Do you have a difficult time meeting and connecting with people in social gatherings?
If so, then you need to learn how to be approachable socially.
Today, I’m about to share with you the exact same process that I’ve used to build rapport with anybody very quickly.
What You'll Learn In This Post
1. Get Some Feedback
Personally, I’ve worked with a lot of introverted engineers, programmers, and developers in the past.
Because they’re paid based on their technical skills and they’re not really required to interact with people all that much.
As a result, they don’t get a lot of feedback on how they’re coming across to others.
From Shy To Social
Discover proven steps to approach and talk to anybody no matter how shy you are.
Remember, the first step to change is awareness.
If you want to figure out how to be approachable socially, you need to know how others perceive you.
You might be doing some things that are putting people off unknowingly.
The sooner you can fix those mistakes, the more quality connections you’re going to make.
To implement this, ask someone you trust to tell you what kind of impression you’re giving off to others.
Just a heads up, you’re probably going to hear some things that might hurt you.
My advice is to keep an open mind and not take anything personally.
Take the feedback that you receive seriously and be willing to make the necessary adjustments before you go out and socialize.
But if you want to get results much faster, consider working with a social skills coach.
That way, you’ll have expert guidance and have someone to keep you accountable as well.
You’ll make fewer mistakes because you’ll have a proven plan to follow.
As a result, you’ll make progress very quickly and finally get this part of your life handled.
2. Manage Your Emotions
Have you ever been around someone who’s sad or angry?
Even though they’re not saying much, you can tell there’s something off about them based on their overall vibe, right?
Keep in mind that whatever you feel, others feel as well.
If you’re wondering how to be approachable socially, you have to be able to manage your emotions.
If you want others to feel good around you, then you have to be able to create that feeling within yourself first.
If you’re not doing it already, I highly encourage you to start a meditation practice.
Spend a few minutes each day to close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
And then, observe your thoughts without any judgment.
Just watch them come and go.
If you do this long enough, you’ll be able to identify what you’re thinking about and question your negative beliefs.
You’ll be able to reframe them into something that empowers you which will help you improve the way you feel.
As a result, you’ll become less reactive, especially during stressful moments.
When you can manage your emotions well, people will feel more comfortable around you.
The better you are at doing this, the more charismatic you’ll come across.
3. Think Of What’s Good About You
Let me ask you a question.
How can you expect others to like you if you don’t even like yourself?
If you want to know how to be approachable socially, stop beating yourself up mentally.
Avoid ruminating about your past mistakes and your perceived flaws as well.
Instead, what you’ll want to do is to shift your focus.
Make a conscious effort to think of what’s good about you and all your previous accomplishments so far.
In fact, this is one of the best confidence-building exercises that I know.
By doing so, you’ll realize that you’re not doing as bad as you might’ve assumed.
You’ll see yourself as someone worth getting to know and you’ll be less intimidated by others.
This will definitely improve your self-image and raise your self-esteem.
You’ll feel at ease in social situations which will allow you to show your true personality more.
4. Avoid Being Negative
Have you ever been around someone who complains a lot?
If you have then you know it’s not a good experience, right?
If you want to figure out how to be approachable socially, avoid being negative.
It’s emotionally draining to be around someone like that.
Personally, I keep my distance away from those people.
Look, we all have bad days.
Sometimes, things just don’t go our way.
But if you want to give off a great impression to others, avoid dumping your emotional baggage on them.
People can only empathize with you so much until they get fed up with your complaining.
If you want to succeed socially, make an effort to find things to be thankful for.
The more you focus on what’s going well in your life, the more of it you’re going to get.
Not to mention, you’ll also become a more pleasant person to be around.
5. Dress Appropriately
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to create a great first impression.
That’s why you have to take your appearance seriously.
To prove my point, imagine how you’d treat someone who’s wearing a well-tailored suit compared to someone who’s wearing a baggy hoodie.
Very differently, right?
If you’re wondering how to be approachable socially, you need to dress appropriately.
Check out this podcast interview with George Laboda, Founder of Gents Lounge, where he talks about how to level up your looks and style.
To help you get started, research the event that you plan on attending.
Figure out what everybody else will be wearing and put together your outfit accordingly.
Whether it’s casual or formal, make sure your clothes are clean and well-fitting.
Remember to groom yourself properly as well.
