Best practices of relationship masters
Mike's best practices above are just a handful of the tools passed down through the generations that transcend channel technology and other innovations serving largely as filters through which our relationships are experienced and practiced.

Below are several more best practices culled from many more old-school relationship builders who not only do these things naturally but have clearly gained the personal and professional benefits and success from their efforts.

• Face-to-face meetings: An email or conference call might be faster, and in most cases it is the right approach, but neither can replace the deeper, long-term value of a face-to-face meeting. Seeing people in person allows you to leverage and express the tools Mike uses above, as well as many of the more tactical best practices below. The multi-faceted value of live meetings, more than almost anything else, lets you create value in your relationships.
  
  
• Thank you notes: If done well (just 2 to 3 sentences, handwritten, on small note cards), they'll set you apart. Sadly, few people use them much anymore, yet they're hugely differentiating, and they take just a few minutes each. Try sending just a few each week, some personal and some professional. Thank people for small things, for professional courtesies, for an introduction to someone else, it doesn't matter what. The fact that you took the time to stop and personally thank them in a tangible way is very powerful.
  
• Dress the part: This usually means dressing up, not down. The trend towards more and more casual dress, especially in the workplace, lends itself to more casual and sloppy interactions with others. There's clearly a direct link between the two. On the contrary, when you dress up, people will take notice and remember you. And that's the point.
  
  
• Make eye contact: Studies have shown that eye contact is the more effective way to get someone to stay focused on you, thereby increasing the value of the impression you leave (almost regardless of what you say). This isn't easy for some of us, but it gets easier with practice.
  
  
• Introduce yourself: Seriously. When you visit an office for the first time, introduce yourself to the receptionist. Ask for his or her name. Give a firm handshake. Show confidence, whether with the receptionist at your next appointment, or with everyone you meet at the next networking cocktail party. This alone goes a long way.
  
  
• Small talk: Use it to your advantage. Sure, some productivity experts will tell you to get right to the chase and save those precious few minutes. But productivity to that extreme misses the point. Getting what you want or need from someone isn't just about directly asking for it. If you take the time to build a relationship, you're far more likely to get what you want in the end. 
  
  
• Don't discriminate: Treat the administrative assistant the same way you'd treat the CEO. You never know where people will go next in their careers, how they might help you down the road, and who they know right now that could help you get where you need to go.
  
  
• Remember things: Keep track of what people like -- sports teams, universities, sweets, etc. Merely bringing up the score from their favorite team the night before can be a huge differentiator, and it can make you far more memorable. If you don't have a good memory, use the "notes" section in Outlook Contacts to keep track of these things.
  
  
• Smile: People are attracted to people who are happy. Smiling also makes you more accessible, easier to talk to, and faster to get comfortable with. Use that smile to your advantage!

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Matt Heinz is senior director of marketing for Verdiem and the author of "Matt on Marketing." Read full bio.