Is “Win People Over” the Right Attitude to Have When Networking?

This isn’t really the right attitude you want to demonstrate when trying to create the foundation for meaningful relationships. Let’s look at it this way: According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of win over is “to persuade (someone) to accept and support something (such as an idea) after opposing it.” Now while this may be effective in some situations, you won’t be very successful at networking if you’re constantly trying to convince people to agree with you or buy something from you.

You should take a proactive approach towards relationship development with an ultimate goal of forming mutually beneficial connections. To reap the benefits of a robust network you must:

• Establish your worth and provide value to others
• Be in the right mindset for developing meaningful associations
• Create connections built on the know, like and trust factor
• Build foundations for relationships that are significant

What you do not want to do is force an issue on someone, as this tends to lead to negative consequences that will in turn hurt your network, and the associations you have created. Think of all those aggressive people at a networking event forcing their business cards and ideas on you, which is what gives networking a bad reputation. You do NOT want to be that person!

I would encourage you to enroll in our Get NetWorkWise Certified course which immerses you in the science and art of networking, and you’ll soon discover the strategies you need to integrate into your daily life to help you create relationships that really matter—or rather—relationships not built on just “winning people over.”

Make it a great day and remember to always NetWorkWise.

This article originally appeared on Quora.