If You Think You Sound Boring & Awkward on I-Banking Networking Calls - You Probably Do. Here Are 4 Tips to be Interesting & Sound Natural From a 30yr Veteran
Having networking calls with investment bankers is just like flirting with girls. At first, you’ll stumble over yourself with no clue what to say - but over time you’ll learn which pickup lines work & develop your style.
I know the struggle of feeling like a robot on these calls and strongly suggest reading these tips if you’re in the same boat.
The director of my school’s investment banking organization, who has spent over 30 Years in the industry as a rain-making partner, shared four tips that helped me land my gig at an elite boutique in NYC last summer.
Tip #1: You Are Not Doing “Good” Today
I opened every call talking about how I “just got back from the doctor’s office.”
*To Clarify: I ACTUALLY HAD a broken arm at the time and saw the doctor on a weekly basis...the only stretch was that my doctor's appointment may have been three days prior and I would still say I just got back / was about to go...
That hook piqued the interest of the banker 100% of the time. They’d follow up with “Oh…What happened??” Then - I’d tell a quick 2min spiel of how I broke my arm playing hockey, which would usually lead to a 10 min convo about how they have a friend that plays hockey and its so dangerous which is why they played golf, yada, yada, yada. You get the point.
If you prepare SOMETHING of substance to answer “How are you today” with - it’s an easy way to build mutual comfort from the very start.
Tip #2: Don’t Be the FBI
Bankers are tired.
The last thing they want is to feel like they’re being interrogated during the spare 30min they have between turning comments for their MD. After they give their background, don’t just start running down the list of questions you have on your paper.
Let them breathe for a minute and give a ~30-45 second response to what they said. It should tie a specific point that they mentioned to something from your background / interests. Then emphasize how it resonates with you because of that connection. AFTER THAT - keep the conversational flow jammin’ by asking a “Follow-Up” question based on that point that stuck out to you.
They’ll love you for being a normal human and not a robot. Trust me.
Tip #3: Do Some Stalking
It’d be tough to date a girl that doesn’t speak your language. He pointed out that if I used LinkedIn to find hockey players & athletes to reach out to - we’d have so much in common from the beginning. I’d always mention it briefly in the subject line.
DO NOT straight up say “I saw that you were captain of the squash team in HS…”
You can be slick about it. Bait them into bringing up that piece of their background by sliding something into your intro / a response that could make them want to share the piece of their background that relates. People like talking about themselves so this was a GREAT tactic.
Tip #4: Start in the B-Leagues
It takes one bad call with a banker to have your reputation ruined at a bank - everyone talks.
My director is a golfer. He used the analogy that a beginner golfer isn’t going to be ready for the PGA tour the first day they pick up a club. You need to spend some time on the driving range and get your reps in.
So - do your first 20 calls with banks you could care less about to work out all the kinks.
Don’t want to be this guy, but in this job market where we have an oversupply of candidates I think the last thing you should be doing is lying about an injury, especially one that prevents you from working. They’re going to think,” oh well, but are we gonna have issues with him and getting right away due to his broken arm?” Then they’ll come up with a reason to ding you.
Lots of people right now are trying to be a little conservative because this job market is hell, it’s gotten worse since 2023. Laterals with experience are struggling…
I get it. The goal is not to sound boring, but sometimes you don’t wanna try too hard because that can get you in the ding territory.
I don't think the poster was advising lying about a broken arm. It's just an example of starting a convo with something more interesting and the arm was an example.
Lying about injuries or being sick is pretty sad and scummy. Who are you, the guy from SpongeBob selling chocolate bars?
2 mins on MS paint
Lying to be interesting is one thing, faking an injury is another.
OP is a genius. Whenever I do interviews and the MD/Partner I'm talking to asks how I am, I always tell them that my entire family was just trampled by porcupines and that schizophrenia runs in my family. It ALWAYS leads to further conversation about the porcupines and death and illness. This is what you want to discuss with bankers.
It's not like people ask how you are as a common courtesy and are expecting you to say "good" and move on into something substantive. How you are is the substance. If there is one thing OP is right about, it's that you want to spend the majority of the call talking about how you are. If you're doing too well and it's not interesting, take OP's advice and fake a serial illness or death in the family. Take this advice with you once you start the job too. Whenever your MD or a client's CFO asks you how you are, take the opportunity to tell them everything wrong in your life, they'll love it.
Oh and another thing only network with shitty firms so if you get dinged you only get dinged from a shitty firm and not a good firm. Best to only aspire to the B leagues. Fucking retard OP is...
I find it hilarious how stupid this industry has become. A guide on how to speak. Next, we will have LiveGPT that will listen in on the conversation and write out what to say on the phone in real time.
It's the result of a hyper competitive industry
Commodi eveniet vel minus autem. Aut distinctio modi voluptatibus. Nostrum rem quos voluptas perspiciatis dolorem.
Tempore sequi culpa mollitia aliquam ut tempora. Modi hic consequatur odio officiis dolorem.
Pariatur ullam sed sit itaque voluptas. Molestiae sapiente pariatur id non aut deleniti.
Nulla et exercitationem sed inventore quis consequatur. Blanditiis aut ut ut corporis. Qui nostrum non magnam repellendus. Modi iusto aut similique quia.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...