If you want to stand out in a good way, I highly recommend you add something eye-catching to your outfit.
For me, I have a nice hat that I typically wear whenever I go to any gathering.
I can’t tell you how many people have complimented me about it and asked me where I got it from.
And if you think about it, it’s much easier to create more quality connections when others are coming up to you, right?
To help you implement this, you can wear a cool tie, a nice bracelet, or a unique-looking jacket.
When you look like an interesting person to talk to, people are a lot more likely to start a conversation with you.
6. Follow Your Curiosity
We all have an innate desire to feel important.
If you want others to be interested in you, you need to be interested in them first.
Check out this video if you want to know how to be more outgoing and likeable.
If you want to know how to be approachable socially, make sure you follow your curiosity.
The next time you interact with someone, remember to be present.
Give the person you’re talking to your full and undivided attention.
Lean forward to show interest and nod in agreement to acknowledge what they’re sharing.
By doing so, you’ll make anybody you talk to feel more seen, heard and understood.
They’ll have a positive impression of you and they’ll look forward to seeing you again.
7. Have An Open Body Language
The majority of your communication is non-verbal.
It’s not just what you say but how you say it matters too.
If you want to learn how to be approachable socially, you need to have an open body language.
From what I’ve noticed, those who struggle socially make the mistake of always crossing their arms or legs.
This prevents others from connecting with them because they look intimidating.
Tired Of Feeling Lonely?
If you’re struggling socially and would like some help, let’s connect.
In order to appear more friendly, make sure you stand up straight, pull your shoulders back and keep your arms to your side.
Maintain proper eye contact and have a genuine smile on your face.
By doing these things, you signal to others that you’re not a threat and that you’re open to interacting with them.
As a result, you’ll be able to connect with more people in any social situation.
8. Avoid Being Argumentative
Keep in mind that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Just because you don’t agree on something doesn’t invalidate what others think.
If you’re wondering how to be approachable socially, you have to be empathetic.
Stop trying to change people’s minds and try to prove them wrong.
Remember, getting into an argument is a quick way to end any conversation.
That’s why you should always make an effort to see things from other people’s point of you.
You don’t even need to agree with them.
You just have to understand where they’re coming from.
Instead of getting into a heated debate about something controversial, focus on finding commonalities instead.
Keep in mind that familiarity builds comfort very quickly.
That’s why we like those who are similar to us.
The better you are at relating to others, the more charismatic you’ll come across.
9. Remove Any Barriers
Going to a social gathering can be nerve-wracking especially if you tend to be quiet and reserved.
From what I’ve noticed, those who struggle socially tend to create barriers as a defense mechanism because they feel nervous.
For example, some people pull out their phones to look busy.
Some will clutch a drink close to their chest and some will even hide behind physical objects.
If you want to know how to be approachable socially, avoid doing any of those things at all costs.
People will assume you don’t want to be bothered and that’s going to hold you back from creating more meaningful relationships.
Instead, make it easy for others to start a conversation with you.
The next time you’re at a social gathering, be in the moment.
Keep your phone in your pocket and don’t act busy especially if you’re not.
As mentioned before, have an open body language, make eye contact, and smile at others.
By doing these things, more people are going to be inclined to interact with you.
10. Assume People Like You
Your mind and body are interconnected.
When you change one, the other follows.
From what I’ve noticed, those who experience a great deal of anxiety tend to be so worried about what others think of them.
As a result, they act standoffish to protect themselves from getting rejected.
And because they don’t look friendly, not many people want to interact with them.
Check out this video if you want to know how to be charming as an introvert.
If you want to figure out how to be approachable socially, you have to change your assumptions.
Instead of always thinking others won’t like you, why not do the opposite?
Take the lead and be warm towards people right away.
When you assume that you’ll get along well with others, then you’ll act in ways to make that happen.
To help you with this, just imagine how you’d treat an old friend that you haven’t seen in a while.
That’s exactly what you want to be focusing on when you meet people for the first time.
Remember, you get more of what you think about the most so be mindful of what you focus on.
When you make an effort to see the best in others, they’ll do the same to you as well.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering how to be approachable socially, I just shared with you my best tips.
Feel free to go through them again and implement them as much as you can.
And now, let’s turn it to you.
Which one of these tips are you going to implement first?
Are you going to work on having an open body language or are you going to assume people will like you?
Send me a message on Instagram and let me know.