Dating is a numbers game. While you don’t want to become known as a serial dater, keeping an active dating calendar can help you find the person of your dreams. If after a few hours you’ve determined the chemistry is good, and you’d like to go further, the following tips will help you make a great impression and hopefully secure a second date.
Stay Cool
No matter how good looking or charming you may be, dating mistakes happen. If you’re having a great time, and you think you’d like to go on a second date, you want to go easy on the compliments. Simple comments such as you look nice, or you have a beautiful smile at the initial meeting can be flattering to your date. But you don’t want to salivate at the mouth over their looks or appear to sugary sweet. Keep your chatter sincere and from the heart. Focus instead on getting to know them over coffee, drinks, lunch or dinner.
Put Some Effort Into Your Appearance
Putting in some additional effort for a date isn’t about self-worship, it’s about respect that you have for the person that you’re meeting. While you want to stay within your comfort zone and portray the person you truly are, your outfit can reveal quite a bit about yourself. Find items in your closet that are tried and work best for you. Colors and patterns are ok, as long as you look good in the variety of shades. Paired with a skirt, dress or dress slacks, old gringo boots are always in fashion with the hottest trends. Accessories also make a great finishing touch to your wardrobe as long as you keep it subtle.
Be Yourself
This may sound like the biggest cliché, but people who have enjoyed some of their best first dates have found the phrase “be yourself” works best. This includes relaying likes, dislikes and personality traits. While opening up to who you are as a person seems like a good idea, you want to be respectful of your date’s opinion. If you hate baseball and find it boring, be open with your date and relay that attending a game could be a fun way to get to know someone and learn what baseball has to offer. This shows that you’re not lying about your interests, but you’re still being open to idea of getting involved in the activity anyway.
Don’t Be Afraid to Eat
It’s common to get be self-conscious and jittery on the first date. But don’t let it consume you during your initial meeting. If your date suggests dining out, don’t be afraid to consume a meal. You’re bound to score a second date when you act yourself and order what you would if you were around friends and family. To ensure your comfort level, have a voice in the meeting place. If you’re a vegetarian, and your date recommends a favorite restaurant known for steaks, let them know your preferences. While you don’t want to come across cocky, you’ll score another date when you have the confidence to eat in front of your date.
Have a Sense of Adventure
Adventure doesn’t mean that you have to scale high mountains or go sky diving. But don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone and try things off the normal path. Typical dinner dates of coffee or a meal are excellent ways to get to know a person. You can also think outside the box by going to an amusement park, horseback riding or attending a sporting event. If you’re too uptight to enjoy a different adventure, you’re definitely not going to be asked on another date with this person you seem to like.
There’s typically stress and anxiety in wondering how a first date went. It may even have you looking at your phone constantly in hopes of a call or text. But when you expose your true self, enthusiasm and confidence, you’re bound to score another.
Author’s Bio
Yunas Chaudhry is a super-connector with Darkroom Clicks Photographers in Lahore and Islamabad who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, Photography, branding and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing, digital photography.