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There is a wealth of training materials and research available around the importance of building rapport with an interview subject. Studies have determined that particular verbal techniques as well as reading body language and “mimicry” are helpful in establishing trust, which in turn invites the subject to speak more openly, producing an interview product that is more accurate, detailed, and helpful to the investigation [13, 14].

Many individuals will be nervous and anxious at the prospect of being interviewed, regardless of whether they are a suspect or a witness. You can mitigate this through your demeanor and by beginning the interview with some deliberate conversation, aimed at putting the subject at ease.

The interviewer should invest time into building a rapport that may alleviate some of the subject's anxiety. It may be tempting to start with “small talk” about the weather or the local sports team, and while this may do some good, really trying to relate to the subject through a sincere mutual connection will produce more meaningful results [15].

Interviews are heavy with questions. Establishing a connection is a time for you, the interviewer, to humanize yourself to the subject by telling them something about yourself, ideally something they can relate to. For example, if you approach a subject who is working on their car's engine, you might offer up a story about a car repair that vexed you in order to illuminate a common experience. It has nothing to do with the details you will be questioning the subject about shortly, but it goes far to build trust and foster open communication. It is also a time for you to show empathy, an important trait to display to interview subjects [16].

Your body language also influences the subject's willingness to open up to you. Some subjects will not immediately respond to your efforts to build rapport and you will need to continue to make intentional efforts to connect throughout the interview. Adopt a casual posture, with hands and arms relaxed and visible. Indicate that you are listening by showing interest, making eye contact, nodding, and so forth. Mirroring is a behavioral technique in which the interviewer subtly copies a subject's mannerisms and tone, as a way of building trust and showing understanding. This is especially helpful when supporting a positive interaction. In situations where a subject becomes angry or volatile, you can often subdue them simply by adopting a demeanor that is the opposite of theirs. If they begin to yell, you might lower your voice and slow your speech in response, which will then encourage the subject to mirror you [17].

Time invested in learning and practicing rapport‐building strategies is worthwhile. As you learn new techniques, practice them in casual settings with friends and family, and gauge their responses as a way of knowing what to expect in the field.