We’ve all met that obnoxious person at a networking function, who shoots from the hip, meaning:

H- Harass
He or she harasses you for your time and attention while they quickly pitch their service to you without any intent on hearing what you do for a living, your interests or your dreams.
I-Intimidate
He or she intimidates others while they ?one up? each conversation circle they join in on.
P-Pressure
He or she pressures you to buy or asks straight out ?How can I get your business? without taking the time to understand you as a person or build any foundation to the relationship.

As great relationship marketers and successful entrepreneurs, I encourage you to sell from the heart, meaning:
H- Hear
Listen, not only to the other person intently, but pay attention to body language. Leaning in? Good sign! Crossed arms and feet facing the door? They want out of there! Hear what is spoken and what is left unspoken to build faster bonds.
E-Engage
Engage them in conversation using open-ended questions with a genuine interest in what your new contact does, what they?re passionate about and ask how you can help them.
A-Appreciate
Appreciate your new prospect?s time by thanking them for the opportunity to get to know them better. Be mindful of the time you take with each person you connect with. Be cognisant that they most likely want to meet others and respect their time to connect with other professionals. Unlike the intimidating hip shooter graciously exit the conversation to give them a chance to learn more about others.
R- Respond
Respond with devout listening, really taking in all that you hear about your new contact. Engage them further in conversation, put them in the spotlight! Respond by making a commitment to how you might serve them. Is it introducing them to a colleague, friend or referral source? Make a note and follow up.
T-Take time
Take time to build on your initial meeting. In addition to connecting on social media channels, follow up with a personally handwritten note, an article of interest or pop a great book in the mail that naturally serves as a follow up to your personal conversation.

Relationships take time; they take heart and genuine connection to be impactful.

The ROI is always in the Relationship!