Let’s say you’re at a conference. Everyone around you seems to be talking easily — exchanging contact information, laughing, and making plans to stay in touch.
You take a breath, stop near the refreshments table, and hold your coffee while you wonder:
How can I join one of these conversations?
If that sounds familiar, you are not alone!
Networking in English is not just about language. It is also about culture. In many cultures, professional relationships develop slowly. You meet people through work, friends, meals, or introductions from someone you already know. Walking up to a stranger and starting a conversation may feel too direct, too awkward, or even rude.
In the U.S., networking often follows a different script. At conferences, meetings, receptions, and work events, people are expected to introduce themselves, make small talk, ask questions, and exchange contact information — even if they have never met before.
That can feel uncomfortable at first. But it does not mean your English is the problem. It means you are learning a new workplace habit.
Networking becomes much easier when you understand what people are really doing — and when you have a few simple phrases ready to use. That’s what this post will help you do: start conversations, keep them going, and follow up afterward in a way that feels natural and professional.
Networking in the U.S. asks you to do two things at once:
Start conversations with people you don’t know
Talk about yourself and your work in a positive way
In some cultures, this feels normal. In other cultures, it can feel too direct or too self-promotional. But in U.S. professional culture introducing yourself is usually not seen as bothering someone. It is seen as normal workplace behavior.
At a conference or reception, it is perfectly normal to walk up to someone, smile, and say:
“Hi, I’m Chloe. What brings you to the conference?”
That sentence can open the door to a conversation. For many international professionals, this takes practice. You may be used to waiting for an introduction, building trust first, or talking about work only after a relationship already exists.
So if networking in the U.S. feels awkward, you are not doing something wrong. You are simply working with a different set of cultural rules.
And the goal is not to become loud, pushy, or fake.
The goal is to have a few simple phrases that help you enter the conversation politely and confidently.
You do not need a perfect speech.You just need a simple way to begin.
1. “Hi, I’m Chloe. What brings you to the conference?”
Plain English meaning: Hello. I’m introducing myself, and I’d like to know why you are here.
Why it works: This is one of the easiest ways to start a conversation at a professional event. It is friendly, natural, and not too personal. You are not asking anything difficult. You are simply inviting the other person to talk about why they came.
Use it at: conferences, receptions, workshops, professional events, and networking breakfasts.
✅ Try saying: “Hi, I’m Chloe. What brings you to the conference?”
✅ You can also say: “Hi, I’m Ahmed. What brings you to this event?”
2. “How are you connected to this event?”
Plain English meaning: What is your relationship to this event? Are you a speaker, participant, organizer, sponsor, or guest?
Why it works: This question is useful when you do not know what someone does or why they are there. It gives the other person an easy way to explain their role.
It is also less direct than asking, “Who are you?” or “Why are you here?” — both of which can sound too blunt.
✅ Try saying: “How are you connected to this event?”
✅ Or slightly warmer: “So how are you connected to this event?”
3. “What kind of work do you do?”
Plain English meaning: What is your job or professional area?
Why it works: This is a natural way to ask about someone’s work without sounding too formal. It is softer than “What is your job?” and more conversational than “What is your profession?”
In U.S. networking conversations, people usually expect to talk about work. This question is normal and polite.
✅ Try saying: “What kind of work do you do?”
✅ You can also make it more specific: “What kind of work do you do in healthcare?” “What kind of work do you do with startups?” “What kind of work do you do at your organization?”
4. “That sounds interesting — how did you get into that?”
Plain English meaning: Your work sounds interesting. How did you start doing it?
Why it works: This is a great follow-up question. It shows interest and keeps the conversation going.
Many English learners worry about what to say after the first question. This phrase helps because it invites the other person to tell a short story. People usually enjoy talking about how they got into their field.
✅ Try saying: “That sounds interesting — how did you get into that?”
✅ You can also say: “That’s really interesting. How did you get started in that field?”
Chloe is a project manager originally from Beijing working at a healthcare technology company in Boston. She is attending a professional conference in San Francisco.
At the evening reception, she sees a small group of people talking near a table. They seem friendly, but Chloe feels nervous.
She thinks: I don’t know them. Would it be strange to walk up and introduce myself? What if I interrupt them?
So she stands nearby for a few minutes, checking her phone and pretending to read the conference program.
