# Imply Friendship Fast
Treat someone as though you're already close friends — including naming their visible emotions — rather than defaulting to standard social distance. The test: "What would I say if this person was a close friend?" — then say it. Example: telling a coworker "seems like you might be going through a hard time, do you mind if I ask how you're doing?"
Unlike Extend Yourself in Acknowledgment's "follow the shiny thing" and "open the circle" — which make a conversation fun and flowing but aren't reliable builders of lasting connection on their own — implying friendship fast is presented as the technique that actually builds deeper, lasting connection. Combined with the other two, per The Social Agreement, it's what makes someone "the charismatic leader in any interaction."
Related to Humanize the Interaction First and Genuine Compliments (Direct & In Absentia), but distinguished by its specific mechanism: assuming intimacy that hasn't been earned yet, rather than just warmth or praise.
Из тем: Conversation Craft: Listening, Rapport & Room-Reading