When Ramon Ray first moved to Montclair, NJ, a neighbor knocked on the door holding a cake. Having grown up in a hardscrabble part of Brooklyn, NY, Ray was skeptical about the man’s intentions.

“I thought he was scoping the place out,” Ray told attendees during his keynote address at ASI Show Chicago. “The first thing you did when you moved into my old neighborhood was put bars on the windows.”

Ramon Ray

Turns out, the neighbor just wanted to welcome Ray and his wife to town and make a human connection.

“Nothing beats connecting with people in real life,” said Ray. “Humans were meant for each other, for connectivity. And a human connection, once built, is very hard to break because of emotional bonds.”

Ray is a small-business expert, entrepreneur and motivational speaker who’s interviewed President Barack Obama and the Sharks from Shark Tank, joined Ivanka Trump in India for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and testified in front of Congress on personal branding. He told the gathered distributors that promotional products are the next best thing to in-person connection with others, especially in an increasingly digital world.

“Promo is the closest thing to a human connection without being in person,” he said. “It breaks through the clutter. It’s a game changer.” Branded products create an emotional connection in a world where every piece of news, positive or negative, is responded to with a simple emoji, he said.

In addition, Ray offered actionable tips for maintaining connections with peers and clients, who are often distracted by social media and texting. First, add a personalized note to LinkedIn connection requests. “We can be lazy on LinkedIn too,” he said. “Use social media to its full power and leverage tech while staying human.”

Make emails more “human-centric,” he added. Think of catchy subject lines, include a personal touch beyond just business and sales, and personalize the message for the recipient. Also, segment social feeds in order to prioritize those who’ve earned your attention and engagement.

“Don’t let the networks control you – you can control them,” Ray asserted. “And, make sure to respond to those who engage with you authentically, not spam messages or those just looking for free product.”

Beyond tech, bring back paper cards and thank-you notes. As a frequent flyer with American Airlines, Ray recently received a handwritten thank-you note and a pin for being a loyal customer. “You can’t beat that,” he said. He’s also received cards and puzzles with his face on it from people expressing appreciation. Consider sending small notes or gifts on clients’ birthdays and anniversaries.

“Staying human might not be easy – it takes effort,” said Ray. Still, “don’t forget the human connection when growing your business. My appeal to you is to rethink who we are. Do you call or send a message just to say hi and let the person know you care? It should go beyond the business transaction.”