Do you want to know how to make someone you know (or have just met) like you? People have been asking this question since the beginning of time and it makes sense why – it is an incredibly useful skill in different spheres of life.
Of course, it’s essential to get along with our family members and friends as well. Life Advancer has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Why you should know how to make someone new like you
This question may seem commonsensical but is an important one. Many of us don’t bother to make others like us because we’re too comfortable with the company we keep. Few of us try to find friends beyond our social circles.
Furthermore, the internet has made it possible to build relationships online, so many of us spend time with ‘virtual’ friends. Many of us work remotely with colleagues across the world; there is little, if any, face-to-face interaction. Consequently, we may put some effort into making others like us, but it may not be enough.
Positive interactions and impressions are essential for all relationships. It’s worth trying to find ways to make Someone Like You.
These 10 weird science-based tricks may help
Here are a few suggestions for helping others form favorable impressions of us. They may seem a little off-the-wall, but science says that they do work when it comes to making someone new like you.
1. Use a high-pitched voice
First of all, speak in a high voice. Doing this may seem silly, but science has proven that does make us more likable.
A study published in the journal Plus One found that people of both genders who spoke in high-pitched voices came across as trustworthy. The participants listened to Scottish speakers of all backgrounds, and their reactions led the researchers to come to this conclusion.
2. Show your flaws occasionally
You may believe that making mistakes will discourage people from knowing you. Science proves that the opposite is true.
Researcher Elliot Aronson made the University of Minnesota students take a quiz. They found the interviewees who spilled coffee during the interview more likable than those who consciously avoided mistakes. Those who made errors came across as more relatable.
3. Come across as self-assured.
The same study published in Plus One revealed that a person’s energy level decided how much people liked them. Those whose body movements were more confident seemed more likable than others.
4. Stress Shared Values
Another psychological trick is to stress shared values. Doing so will help you tap into the Similarity Attraction effect.
Researcher Theodore Newombe measured attitudes towards controversial subjects. He found that people were more attracted to those who shared similar ideals. This makes it easier to understand how to make someone you haven’t met before like you.
5. Mimic the person you’re with
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and there is scientific proof of this notion.
A 1999 study by New York University researchers proved the existence of the Chameleon Effect. They videotaped participant’s interactions and discovered that people tended to gravitate to those who imitated them.
6. Share Secrets
Sharing secrets helps you understand how to make someone new like you. It’s a way to getting to know one another better.
Researchers gave people different types of questions. A small-talk type question was What Was Your Favorite Holiday, and one that was more in-depth was “How is your relationship with your mother?” Students who discussed the personal questions felt closer to each other than those who engaged in small talk.
7. Casually pat your conversation partner on the shoulder
Casual touch is a way to make someone interesting like you. Subliminal touching is a term used to describe contacts so subtle that the recipient hardly notices them.
French researchers tried an experiment published in the Journal of Social Influence. They had young men talk to women who passed them by over three weeks. Those who touched the arms of women lightly were more likely to succeed in striking up a conversation than those who didn’t.
8. Expect good things from people
Furthermore, people are friendly with those who expect the best from them.
This phenomenon is evident because of what’s known as the Pygmalion Effect. It states that we behave in a way that elicits expected behavior from others. A Harvard Magazine Article says that if you believe that person will treat you well, you’ll conduct yourself in a way that elicits such treatment.
Therefore you should always expect the best from people. You’ll behave in a way that brings that behavior out in them.
9. Let others talk about themselves
All of us have burdens to carry and want a listening ear from time to time. That’s why talking about ourselves is inherently rewarding.
In an experiment, researchers put study participants in an MRI machine. The researchers brought their family members close to the machine. They told some family members to talk to the participants in some cases, and didn’t in others.
The experiment showed that the regions of the participants’ brains associated with motivation were most active when they shared information with their family members.
10. Behave as you like them
Finally, you may not know people well, but they will probably like you better if you behave as though you liked them. This phenomenon is the “Reciprocity of Liking.”
In an experiment, researchers suggested that members of a group discussion would probably like them. The experiment showed that those whom they liked best were those whom they said would like them.
Learning how to make someone like you may seem strange, but science has proven that these tactics do work.
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