Connecting is what happens when we communicate effectively. It is a foundation for building and sustaining relationships.

Asking questions can be a very powerful tool. It demonstrates engagement, knowledge, planning, humility and interest, plus more.

Tone is the use of pitch to distinguish grammatical meaning. Pitch expresses emotion. How quickly or slowly people communicate is a signal. Awareness of tone and timing is important as it is as powerful as the words themselves.

Messages are sent through gestures and facial expressions which are just as powerful as words.

When you pivot from preparing to defend, to behavior consistent with a desire to know more – that pivot allows for powerful connection with others.

Urgent demands and the ability to embrace the experience with a positive and healthy approach.

Authentic relationships take time to develop. Rushing it can destroy authentic growth of the relationship. Allow the development of the relationship to have life's experiences merge in. Time allows the parties to add value to the relationship.

Imagine yourself with a 360 degree radar around you capturing every emotion, sense, word, verbal and nonverbal from others. Awareness of all the moving parts around you will impact the relationship and impact mutual connectivity.

To add value, clarity about the what, why, and how to do so, enhances chances for consistent connectivity with others.

Provide value to others authentically and consistently.

Realizing something beforehand as it relates to the dynamics of a relationship is a powerful tool to strengthen relationships.

People have special moments in their lives personally and professionally. Knowledge and awareness of these moments is key to cultivating relationships. Intuitiveness and awareness are part of capitalizing on key moments.

Deliberate words and actions create a platform for deliberate results.

Pressing something has its positives and negatives. Reacting quickly sends messages. Awareness of the messages you send is imperative for relationship development.

Originality and expressiveness is a powerful tool in finding ways to build relationships with others. The first step in doing this well is having done your research so you know what is important to them.

Introductions often have a more softer feel than referrals. With introductions the other party can own it where referrals feel more forceful. 

To reveal information in a somewhat narrative fashion is telling. To sell is typically tied to a monetary transaction. An effective business development approach is to tell stories versus overtly sell the product or service.

Don't complicate the pinnacle of what you are doing. Make the process simple, easy and harmonious.

Challenges will likely occur if you take risk in exposing yourself or stretch for growth. Regain or surpass your previous point quickly and consistently.

Common mistakes in relationship building are fixable. Starts with awareness and desire to change.

Emailing, texting and other forms of connecting via technology are detrimental if used as a shield and should be used to support human connection.

Learn from challenging times - how you got in a slump. Have you been there before? How did you recover? What is your road map out, and who can you lean on and why? They happen to the best; but the best only stay the best if they recover quickly. 

Transforming and evolving the connection is healthy and creates fresh energy.

The benefits of your differentiating factors should be brought to the surface. This requires clarity about what makes you different and then the confidence to share it.

Brave behavior can appeal to those who are tough to connect with, particularly if married with providing value.

Frequent assessment and a belief that a good reputation is instrumental in connecting. Social media makes for a more transparent world and in turn a keen awareness of the impact of all words, images and behavior.

Affirmation of a relationship's benefits can be better demonstrated to telling versus selling. Testimonials can be a powerful tool during the infancy of a relationship.

Effective relationship development happens with behaviors of humility.

Outward expressions of strong opinions can alienate you from others. Be aware of expressions both verbally and non-verbally of judgment and its impact on connecting.

The thought process for solving problems for those with whom you are in a relationship is the result of a true desire to serve. The byproduct of which is value creation. 

Make tactics by which connecting with you are easy. Go farther than the proverbial "half way".

Remember why you are connecting and the end goal. Sometimes people get distracted by a short-term goal vs. remaining focused on the long-term.