Closing Question for Referrals

I just got a referral to Mckinsey by a Partner and to my surprise I got it on my first networking call ever. Here's what worked for me:

- I was nice and polite, I introduced myself and talked about my career passionately. 

- I asked questions that made the Partner talk about their career passionately. I made sure the topics I wanted to discuss came up organically and that we were both having a good time. 

-I asked for advice. This was for my career in general and for the specific way I would approach an application at Mckinsey. 

- I did not ask for a referral at all. I ended with thank you for your time and it was really useful and before I was done saying that statement the Partner iterrupted me and said they'd like to refer me. My point here is that I approached the call with 0 expectations of a referral and I didn't even ask for it. I showed the partner I was genuinely interested and was having a good time speaking to them. They know you want a referral so by the time it's over they will offer you one if they have enjoyed the call. 

Hi there,

Anonymous A here completely nailed it! That is exactly what you need to be.

Be engaging and genuinely interested. Ask about the person and get them talking. Express your deep interest in the role. Thank them for their time.

And cross your fingers :)

I can understand the concern. Many people struggle with this. 

Sharing one article about how to conduct these coffee chat discussions:

• Expert Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

At the end of the day, it's all about focusing on connecting with them and relating as if they were a friend. As opposed to trying to impress them. 

Best,
Cristian

Hey Willy,

Simple rule of life: Dont ask, dont get :).

Ask in the end, its okay. They know and are used to it. But before you get there, introduce yourself, have a nice dialogue to understand about each other and the company, show your keeness and fit and the ask for referral.

The Q&A forum has ton of threads with tips and tricks on this. Please search that as well.

Good luck!

Hi,

Strategy 1: Ask for more information on how the referral works and see if the person will propose you to give a refferal

Strategy 2: ask for a case practice. Or ask if they know ow anyone who can practice. Very often it leads to referral

Best

Hello!

I agree very much with the 1st response from an annonymus person you got here. 

Furthermore, there are tons and tons of questions in this Q&A with lots of insights, I would recommend you to filter in the Q&A

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi,

First of all no need to be shy, top firms usually provide referral fee to their employee for succesfull recruitment so they have the financial insentif to refer a good candidate.

Having said that, it is your role to show that you are a good candidate that can be potential to be recruited by their firm.

I would suggest the following:

• Prepare a good pitch that you can use to open the conversation and interesting for the consultants to ask further questions
• Prepare some not so generic questions (you need to to your homework) regarding the job, culture, specific office, experience, etc
• Finally, if the conversation going well, ask if they can help you do some case practice or refer you to their office. If not then maybe try to arrange another catch up or just move on to another contact

Hi Willy, 

The general advice I can give you on this is "learning by doing". Once you start doing this, you'll find your way around it. Here are some tips: 

• Prepare your speech. Not too long, but on point.
• If you need to ask something, ask for a personal advice.
• Have your CV and Cover Letter ready.
• For a referral: It's a common practice, so people are used to get these requests. Don't make it harder than it is. Ask friendly without any expectations.

Hope it was helpful! Drop me a line if you need any further advice.

Best,

GB