Our lives are more frenetic than ever. We spend our days rushing to meetings and fixing problems at the office; then, we spend our evenings taking care of errands and other items on our to-do lists. At the end of the week, we’re exhausted. It often seems as if there’s no time to date and meet new people. But, what if there was a way you could go on 30 dates with 30 different people in 1 night? Welcome to speed dating.
How Speed Dating Works
Speed dating is a simple concept, but brilliant when executed. A group of men and women are invited to a scheduled event. The ladies take their seats around a room. The men take seats opposite the ladies. But, the guys shouldn’t get too comfortable. They only have a few minutes to chat. When the buzzer sounds, the men get up and rotate to the next lady where they’ll spend another few minutes chatting.
Each speed date only lasts about 5 minutes. After each date, the guys and gals make a note on a scorecard about which partners they’re interested in. The event organizer collects the cards and matches the dating partners who indicated mutual interest. Then, each person receives an email with their matches’ contact information.
Making A Great First Impression
Because you only have a few minutes, you won’t get a second chance to make a great impression. You’ll need to put your best foot forward immediately. First, smile. It’ll put the other person at ease. Second, wear an outfit that attracts attention. Ladies in red (sexy!) usually have better luck than when wearing black. Similarly, guys should wear blue. It communicates faithfulness and dependability.
Organization Is Key
Each person at the event will typically have a number assigned to them. After a few dates, keeping track of the people you like can get confusing. Here’s a tip: On your scorecard, write the names of the folks who caught your eye next to their number. It will help you keep track of your potential matches without confusing them. Plus, it helps ensure the organizer doesn’t mistakenly set you up with the wrong person (it happens!).
Identify Deal-Breakers
Most people have things on their list that will eliminate potential partners. For example, if you can’t breathe around cigarette smoke, dating a chain smoker won’t turn out well. If you’d rather not date an alcoholic, it’s better to communicate that upfront. Of course, you should do so delicately so the other person isn’t needlessly offended. But, the sooner you can identify traits that you can’t live with, the sooner you can meet a better match.
Beating The Buzzer
Speed dating can be a fantastic way to leverage your time, meet a lot of folks and potentially find a dating partner (or several). Remember to make a great first impression, stay organized and eliminate the deal-breakers. At the end of the night, you may find yourself with more dates than you know what to do with.