It may seem counterintuitive, but when people let their guard down, they very often make it easier to spot when they’re lying.
The more comfortable a person is when speaking with us, the easier it becomes to detect the critical nonverbal cues associated with deception. The strategy: establish rapport early in the conversation to build a baseline of the person’s typical behavior, body language, verbal patterns, and tone when relaxed. That baseline makes it far easier to notice which questions trigger an atypical response — which is usually where the real answer is hiding.