Networking without feeling pushy - what worked for you?

I sent 3 messages on a professional network and got two replies. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. Some people reply with short answers. How do you phrase the request?

I wrote three short lines: who I am, why them and a small ask for fifteen minutes. About one in four said yes.

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