How to Say Hello
Nothing finds a way to ruin a relationship more than never starting it in the first place.
You can’t fail if you don’t try – that fatal sentence scrolling the internal ticker of so many sad singles worldwide. In the world of online dating, however, each site has its own mechanisms of initiating member contact so the potential failure is never quite as embarrassing as “No, as a matter of fact, I wouldn’t like a drink.”
Here are three tips to keep in mind while you are saying hello to your new friend:
- Upgrade all the Way: Look, I hate spending stupid dollars as much as anyone, but if you are in the online dating game, you really have to be in the online dating game. If that means paying the $14.99 for the super golden membership, just do it. You’ll undoubtedly gain access to some interesting photo album stuff, profile alteration tools and the most valuable upgrades you’ll get will be in the way of communication with other members. Many sites will offer their paying members direct modes of communication with each other ranging from advanced AIM type chat options to phone number protected phone calls. If you’re going to do it, do it.
- Punctuation: OK so you’ve finally found someone online who seems to meet all of your qualifications and you really want to make sure that you be fully open and forthcoming with who you are so… relax. Of course you’re excited – it is exciting to meet someone new! But take it easy, especially at first. Take your time to look for common ground and feel this person out. One simple thing you can do to make sure you’re pacing yourself is actively punctuate your written thoughts. This will help to keep yourself in control, particularly if you suffer from word puke syndrome. Yes, the sentence, nothing quite as attractive as the complete sentence.
- Use the Springboard: As corny as they are, those schmaltzy “What Ice Cream flavor would you be?” questions can work. Many of the personality quizzes and categorization processes used by online dating sites actually work and manage to set you up with relatively like-minded people. But those questions are supposed to be springboards for conversation, not essay prompts. Make sure you find yourself participating in organic conversation rather than practicing multiple-choice dating.
Remember to search your site on your own for some potential connections. While the site will do as much as it can in matching you up, it is ultimately limited in its knowledge of you. Browse around a bit, you’ll be surprised at who is dating online today.
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