Spending time with someone is the first step to any successful friendship or relationship.  The more you're around someone, the more likely they will like you. A study was done

and it showed that people respond more positively to people that they have passive or day to day interaction with, even if they've never met. So go ahead and say hi

when you bump into your potential friend in the break room or chat up the cutie at the gym. 

There's a theory called the triadic effect that states that two people are more likely to be closer if they have a friend in common. If you want to ensure that

you stay close to an acquaintance, make friends with who they are friends with. We've all seen it in action; on Facebook we're definitely more likely to accept a friend request

from a random person if we have mutual friends. 

Notice that your potential friend is a champion for clean water or always sounding off about women's rights? Do you feel the same?  It is proven that people bond over

shared values; whether it be political leanings or anything considered to be "controversial". Take that passion and turn it into a long lasting friendship! 

Show them that you aren't perfect. Showing a person your flaws from time to time makes you seem relatable and vulnerable. So essentially you'll seem like a normal human being,

which is always nice when trying to make friends. A study was done and was shown that simple mistakes can affect perceived attraction. So remember when you missed your

mouth while drinking your coffee? Maybe your crush finds that endearing and likes you more because of it.

Sharing secrets is a sure fire way to feel more connected with someone. An experiment was done and it showed that students who spoke and asked more in depth, personal

questions reported feeling closer than the students who only had small talk. Not saying that you should immediately start spouting off your deepest darkest secrets, but maybe easing one into

the conversation when it feels natural wouldn't hurt. 

See others how they want to be seen. Does your potential friend see herself as a love guru or claims that she is a modern day Betty Crocker? Go with

it. Everyone portrays themselves a certain way to the world. If your potential friend has a certain way they see their self, it doesn't do much harm to boost their ego

a bit. Be careful with this one, because in the long run, you don't want to inflate their ego too much, especially if their portrayal isn't all that true. 

Laughter is usually a good solution for anything, and theres no exception here. Be funny, or at least try to be.  Everyone loves someone who can make them laugh. You don't

have to be Kevin Hart every moment of the day, but you don't want to be like Wednesday Adams either. Learn to have a sense of humor and your friend will

be putty in your hands.

Lastly and certainly not the least; smile. Smiling is a simple gesture that people perceive as nice. Studies found that people are more likely to remember strangers when they smile

at them. You want to let your friend know that you enjoy their company and that you're not a total drag to be around. Smiling fixes that in one swoop!