How do I ask for an informational chat? - first time posting

I want to talk to people in a new field but I hate cold messages. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I worry about bothering people. What did you ask?

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It made the follow-up calls so much easier.

Follow up with a thank-you and a short update. One of my chats led to a referral a month later.