Abogado Aly: Networking Novice? Try Some of These 19 Networking Questions

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Networking Novice? Try Some of These 19 Networking Questions

Originally published by Cordell Parvin.

You’ve likely read that President Clinton has an amazing ability to make a person feel like he or she is the most important person in the room. He also has an amazing memory of names and faces.

Anne Marie O’Brien is a Lamson Dugan and Murray partner I coached back in 2011. She has the same talent and people skills, and I wish I could be with her once a day just to get the energy boast.

Every quarter I met with her group in Omaha and we ate dinner together. Each time, Anne Marie asked her colleagues and me great questions that got the conversation going.

One time she asked:

What made you decide to become a lawyer?

Another time she asked:

What was your best trial experience? What was your worst trial experience?

She then listened as each of her colleagues (all men) answered.

Anne Marie has a gift and is able to engage people by asking questions. I wish I had her gift. Her interest and curiosity are just a part of who she is. I’m positive I would have developed more relationships with potential clients.

I always felt awkward at events, unless I had made a presentation. Because I never enjoyed networking, I decided several times in my career to simply practice. I read books and articles by networking experts and came up with some networking questions for events attended by business men and women. Here are my questions:

Networking Questions