Going on a date sometimes feels like going for an audition. You feel a mixture of nerves, excitement and even mortal fear. You want to impress the guy, but you’re worried about your hair and whether you’ll have anything funny to say. Moreover, what if he looks nothing like his picture? And what if he doesn’t even turn up? Ow.
Like with anything in life, first impressions on a date matter. Make a great impression on him, and who knows where this can lead? To make sure you’re as confident as possible, here is how to make a good impression on a first date.
Plan some things to talk about beforehand
Your number one plan is to make sure that he knows you’re not boring. You want to leave him with the impression that you’re a girl who has things to say. You can hold a conversation, and you’re up for talking about a diverse number of subjects. On a first date, though, nerves can sometimes get on top of us so much that we can’t think of anything to talk about. We become tongue-tied, and the conversation descends into periods of silence. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, a good tip on how to make a good impression on a first date is to plan a few things to talk about beforehand. So whenever the conversation looks as though it’s dying, you can call on one of these interesting subjects to resurrect matters.
Always be positive
You’re heading out on a first date, so you should be feeling positive already, right? If you can’t seem to muster those positive vibes, it’s important that you do. An easy way to leave a bad first impression on a date is by being a downer who can’t stop complaining.
Imagine if you found yourself complaining about your job, your family and your whole life to your date? And imagine if you heaved a great big sigh and asked, “what’s the point of anything?” Um. Check please!
So, how to make a good impression on a first date? Go into your date with positivity. Be smiley, happy and engaging. It’s the best way to leave a great impression on a first date.
Put your phone away
A really easy way to leave a bad first impression is to be permanently attached to your phone. Whether you’re just checking it or actually replying to messages frequently, it’s going to say to the guy that you’re not really interested, and that you’re a bit rude. One of useful tips on how to make a good impression on a first date is to put it away. Don’t let it distract you.
Don’t Talk About Your Ex
Your ex just called you last night wanting to talk? Tell it to your best friend. Don’t get tempted to bring it up on your first date. Bringing up your ex tells the guy that there are still feelings that you’re harbouring, and that you haven’t quite got over the relationship ending yet. You might think it’s okay to criticise your ex and bash him. But that’s just as bad as singing his praises. Why? The guy is going to be worried that he’ll suffer a similar fate in the future!
Don’t Get Into Your Problems
In the movie Swingers, Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau go on a hastily put-together “date” with two Las Vegas cocktail waitresses. For Vince’s character, the date is going smoothly. That is, until Jon opens up to his date about his problems. Before we know it, both girls are comforting him, and all bets are off for Vince. The date is totally over.
In the car afterwards, Jon says that he couldn’t help opening up to her. “She asked.”
“You didn’t have to get into it, baby,” says Vince.
The thing is that it can be really easy to open up about our problems to our date if we feel like they’d be good listeners and the moment is right. But just because they’re willing to listen , it doesn’t mean that we should open up. First dates are meant to be fun. They’re a laid-back “getting to know you” period. So, a great tip on how to make a good impression on a first date is to save the problems and drama for some other time. Otherwise, you’re sending out the impression that what you really need is not a relationship – you need a therapist.
Treat Him Like A Friend
The trap a lot of people fall into on a first date is being too polite. Is there such a thing? Yes!
When we’re so anxious to impress our date, we can easily lose sight of who we really are. We forget to engage in banter, to flirt and to tease. We’re overly polite, dish out too many compliments and fawn too much. And all of this can be off-putting.
One of good tips on how to make a good impression on a first date is to just be yourself. Act like he’s your friend. Tease him. Loosen up.
Practice On Your Listening Skills
Do you think you’re a good listener? Really and truly?
Okay. But if you’re not so sure, you should work on your listening skills before you head out on a first date. Many of us are good at hearing things, but few of us are the best at actually listening. When we hear, we take information in while we’re otherwise distracted. Maybe we’re playing with our phones while someone is talking to us. When we actively listen to someone, we give them our full attention. We put our phones down and ask questions based on what they’ve just said. Good listening skills are especially important if you want to make a good impression on a guy on the first date. You want him to know that you’re listening to him, and that you’re not just waiting for him to stop talking so that you can start again.
Ask him questions. Take a proper interest in him. Don’t fall into the trap of making this all about you.
