8 Tips on Speed Dating ...

There’s no reason to be shy. You just met this person and might never see him/her again, so why not at least pretend to have some confidence? If you are seriously looking for a date, then portraying yourself as the confident type might increase your chances of getting a date from this speed dating session.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to be more interested in people who look like they care about their appearance. You don’t have to drag out your fanciest outfit to go to a speed dating meeting. If you wear something that is clean, not riddled with holes, and doesn’t look like it was picked up off of the bedroom floor, then you are probably not going to receive any odd stares regarding your outfit.

Who wants to get to know someone who has an attitude like Eeyore? I’d prefer to get to know someone who looked like he/she wasn’t participating in speed dating against his/her will. A smile truly can ease the tension between two people, especially when meeting for the first time.

The term ‘speed dating’ isn’t synonymous with ‘drunk dating’. Mixing alcohol and dating doesn’t tend to work out that often, especially when you are forced to whip through a bunch of questions, as well as be charming and speak coherently at the same time. Leave the drinking to after the dating session. Maybe make arrangements to meet a friend after the speed dating gig is over, this way you will have something to look forward to and you can discuss the night’s events with your friend over a drink.

Try to avoid negative body language; crossing arms, leaning back in the chair, avoiding eye contact, and a combination of all three. If you are uncomfortable, try not to show it. Remember to keep your hands in your lap or on top of the table. Lean forward so that you can better hear the questions the other person is asking, as well as the answers you are receiving about your own questions. Maintain as much eye contact as possible, but without being creepy. Blatantly staring at someone or having the case of the roaming eyes can just make the moment awkward and possibly embarrassing.

You don’t have to be a standup comedian to have a sense of humor. Speed dating should be fun and not stressful. If you have a sense of humor about the whole thing, it might actually go a bit smoother. Relax and spit out those witty retorts when they come to mind.

You only have 3 minutes to swap questions and to get as much information as possible from this new person you just met. A few speed dating groups might offer more time for people to get to know one another, but it seems like 3 minutes is a popular number for the amount of time given to swap questions. Use it wisely. If you have all your questions written out, then you won’t waste any time trying to think of ones on the spot. Come prepared with more than you might possibly need.

This type of dating should be exciting, so have fun with it. If you go in with an attitude that the entire event is going to suck, then you might as well not go. Most people who participate in speed dating are a lot of fun. Sometimes the very first round can be unnerving, but everyone usually loosens up very quickly. Enjoy yourself and remember that you probably won’t see most of these people ever again.

These 8 tips on speed dating are the most common ones I’ve come across. I think speed dating looks like a lot of fun. If I wasn’t already married, I think it would be exciting to try speed dating and see how successful it actually is. What tips on speed dating do you think are the most useful? Have you already tried speed dating or know of someone who has?

Top Photo Credit: Bahman Farzad