9 Subtle Mindset Shifts You Need to Expand Your Online Network
It’s especially crucial today if you’re an entrepreneur
Networking online has never gotten more critical because of so much clutter.
Thousands of creators and entrepreneurs are popping up online today, and thousands more are moving their offline businesses online. Yes, the opportunities have increased exponentially but so have the options and the clutter.
How will you stand out from the crowd? Through your network, of course!
Be it anything from mentors, friends, clients or customers…anyone can take up any of the above roles for you today. So it has become ultimately crucial to find out the right people to grow with, especially if you're starting on your own.
But we cannot deny that many mindsets are still stopping us from reaching our full potential. So here I am to help you out because I’ve interacted with hundreds of people in the past two years and let these mindsets cost me tons of opportunities along the way.
I don't want you to face the same.
1. The online world is not filled with creeps. In fact, it (primarily) consists of fantastic people from all around the world.
I’m going to be brutally honest here and also want to take some page space to explain the point.
I stopped myself from entering social media for 23 years because of some stupid beliefs, especially as a girl. I don’t know how I survived so as a Gen Z, but I did.
But the past two years have been nothing but the best in terms of the community I’ve attracted online. Folks from all walks of life, geography, experiences, and careers. It was almost like a constant dopamine hit.
Look, I’m not dissing off the harassment and trolling many people have gone through, but you don’t have to let it affect you. Platforms today have gone ahead in terms of reporting and blocking the account. Take that step.
The point? Start talking to people with an open mind. Keep listening to your intuition. If at all you feel something’s not right, take steps immediately. Because what you receive is exponentially more than what you’ll lose.
2. You need to be non-transactional. Just focus on giving and giving more.
Other than our close circle of friends and family, we’re often transactional with everyone else, especially when it comes to business, even if you don’t think so.
I’ve met people who help others only to ‘maintain a good relationship’ to get something out of them later. And it shows.
I’m not asking you to become Gandhi tomorrow, but make a habit of helping others without expecting anything. Or at least without thinking about what you can get.
I assure you; that the returns will be far different than what you’ve imagined over time.
3. Don’t only look to network with people higher up the hierarchy.
Often, when we try to connect with people, with look for more experienced, qualified folks higher up the ladder. They exist in a place where we want to live in the future.
But in many situations, it needn’t be that way. Connecting and pulling up people who are less experienced than us can be beneficial in multiple ways. We get fresh perspectives, learn industry trends, get a way to pass on what we’ve learned, thus getting a better understanding of our knowledge, and last but not least, build loyalty.
That person you helped will always be loyal to you because help is challenging to come by when you’re starting in unknown territory. I’m sure you’ve experienced the same or had someone who held your hand and guided you.
Now’s the chance to pass it on.
4. It’s okay to let people go even if they might be ‘beneficial’ to your network.
You cannot get along with everyone. It’s not possible.
And when you don’t like someone or when there’s friction, it’s seen.
Two months back, I said no to a client, even though I had been trying quite hard to build a relationship. I realised it wasn’t worth the effort if our values didn’t match. I left my corporate job to not work with people I don’t like, and I didn’t want to repeat the same, irrespective of how much they paid me.
Be okay with letting friendships or connections go when they don’t ‘feel’ right. You’ll meet much better folks along the way.
5. Relationships and trust aren’t built in one day.
I know this is obvious, but it’s astonishing how often people forget it. The process will take time. You will get frustrated, irritated, and feel like nothing’s going your way.
But one day, the universe will tip the bowl in your favour, and everything will pour in at once. That’s how it works all the time.
You just have to wait.
6. You will get overwhelmed, and it’s okay.
Social media can do that to you. For months I waited for a viral post, and the day I got a semi-viral post on LinkedIn, I was thrown back with the number of comments, inbound messages, and emails.
I couldn’t keep up with them and felt ultra-overwhelmed. The irony, right? It was something I’ve always wanted, and when it did happen, I couldn’t handle it.
Building relationships will also be similar. You’ll get pulled into hundred different conversations; it’ll get challenging to keep up with multiple connections, read their work and support them.
Sometimes, you would be putting in your 110% effort without getting any result. You’ll often feel like pulling your hair out (oh, don’t I know).
But remember, it’s normal.
You need a proper breakdown of the process and create a system. I’ll be talking about this in one of the chapters.
7. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”
Ask yourself if your best friend imposter syndrome arrives by your side.
This question, along with the mentality “The worst thing is they won’t respond. That’s okay. I can always try others. But what if they do, and this connection changes my life?” needs to keep pulling you forward.
At least, that’s what helped me.
8. Become familiar with the word ‘No’ and rejections
Especially with folks who are above you on the ladder. 70 to 80% of the time, they won’t respond, even after follow-ups.
Of course, there are tips and tricks to improve the response probability (which we’ll discuss in one of the chapters) but become familiar with not getting any response.
Remember, those who do respond have the power to change your life in unexplainable ways. So just keep going.
9. You don’t need to connect with 100 people. Connecting with two folks who know 100 each is enough
Most important. I’m sure you would have heard it somewhere.
I don’t have to explain more. Be mindful of this.
Change cannot happen in one day. My goal with this article was to help you dig deep and understand whether you’re going through it or not. I would suggest writing them down to keep reminding yourself so that it’ll become a part of you over time.
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