Whenever you are in a situation involving meeting someone new, one of the most important things to accomplish is to gain their trust. Without obtaining a certain level of trust, anything you say may be greeted with suspicion, which will only serve to hold back any potential growth in your new found relationship. In this article, I'll share five key tips for gaining someone's trust.
1. Assume some degree of suspicion. Think about your own reaction when a person you don't already know approaches you and starts a conversation. Depending on your personality you may welcome the opportunity to talk, but you'll almost certainly withhold your judgment about their intentions until you get to know them better. So go easy at first.
2. Be truthful. Sure you're going to put yourself in the best light, but don't lie. Even if you get away with it at first (and chances are they'll sense something wrong if you aren't being honest), any credibility you may gain will be lost if you lie and that lie is discovered.
3. Don't make it all about you. Learn about the other person by asking questions about them with an open mind.
4. Show them that you value their opinion. No, that doesn't mean you have to agree with everything they say, but take a genuine and respectful interest in their viewpoints.
5. Match the conversational style of the other person, both in the words and body language you use. Whether we like to admit it or not, for most of us, our favorite person is the one we see in the mirror every day. So if you pay attention to someone's way of speaking, moving, conducting themselves, you'll build a near instant level of comfort with them by using a similar way of communicating.
Gaining someone's trust is essential if you want to build or grow a relationship. Following these 5 tips will take you a long way toward your goal.
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