Once you have made your initial greeting, it is time to establish rapport.

To establish rapport means that you are establishing a relationship.
It could be a relationship that lasts a lifetime or one that lasts until you leave the park.

Either way, knowing how to build rapport is a useful skill in making friends.

When you establish rapport, the other person says, “There is something I like about you…”

Sometimes they may not even know what it is. There is just something about you.

There are many ways to establish rapport. You may just naturally like each other and establishing rapport is easy. But there are also things you can do if the rapport isn’t there naturally.

Many studies have shown that people gravitate toward people they think that they have something in common with. In a roomful of strangers, people will choose to meet those who may be of the same age, gender, ethnicity, or skin color first.

People like people who are like themselves.

Like it or not, fair or not. People are more comfortable with things that they know. Most people know themselves pretty well, so when they are looking for a friend or someone to talk to, they naturally look for someone like themselves.

This does not mean that you pretend to be something you are not.
In any relationship, honesty is a primary and key component. Be yourself. While not everyone will become your best friend, you can be on friendly terms with many, many people.