Another Great Business Networking Question

In my previous article I talked about 3 simple networking questions designed to get the conversation going. Those questions were…

1. What kind of work do you do?
2. How did you get started in _____?
3. How does the recession impact on your business?

Another great question you can ask is “What do you like best about what you do?”
This invites the other person to talk about their business. And it can help get past an awkward pause. For example, imagine this conversation…

Hi, I’m Wayne

Hello Wayne, I’m Sandy

What do you do Sandy?

I’m a wedding planner

Oh, ummm…how interesting…

If I’m not personally interested in weddings, the conversation may not flow as freely as I’d like.
This is where the question “What do you like best about what you do?” comes into its own.
It gives the other person an opportunity to tell me what interests him/her about their business. And it gives me the chance to look for networking opportunities.
For example, the other person may tell you about the silly things their clients do and how they love to fix things. This might remind me of a friend in exactly that situation.
It gives me the chance to set up a referral, and that in turn gives me an excuse to call back.