How to Master a 1:1 Peak Networking Call

By Sarah Allen-Short - Head of Marketing, Chain.io and Peak Board Member

If you are a person who can jump on a one-on-one Zoom with a total stranger and feel complete ease and utter confidence, you can stop reading and just go make friends with your charming self!

However, if you feel anything ranging from slight unease to strong distaste at the thought of making small talk with a stranger for 30 minutes, I relate. I may seem like an extrovert, but I can get anxious when there isn’t a set agenda or I don’t know someone well.?

I wonder what we’re going to talk about? What if we don’t have anything to say to each other? What if there are awkward silences??

I’ve pulled together my best ideas from a lifetime of practicing, backed by the advice of fellow Peakers who contributed to this article.

Why Peak One-on-One Calls Matter

Before offering some thoughts on how to make these calls easier, I just want to make a brief case for why you should do one-on-ones, even if you’re nervous about it.?

It’s simple: Peak Community has the smartest, most generous marketers you will ever meet in your life. I can’t really explain how that happened, except that Sangram and Judd are themselves smart and generous, and like attracts like. If you haven’t met at least a few of the board members, reach out and introduce yourself. Everyone associated with this community is amazing.?

I have spoken one-on-one with easily 20-30 people over the course of more than two years in Peak. Some have been part of the official matchmaking Teri does, but many have been informal calls because either someone reached out to me, or I reached out to them based on an exchange in a post.?

You will meet people who can help you brainstorm an idea, flesh out a specific project, prepare for a job search down the road, or maybe even hire you in the future. You will also meet people who need your help with all those things.?

Some of my closest colleagues and best marketing friends have started with a potentially awkward one-on-one call that blossomed into close and trusting professional relationships. My Peak besties have seen me through some big decisions and changes over the last year (you know who you are!)

Swetha Sirupa, Head of Demand Gen at Uniphore summed it up nicely: “One-on-one sessions are two-way learning opportunities.”?

7 Tips for Making One-on-One Calls Work

1. Think about what value you can offer, rather than what value you can get from the other person.?

I was heavily influenced by the scholarship of my former boss, Adam Grant, author of Give and Take. He makes the evidence-based argument that generous people get ahead in their careers. If you aren’t motivated by inherent altruism, be motivated by the fact that generous people make more money and get promoted more often!?

Sara Haas, Head of Marketing at ITMC suggests, “think in advance about your own experience and where you can help the other person. So that way when they talk about areas where they need help, you know where you can and can't provide advice!”?

2. Be willing to ask for help.

Generosity is important, but the research shows that asking for help makes people like and trust you more, according to my other former boss, Wayne Baker, author of All You Have to Do is Ask.?

Peakers are generous folks, and you may get asked “how can I help you?” Susan Diaz, CEO and Editor in Chief of c+p digital suggests preparing a clear answer if your partner asks how they can help you.? “I sometimes struggle to answer that question and have been working on getting better at it. Get clear about your ask of the moment for when it is solicited.”

Sara Hass adds, “I often think ahead of time about what my biggest challenges are currently. Coming into a 1-1 knowing why I even want to be in a 1-1 will help guide your conversation, allow you to be vulnerable and actually ask for help in areas you need it, and it hopefully means your 1-1 will be more productive.”

3. Don’t try to sell anyone anything.?

Karin Holmgren, Director of Marketing at Intelepeer, reminds us that you may have services that could be useful, but a one-on-one is not the same as a sales pitch. Nothing will shut down a networking call faster than pitching your products or services.?

4. Start nice and easy with some small talk.?

Neha Pujari, Senior Marketing Manager at BlazeClan Technologies suggests “adding a conversation starter like an interesting skill or trait I possess that breaks the awkwardness immediately.”?

Travis Griffiths, ABM Coach and Consultant adds that informal or offbeat introductions can break the ice. “When I first met Lydia Flocchini she asked that we wear a hat to our call. It was great, we got some laughs, and we learned about each other.”

5. But don’t be afraid of big talk either.?

Darryl Praill, CMO at? Agorapulse suggests, “understanding each other’s goals is a great starting point to help identify how each can help the other. Talking about your biggest challenges is another rallying point.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy talking to people who have perfect lives and have all the answers. I bond with people over shared goals, hopes, frustrations, and ambitions. It can help soften up a conversation if you’re willing to share your biggest struggle or ambition. James Gilbert, Head of Marketing at CRMNext puts it best “Don’t just talk high-level, but trust enough to show a little under the hood.”

6. Prepare by researching the other person.

Spend 5-10 minutes before the call learning what you can about the other person. Neha Pujari says a little research can help you structure your conversation. Neha also tends to pick a theme in advance of a call so she has some idea of what the conversation might be about.?

It can even help to jot down a list of questions or topics in advance so that if you get stuck, you have a few things to refer to.?

7. Make sure both partners have equal time

The best conversations flow, with neither person talking more and both sharing equally about themselves. Not every match will have this easy chemistry, so be mindful of whether you’re doing most of the talking or none at all, and try to adjust as you go.?

8 Conversation Starter Topics

To close, here is a list of topics you can have in your back pocket in case the conversation lulls.

1. What was the best/worst marketing job you ever had?
2. What’s your favorite/least favorite part of your job today?
3. What’s your biggest project right now?
4. What’s your biggest challenge at work??
5. What’s your opinion on or how do you tackle (insert topic you’re thinking about like ABM, marketing attribution, hiring, job hunting, etc.)
6. What are you most excited about in the upcoming year??
7. How was your experience at [X Company] different from your experience at [Y Company]?
8. I noticed that your company is doing [insert marketing tactic here]. Tell me more about that.

Sample Structure for a 30-Minute Call

1. Start with brief introductions: what you each do, what your companies do. Share any personal details about where you live, family, etc.?
2. Talk about why you wanted the call. Either you signed up to be matched with someone, or you reached out to someone. If you feel shy or awkward, don’t be afraid to admit it.?
3. Chat for a few minutes about what you already know you have in common: the Peak community and marketing.?
4. Are you working on something now that you’d like their thoughts on or help with??
5. Give them an opportunity to share what they are working on or thinking about.
6. Ask any relevant questions from the list of conversation starters above.?
7. Keep an eye on the clock and keep to your allotted time.?
8. Send them a thank you note after you’re done.?

In Closing

I hope some of these ideas are helpful for you. If you aren’t already scheduled for a Peak one-on-one, I highly encourage you to reach out to someone and ask for a chat. Ask a question in Peak about something you’re working on and DM anyone who gives a particularly useful or insightful response. If you see an interesting comment on someone else’s thread, reach out to the author and ask if you can explore it further together.?

Good luck, and I’d love to hear how your conversations go!