After coffee chat, how to ask people to introduce other connections to you?

Usually, your genuine interest and honesty do the job. 

Example: you are talking to somebody from McKinsey and you want to get a job at McKinsey. You are also interested in digital and curious what McKinsey Digital has to offer. You can say something like this: “Hey, this was a great conversation, I come from a digital background and I’m interested in job opportunities at McKinsey, is there any chance you can connect me with somebody from McKinsey Digital, so that they share their perspective on the job and I can ask a few questions?”

That’s it, just be honest about your goal. In my experience as long as you have a clear goal in mind majority of people will be happy to connect with you and to help you out. But of course connecting for the sake of connecting does not make sense. That is why if you just want to connect to please your Linkedin vanity – people will spot it and will react allergically.

best,
Daniel

Hi,

Just be honest and ask them if they could introduce you to any other consultants for another practice round. There is nothing wrong here.

However, why do you need that many connections from the same company? It's good to check yourself every 10-15 cases and do a case with a real consultant. But I would not spend too much time and effort networking just for a single case. I think you are making your life harder overcomplicating the process

Best

Hi there,

A nice technique would be to ask the person you are speaking if there is anyone from his team currently working in industry X/Y/Z because you read about the impact of "XX" on "YY" and it would be great to get a consultant's view on this topic as well. 

Example: "Is there anyone working from your team here working on mobility? It would be great to get his/her views on the impact of Covid on the future of mobility solutions" (and make sure that you have read this article beforehand so you have something interesting to say https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-future-mobility-solutions)

By directing the conversation to a specific industry, it makes the transition to a "new expert" much easier.

I hope it helps.

Khaled

Hello!

I agree with Daniel here, honestly. I don´t think there is a need to over-complicate. 

Consultants who go to a coffee chat perfectly know why you are there, so what is the point in pretending? In my case, for instance, when I was in those situations, I actually appreciated honestly and to-the-point people. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi there,

I understand this - it can feel awkward/needy. However, welcome to the real world!

Take this as an opportunity to practice for the real-world - you'll need this skill during your career as well!

I highly recommend any of the following:

1) Leverage something you've specifically spoken about during the conversation

2) If they've mentioned anyone's name during the conversation, bring that person up at the end and ask if they might be interested in speaking

3) Leverage your interest in x to get a contact in x. This can be office/country, function practice, industry practice, expertise/interest, similar background (career, life journey, place in society etc.). Say, "As you know, I'm very interested in x. Do you happen to know anyone at the firm that I could speak to further about how they've seen this at the company?"

Dear A,

I would follow on what experts say, because it's really true. Just be honest, clear and straight. 

Also, to minimize your anxiety about this specific chance, just don't put all your life there, but remeber that honesty will make it deal, if you really need it. 

Best,

André

Hello,

From the moment you make this request finely without suggesting that the discussion with this person was not satisfactory, then I don't see any problem.

You just have to be diplomatic :)

David