(Credit goes to Robert Brown of Abney Park):
Social Skills Lesson Number 2: How to make friends of strangers.
Step:
1. Ask stranger a question about them self.
2. Be interested as they answer.
3. Ask more questions.
4. Genuinely praise parts you like.
Done.
It’s STUNNINGLY simple, and almost never fails. Yes, there are other techniques, but I find this one to be most fool proof.