Chloe’s English is good. But the situation feels uncomfortable because the cultural rule is different. In her mind, starting a conversation with strangers feels too forward. In this U.S. conference setting, though, joining a conversation politely is normal.
Finally, Chloe takes a breath and walks over. She smiles and says: “Hi, I’m Chloe. I’m with MedCore Analytics. Do you mind if I join you?”
One person smiles and says: “Of course. Nice to meet you.”
Chloe continues: “Thanks. You too! How are you all connected to the conference?”
Now the conversation has started. A few minutes later, one of the people explains that she works with hospitals on patient experience. Chloe says: “That sounds interesting. How did you get into that?”
And suddenly, Chloe is not standing alone by the refreshments table anymore. She is in the conversation.
Why this works:
Chloe did three things well.
First, she asked to join politely: “Do you mind if I join you?”
Second, she introduced herself briefly: “Hi, I’m Chloe. I’m with MedCore Analytics.”
Third, she asked an easy question: “How are you all connected to the conference?”
What brings you to the conference? → a friendly way to ask why someone is attending an event
How are you connected to this event? → a polite way to ask about someone’s role or relationship to the event
What kind of work do you do? → a natural way to ask about someone’s job or professional area
How did you get into that? → a useful follow-up question that invites someone to tell a short story
Do you mind if I join you? → a polite way to enter a small group conversation
Choose the most natural response for each situation.
1️⃣ You’re at a conference and you want to start a conversation with someone standing nearby. What do you say?
A. “Why are you here?”
B. “Hi, I’m Chloe. What brings you to the conference?”
C. “Do you work in this industry?”
D. “Hello. What is your name and job title?”
2️⃣ You’ve just introduced yourself. The other person mentions they work in healthcare technology. What do you say next?
A. “I don’t know much about that.”
B. “That sounds interesting — how did you get into that?”
C. “Healthcare is very competitive.”
D. “What is your salary in that field?”
3️⃣ You want to join a small group of people who are already talking. What do you say?
A. “Excuse me — I want to join this conversation.”
B. “Can I stand here?”
C. “Mind if I join you?”
D. “I will join your group now.”
4️⃣ You want to ask someone about their professional background without sounding too formal. What do you say?
A. “What’s your profession?”
B. “What kind of work do you do?”
C. “Please describe your job to me.”
D. “Are you employed?”
5️⃣ You’re not sure what someone’s role is at the event. They could be a speaker, sponsor, or attendee. What do you ask?
A. “Are you important here?”
B. “What are you doing here?”
C. “How are you connected to this event?”
D. “Why did you come today?”
1 → B “Hi, I’m Chloe. What brings you to the conference?”
👉 Friendly, natural, and easy to answer. A is too blunt, C is closed-ended, D sounds like a form rather than a conversation.
2 → B “That sounds interesting — how did you get into that?”
👉 Shows genuine interest and invites a story. The others either shut the conversation down or go somewhere inappropriate.
3 → C “Mind if I join you?”
👉 Polite and natural. A and D are too direct, B is too vague and doesn’t signal your intention to join the conversation.
4 → B “What kind of work do you do?”
👉 Warm and conversational. A and C are too formal, D sounds like a job application.
5 → C “How are you connected to this event?”
👉 Open, neutral, and gives the other person room to explain their role however they choose. A is inappropriate, B is too direct, D is too direct.
You now have four starter phrases. These are enough to help you begin a conversation at a conference, reception, networking breakfast, or work event.
But real networking has several stages.
You need to know how to start the conversation, keep it going, talk about yourself naturally, leave politely, and follow up afterward. Each stage has its own language — and when you know that language, networking feels much less stressful.
In the premium section, we’ll build your full Networking Playbook:
🗣 How to introduce yourself professionally — the elevator pitch formula that works in any situation
💬 How to keep the conversation going with natural follow-up questions and listening phrases
🚪 How to exit gracefully when the conversation is finished — and leave a strong impression on your way out
📧 How to follow up afterward by email or LinkedIn — including the one message most people never send
🌍 Mini-cases with Chloe and Ahmed showing how real professionals handle every stage of a networking conversation
✍️ A full quiz and practice exercises so you can use the phrases, not just read them
A paid subscription is only $8/month.
If you want to walk into your next professional event knowing exactly what to say →
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.