I'm not particularly good at it, but it seems that the trick is to be attuned to what the other person starts talking about, and pursue that, possibly feigning

I'm not particularly good at it, but it seems that the trick is to be attuned to what the other person starts talking about, and pursue that, possibly feigning deep interest until you uncover something that might be actionable. Edit: of course it helps to be at least passably familiar with the person's business so that you don't have to use a totally generic opening.