6 Ways to Win Over His Friends

According to reports, friends of Michael Phelps aren't sold on his new girlfriend, Megan Rossee...which can make things tricky for her. Sure, your man thinks you're cool and sexy—but you're not truly in his inner circle until his friends think the same. We got real dudes to share the secrets to get in good with his buddies.

By Elisa Benson, Cosmopolitan editor

1. Buy a Round

"I was at a bar with my buddy and the girl I had just started seeing. She took a look at my drink and said, 'Looks like you need another.' Then she came back with a round of Guinness for the whole table. It scored big points with my friend—and with me. As a guy, you just don't get treated to a drink all that often." —Brian B.

2. Bring Back-Up

"Every summer, my friends and I rent a beach house for a weekend, and it gets pretty fratty—lots of drinking and shenanigans. When I brought a girl for the first time, she rolled with our jokes, stayed up late with us, and remained totally laid-back the whole time. But the truly clutch moment was when we went out and she told her hot single friends to meet up with us. That's when my guy friends were like, 'Dude, you should bring her around more often...'"—James S.

3. Speak Up

"My girlfriend has nothing in common with my friends—they all work in finance, and she's a creative type. But instead of tuning out our conversations, she does the opposite, piping in with questions, sharing her thoughts, and even commenting on their Facebook posts. They can tell she's taken a genuine interest in them—she's not just faking it." —Peter R.

4. Go Big

"The first time my girlfriend met my friends, we played Catch Phrase—the music edition, where you have to sing and yell out answers and it's basically impossible not to look like an idiot. Some girls might have felt intimidated, but my girlfriend jumped right in and sang her heart out to 'Torn.' Once my friends realized how fun she was, they were sold." —Lucas K.

5. Show Up With Takeout

"I had just started dating this girl. One night on the phone, I invited her to come over, and my roommate jokingly yelled in the background to bring him a burrito. Sure enough, she showed up with Chipotle—and they've gotten along great ever since. She still swings by with pizza every now and then when my friends have a poker night. Food is definitely the fastest way to win over a group of guys." —James H.

6. Dish It Back

"My girlfriend is a few years younger than me, so my friends would rip on her all the time for being so young. Once, when they were giving her a hard time, she asked one of the guys to grab her pacifier she had left in the back seat. Her deadpan deliver was flawless, and my friends loved it—we joke around with each other all the time, so it was proof that she could keep up." —Kyle J.

Source: Cosmopolitan