I haven't tried it yet, but i read somewhere that a tactic salespeople use to make others like them is to focus hard on one positive aspect of the person as you talk to them. Find something about the person that you like, even if it's as shallow as their shoes or the color of their shirt, and focus on that the whole conversation (probably ensuring to maintain healthy eye contact as well ). Apparently, just thinking that the you like something about the person makes it feel like you really like them and they will respond to it and feel good about it.
I like to ask people about their family, their day job, what they do when they're not working, what their hidden talents are, whats a thing they hope to achieve someday, etc... asking something more specific than "how are you" usually helps spark conversation.
Also, i make it a game or a challenge to paraphrase and draw conclusions about what the person is saying as they are saying it. That way, when they finish talking about their job at the hospital, I can say something like "wow, it sounds like you are really doing something that makes a difference for other people", or "wow, so you're basically like a superhero, working 7 days a week and saving lives while you're at it". If you squeeze in a compliment, people often will take that and run with it, and this often leads to the more interesting stories