How to get a shy person to open up to you in 5 minutes or less

Shyness, according to Psychology Today, is "the awkwardness or apprehension some people feel when approaching or being approached by other people."

Shy people often "desperately want to connect with others, but don't know how or can't tolerate the anxiety that comes with human interaction."

John Stoker, president of DialogueWORKS and author of "Overcoming Fake Talk," says that 40% or more of the population would classify as "shy."

That means there's a good chance you'll have to deal with shy people at the office, networking events, or client meetings - and it may behoove you to know how to approach them.

We asked Stoker for his tips on making a shy person feel at ease, and getting them to open up quickly.

Here are the six steps he shared:

This is an update of an article written by Natalie Walters.