Listen

If you really want to engage people and have them value their time with you, bring your ears, not just your mouth to the conversation.

Wanting someone to truly feel valued means engaging them.  The best way to engage others is to listen to their thoughts, their stories.  This means really listening, not pretending to listen while thinking about what you will say next.  This also means listening to them and letting them tell their story, not stopping them to share yours as well.

Sharing your story, experience, etc. is a great thing.  Just wait until the other person feels they have completely shared theirs.

“To listen well, is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well, and is as essential to all true conversation” ~ Chinese Proverbs