry group they like best ? All I want is ultimately to gauge what it's really like on the inside and have a feel of what kind of people work there, and obviously get a referral ideally
I feel those questions would come off as fake or ungenuine. What are your tips to find "smart" questions to ask ? I am in London/EMEA if that makes any difference
Thanks and apologies for the rambling
Bump ?
In my experience you start asking good questions when you ask questions that you actually want to know the answers to. An easy way to visualize this might be to talk to a close friend/alumni in any industry casually and see what questions flow. Then see if you can rephrase these same questions/ideas for a more "formal" networking call audience. It's definitely not easy though and it's always much easier when you really have a passion for the industry.
Think of a great equity analyst asking questions on a management call. He has a thesis/observations that he wants to find a way to validate/learn more about. Then, he needs to phrase this so that he actually gets the answer he wants.
If you're interested in the industry, have done good research, and are reasonably articulate, it's hard to ask "non-smart" questions. For starters you'll probably already know all the answers to those questions.
Just be straight up with them. Tell them what you know, what experience you have, where you want to go - then ask for their advice on how to get there. They're there, you're not - that's why you're calling them.
One of my favorites is to ask them "What is your favorite type of deal to work on and why?"
This makes them reveal some of their interests, while potentially giving you lots of ammo to ask follow ups about their specific work stream. People like to talk about themselves, so if you keep digging into their favorite deal or a recent deal they have worked on, they are more likely to think favorably of the conversation.
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