Someone said yes to a quick chat. Great! Here's how to make the most of 15 minutes, so they come away thinking "I'd be happy to help this person."
Before the call
- Look at their LinkedIn: how long they've been there, what they did before.
- Know what the company sells and to whom (it's on every company page here).
- Pick 4–5 questions from below. You won't get through more.
- Have your one-line intro ready: who you are and why this company.
Questions that work
About their job
- What does a normal day or week look like for you?
- What surprised you most when you started?
- How is the team doing on quota? What separates the people who hit it?
About getting in
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- What does the interview process look like, especially the role play?
- What do you wish you'd known before you joined?
About growing there
- How long do people usually spend in the role before moving up?
- What does training look like in the first 90 days?
- What's the manager like? (Ask gently. "How does your manager help you get better?" works.)
To close
- Is there anyone else you think I should talk to?
- Is there anything I could do that would make me a stronger candidate?
During the call
- Start with thanks, keep to time. "Thanks so much for doing this. I know you're busy, so I'll keep it to 15 minutes."
- Listen more than you talk. Follow up on what they say: "You mentioned the team is mostly outbound. How do you keep your energy up on call days?"
- Take notes. You'll use them in your thank-you, your interviews, and your tracker.
- Don't ask for a referral on this call unless they bring it up. Many will offer.
After the call
- Send a thank-you the same day, with one specific thing you learned.
- Mark "Had the chat" in your pipeline and add notes.
- If it went well, a day or two later, ask about a referral.
- If they suggested someone else to talk to, message that person and mention who sent you.