How to ensure your first date leads to another … and another …

Your initial date with a new partner can be a deal-breaker.

20:45 06 June 2018

At the risk of piling on undue pressure during these fraught moments, unless you make a favorable impression you run the risk of this first date also turning out to be your last. So if you want to break the ice in a manner that is going to leave your prospective lover keen to meet again, what are the golden rules?

Arrange a suitable rendezvous

 

There is an old saying about the whole world being your oyster. But when it comes to dating a degree of discernment is necessary. Your choice of location will go a long way towards setting the scene for a successful get-together.

Surely one of the biggest no no’s is a boisterous club or wine bar on a Friday or Saturday night. While you may well have met in one of these locations the previous week, when it comes to an actual date you do not want to be in an environment where you are having to conduct conversations against the backdrop of pounding dance music. Worse than that, you will be surrounded by hormonal-charged revelers who will be a distraction. Imagine every time you excuse yourself to go to the restroom and returning to find your date being pestered by a succession of drunken singletons?

It would be far better to meet somewhere like an intimate restaurant where you can get to know each other in pleasant surroundings while enjoying a sumptuous meal. It is also far more advisable to gently toast your time together over a few glasses of an excellent house wine rather than knocking back shots that may well lower your inhibitions - they are also liable to promote erratic behavior.

 

Make a strong first impression

 

When taking a partner out on the first date it is imperative you make an excellent first impression. This does not mean you go straight to your night out after a hectic gym session, with your face red and flustered and unseemly sweat stains on your brow. Take the time to prepare for your big night. This might mean popping down to your local hairdresser for a quick trim and style. Depending on how eager you are to impress this person, a trip to a fashionable clothing boutique might also be called for.

For the gents, you do not want to look as if you’ve just arrived from a business conference. I three-piece suit will certainly look stylish but it will create an unnatural level of formality for what is supposed to be a friendly occasion. Far better to opt for the smart but casual look. When you arrive at the rendezvous point you will still be relative strangers. It is so easy for someone to make up their mind based on initial impressions, despite how misleading these maybe. If you do have any particular stylistic quirks, such as rock band T-shirts, or extravagant jewelry, you should leave these at home until you get to know this person better.

In all circumstances the golden rule is to drink responsibly. This is especially the case when you are on a first date. Many couples have not progressed further than this point because one of the individuals has gone overboard with alcohol consumption. This can create the host of problems, from embarrassing collisions with furniture to expletive-laden diatribes that do nothing but create an impression of volatility.

Keys to a successful partnership

 

If you want to guarantee your first date leads to a series of encounters, then these are your golden rules. Engage in friendly conversations, but as the evening wears on you should get down to the nitty-gritty on occasion. This means that you should open up to your prospective partner, inviting them to do the same. This is how you forge real connections with people.

By all means indulge in small talk at the start of your get-together, but over the course of the date you can indulge in some confessions. You don’t want to talk about exes, although it is certainly permissible to discuss incidents with previous partners if they make for hilarious anecdotes. Never talk about politics and if you do discuss work, ensure this is only done fleetingly.

It is also all a good idea to hold back. Although this can sometimes take a bit of mastering, if you can convey the impression that there is a lot more to you than meets the eye, hinting at hidden depths, then it does no harm to keep your partner guessing. In this way, when you tell them you will phone them later on in the week to arrange a second date, they will not be likely to screen your call.

So now you know what you should do to arrange a second date and keep your partner interested in you, but what to do to find the first date? Here online dating can be really helpful! Check out this dating website and find the best match.