Communicate a clear affirmation of the visitor. Some people are anxious about how others will respond to certain aspects of their background. A person may be divorced, a single parent who has never married, unemployed, an alcoholic, or an ex-convict. We do not want in an initial conversation to push someone to fill in the gaps in his or her history. It s better to let the other person share information as he or she wishes.
Parents are always pleased when people show interest in their children.
People almost universally appreciate an invitation to share a meal either that day or at a mutually agreeable date later in the week. People appreciate being remembered with a phone call the week following their visit. It feels good to know that someone remembered you and took the time to call and reinforce how good it was to have you present. That can be an opportunity to extend an invitation to a meal or a Sunday school class. People appreciate returning the following week and finding that people to whom they were introduced remember them and are delighted to see them again.