AARP Hearing Center
Love's conquest can be broken down into five rules — at least for straight men on a first date. Whether she’s a new online match or someone you met at a neighbor’s home the other night, the following five rules should help you, the average guy, get to the second date.
It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned pro or recently divorced and just now getting back out there — we all need work on our game.
Rule 1. Respond proportionally
If you remember nothing else, remember this: Stay within the tempo of the conversation.
Don't go on too long when she asks you a question, but also don't be too brief in your response. Too long and you are boring and self-absorbed. Too short and you are cold and about as much fun as spending the night in front of the TV with the sound turned down.
If she says a few sentences, you say a few sentences. If she tells a story, you pause and then you tell a story. You don't have to count syllables, but keeping things in proportion works wonders.
Rule 2. Don’t pay her the same tacky compliment everyone else has
Take the two most typically attractive things about her and forget them — immediately. Why?
All of her life she has heard about these probably physical attributes from other guys. You need to look past those features to get to the real her.
Rule 3. Tell her three things you really like about her
Mix it up, though. One of the three things should refer to the way she thinks. Maybe she has a great vocabulary or understanding of numbers. Or she might have a logical way of presenting information or be whip-smart or street-smart.
One quality you mention should relate to her personality. This can be anything from her taste in music or her twisted sense of humor to the way she dresses.
Everyone likes to be thought of as attractive, so there's nothing wrong with telling her in some way that she is. But don’t be crass. Maybe she looks classy or sophisticated. Maybe she has a captivating smile — or perfume.
