So I’ve been trying to set up more coffee chats this quarter, but my opening lines always feel super awkward. Last week I tried starting with ‘I saw you worked on the XYZ deal!’ but it just led to a dead end. Anyone else struggle with this? What conversation starters have actually worked for you when initiating chats with senior bankers? Bonus points if they’re from real deal experience.
templates? really? newsflash: nobody wants to hear regurgitated lines. try this – find their most obscure deal on the firm website, ask why they chose the subordinated debt structure. works 60% of the time because it makes them feel smart. dont thank me.
i use a 2-step: 1) mention specific secion in their recent presentation 2) ask how theyd do it diff now. got 3 replies last week! (pro tip: keep it under 10 words)
Effective openers require three elements: relevance, curiosity, and humility. For example: ‘I noticed your team advised on the Acme Corp restructuring - how did you balance creditor demands with maintaining operational continuity?’ This shows preparation, invites expertise sharing, and avoids sounding transactional. Always pivot quickly to asking for their perspective rather than stating facts.
Had this exact problem until an MD told me to use the ‘SEC filing trick’. Pull a recent 10-K from their biggest client, ask about footnote 23’s implications. My hit rate doubled instantly. Not sure why it works, but now I keep EDGAR open during calls!
Analysis of 127 successful coffee chats showed 68% used industry-specific technical questions vs 22% general career questions. Example: Instead of ‘How’d you get into banking?’, try ‘What valuation methodology proved most contentious during the [specific deal] acquisition?’