Good networking starts with curiosity, not a sales pitch. While appearing at business networking events in NJ, when someone asks, “Tell me about your business,” most people jump straight into an elevator pitch. A better response is to answer briefly, then ask, “What kind of work are you most excited about right now?”
That question opens the door to a more useful conversation about goals, clients, and current challenges. It gives the other person something meaningful to talk about instead of turning the exchange into two people simply promoting what they do.
Why This Question Works So Well
“What do you do?” usually produces a job title.
“What kind of work are you most excited about right now?” can produce a story.
Someone might tell you about a new service they are launching. Another person may talk about the type of customer they want to reach. Someone else might explain a problem they have been trying to solve for months.
Now you have something to work with.
That is the real purpose of networking. You are not trying to memorize everyone’s business description. You are trying to understand what matters to them so you can see where a useful connection might exist.
Move Beyond the Standard Elevator Pitch
Traditional networking often creates the same pattern.
“Tell me about your business.”
“I own a marketing agency.”
“What kind of marketing?”
“We do SEO, social media, paid ads…”
The conversation can become a list of services very quickly.
Instead, answer briefly and return the focus to the other person. You might say, “I help local businesses improve their online visibility. Lately, I’ve been working a lot with companies trying to turn more website traffic into actual customers. What kind of projects are taking most of your attention right now?”
Now the conversation has direction.
It also gives the other person an easy opening to talk about something current and meaningful.
Ask About the Problem Behind the Business
Business owners rarely wake up excited about their service list.
They care about problems they are trying to solve.
A financial adviser may be helping business owners prepare for growth. A contractor may be trying to improve the customer experience. A lawyer may be helping companies deal with a difficult legal issue.
So after someone explains their business, try asking:
“What is the biggest challenge you’re helping your customers solve right now?”
That question can reveal much more than a company description.
It also gives you useful information about the people they serve. Later, if you meet someone facing that same problem, you may have a natural reason to make an introduction.
Listen for the Words They Repeat
Good networking is partly about paying attention to small details.
People often repeat words when something matters to them. They may mention “growth,” “hiring,” “referrals,” “new clients,” or “time” several times during a conversation.
Those repeated ideas are clues.
Suppose someone says they are trying to find better ways to reach local homeowners. You could ask, “What has worked for you so far?” That simple follow-up shows that you are listening instead of waiting for your turn to speak.
Research on conversation supports this approach. Studies discussed by Harvard professor Alison Wood Brooks show that asking more questions can increase information exchange and improve how people feel about the conversation.
Turn Curiosity Into a Real Conversation
Questions should not feel like an interview.
If you ask five questions in a row without sharing anything yourself, the other person may feel like they are being questioned.
A better rhythm looks like this:
They answer.
You respond to something they said.
You ask a follow-up.
Then you share a short piece of your own experience.
That back-and-forth creates a natural conversation. Good networking is not about making the other person talk for 20 minutes. It is about creating enough space for both people to understand each other.
Use the Question at the Right Moment
The question can work in almost any professional setting, but timing still matters. You do not need to bring it up the second someone introduces themselves. Let the conversation develop naturally, then use it when you want to move beyond the usual “What do you do?” exchange.
For example, at business networking events in NJ, you may meet someone you have never spoken with before. Instead of trying to guess what they need or immediately explaining what you sell, ask what kind of work they are focused on right now.
That gives the other person room to talk about something current and relevant. You may learn about a new project, a business challenge, a type of client they want to reach, or an area where they need help.
The setting may change, but the idea stays simple: ask a question that gives the other person something real to talk about, then listen closely to the answer.
Don’t Ask Questions Just to Impress People
There is a big difference between curiosity and performance. Some people collect clever networking questions and use them like scripts. They ask something interesting, but they are already thinking about the next question before the other person finishes answering. People notice that.
A better approach is to listen for something you genuinely want to understand. If the person says they recently expanded into another market, ask what prompted the decision. If they mention a difficult customer problem, ask how they handled it.
The best follow-up question usually comes from the answer you just heard.
Try These Follow-Ups
Once someone answers your main question, you can keep things moving naturally:
- “What made you focus on that?”
- “How has that been going so far?”
- “What are you seeing more of in your industry?”
- “What kind of clients are the best fit for you?”
- “What are you hoping to improve this year?”
- “What has been the hardest part?”
These questions work because they invite explanation rather than a simple yes or no. They also help you learn enough about the person to spot useful connections later.
The Goal Is Not to Find a Customer
This may sound strange, especially at a business networking event. But if you enter every conversation looking for a sale, you can miss the person standing in front of you.
That person may not need your service. They may know someone who does. They may become a referral partner. They may introduce you to another professional. They might simply become someone you enjoy knowing.
Networking becomes much more useful when you stop measuring every conversation by immediate business value. A strong professional network is built through many different types of relationships.
A Good Question Can Make You Memorable
People hear countless introductions at networking events, and most are quickly forgotten. A thoughtful question can make your conversation stand out because it shows you are interested in more than someone’s job title.
People often remember how a conversation made them feel. Someone who felt genuinely heard is more likely to remember you positively than someone who spent the entire time talking about their own company. You do not need a clever line. You need genuine curiosity.
Let the Conversation Lead Somewhere
The best networking question is not necessarily the most impressive one. It is the one that opens the door to a useful conversation.
If someone asks, “Tell me about your business,” give a short answer, then ask what kind of work they are most excited about right now. Listen to their response and explore one detail instead of rushing to your next question.
That simple shift can turn a routine introduction into a conversation worth remembering.
Make Your Next Introduction More Interesting
The next time someone asks about your business, avoid turning the exchange into a sales pitch. Answer clearly, then ask what they are working on, what their customers need, or what they want to improve.
A thoughtful question can make a short conversation feel more personal at business networking events in NJ. You may remember less about someone’s business card but much more about the person behind it.
Good networking is not always about having the perfect pitch. Sometimes, it simply means asking a better question and listening to the answer.