How Did You Start Networking Professionally?

I started networking professionally when I recognized that the most important and successful people had one major factor in common – an extraordinary Rolodex.

When people think of networking, they often think it’s about going to events or that pushy sales guy handing his business card out to everyone. But that’s not really it! You have to consider networking in terms of relationship building and creating the foundation for deeper connections which provide a mutual benefit. And it’s not how many contacts you can count, but rather how many you can count on. As Tony Robbins said: “The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of your relationships.”

I used to own an executive search firm, and here’s one question I would always ask our high-level candidates: “What was one thing you would do differently if you had to do it over?” Their answers were pretty much all the same: they would’ve spent more time focused on building and nurturing their relationships. This really opened my eyes.

Don’t give into FEAR – or False Expectations About Reality. This will only hold you back. You just need to get out there and do it. And you need to start with having the right mindset. If you go into networking not expecting much, then that’s what will happen. But if you approach building relationships with a positive attitude and a desire to make connections, you’ll find opportunities presented to you, which is what has happened many times for me. And once you do this, you need to turn networking into a mindset habit.

You must keep in mind that networking is not really an option anymore – but rather it’s a crucial skill you should master. And there are so many ways to do it, you just need to find what works best for you. As said by Patrick Bet-David, “Everything is about networking and your contacts, especially if you want to build your wealth”

Thank you for the A2A! I hope you’ve found this insightful. Make it a great day and remember to always NetWorkWise.

This Post Originally Appeared on Quora