Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him. - Keith Ferrazzi

The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel important. Every person's deepest lifelong desire is to be significant and to be recognized.

Bottom line: It’s better to give before you receive. And never keep score. If your interactions are ruled by generosity, your rewards will follow suit.

And when you do finally connect, don’t sabotage your efforts by expressing how annoyed you are that they didn’t get back to you as quickly as you would have liked. Nor should you apologize for your persistence. Just dive in as if you caught him on the first call. Make it comfortable for everyone.