Dating 101 For Men /
Dating can often seem an intimidating task, especially when taking a new date out for the first time. We Dating Wizards have compiled a list of ‘To Do’ rules to help you get it right and make the best impression.
Before The Date…
1. Book Ahead. By organising a date well in advance you are indicating that you expect your prospective date to be popular with a busy social calendar. This may or may not be true, but indicating that this is your assumption can’t hurt. Although you wish to impress, it may be best not to book somewhere too high class as this could add to the pressure you’ll both already be feeling. If you think it would be appealing to your date try to arrange to meet somewhere where you feel comfortable.
2. Have A Plan. By having pre-booked a table/seat/whatever you have decided to take your date to you are showing that you have given it thought and preparation. Meeting up with no idea what do with your time together is a definite no no!
3. Personal Hygiene. Some might say this is an obvious one but nothing is going to send your date packing quicker than poor standards of cleanliness. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready. Shower. Spray. Wear clean clothes. Clean your teeth. This all sounds very basic but would you want to spend your first date with what turns out to be one of the great unwashed?
On The Date…
1. Time Keeping. Nothing indicates a lack of interest like late a late arrival. Excuses like ‘the bus was late’, ‘the car wouldn’t start’ and ‘I was held back at work’ will not sit well. If you are late for a genuine reason apologise, and mean it, but don’t harp on about why. Being early can equally be frustrating as your date may not be ready. If you’re picking them up this could result in awkward waiting time with their Mum/house mate/friends, if you’re meeting them at the venue they may feel bad for having made you wait. So, in summary, turn up at the agreed time.
2. Relax & Be Polite. If you’re all uptight and edgy your date won’t be able to relax. This could make conversation awkward and ultimately mean neither of you enjoy yourselves as much as you could. Remember they’re nervous too and may be looking to you to see how to react, so if you’re tense you’ll make them tense too.
Remember to listen and respond. Another sure fire way to not see your date again is to seem uninterested or respond to conversation with grunts and nods. Ask questions, find out more about them and they’ll reciprocate. Hopefully this will mean great flowing conversation for the rest of the date, but just in case, have some conversation prepared in case of awkward silences. A current news story or recent event can be a way to fill these gaps in conversation, but stay away from potentially explosive subjects such as religion, politics, etc.
Don’t forget your manners – again this may seem obvious but can have a massive impact on the first impression you give. Drop in the occasional compliment. Hold doors open. Turn your mobile phone off and do not check it during the date. If you’re having a meal together table manners are extremely important, and offer to pay the bill. If your date genuinely want to pay half, let them. All these things add to the impression you are giving to your date.
The End of The Night.
1. Saying Goodbye. So your date is over, at least for tonight. How it went and how you feel about your date now that you have spent a little time in each other’s company will determine how you finish up the evening. Behave politely and true to your feelings. Don’t say you’ll call if you have no intention of doing so, and please don’t shake their hand. If you don’t feel you’d like to see them again a simple ‘thanks for tonight, it was lovely to meet you’ should suffice, it doesn’t indicate that you will meet up again or be in touch, but it isn’t rude or blunt either. But if things went well (and hopefully they did), you may feel you can ask for a phone number if you don’t already have it. If you have already exchanged numbers this could be the time to go for a polite on the cheek kiss and/or a hug, but each situation is different. If you feel appropriate a hug is often a great way to tell how your date feels about the date by how they respond.
2. And Finally… With any luck your date went well, you both had a great time and will see each other again soon, you’ll skip home and sleep well with that warm feeling in your tummy. But if your date didn’t pan out the way you had hoped, don’t fear. Cliches are clichés for a reason – they’re usually true. There are plenty more fish in the sea, and you’ll never know who’s out there for you unless you keep looking.
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