Going a first date can be a daunting task regardless if you have little practice or are a serial dater as you simply never know what to expect, as you do not yet properly know the person that you are meeting and are full of adrenaline and excitement.
Therefore, you may not know as man how to properly behave in order to score a second date and a potential long-term relationship. But do not worry because in this article we are going to be giving you all the tips that you need to increase your chances of success.
So, you may be wondering how to behave as a man on a first date? The truth is that there is not a definite answer as everyone is different and the people that you go on a date with will not like the same qualities every time in a person they are trying to get in a relationship with. Below, we will list 12 Tips you should take into account when trying to behave properly on a first date.
1. Never Be Late.
Being on time will be the first impression that your date will get from you, so you need to make sure that you are on time, the only way to actually ensure that you are on time is to leave your home earlier than needed and if you have to you will wait for a few minutes at the location where you are supposed to be meeting up with your date.
Furthermore, if you are going on a date early in the morning or during the weekend when you wake up later than make sure to set multiple alarms on your phone, and it is also recommended to place your alarm further from your bed so that you will need to get up and turn it off yourself.
2. Choose in Advance a Place for a Date.
Also, make sure to have the location agreed beforehand with your date to make sure that you know where you are going; it will also be highly recommended to double check that all the transportation services that you are using are going to be working that day, so you can avoid any nasty surprises.
3. Offer to at Least Pay Half.
Regardless if you are going for a meal, cinema or some other kind of activity it will be good to offer to pay at least half of the bill if not all of it. This will show that you respect your date, regardless if they will be interested in going to a second date with you. Another point concerning this is that you should check and calculate the price of where you are going to be taking your date to make sure that both you, and they are able to pay it.
Moreover, it will also be good for you to talk to your date and decide where you want to go to make sure they are happy both with where they are going and also the price to avoid any bad surprises. As after all it is not good taking your date to a very expensive place without their knowledge and then expecting them to pay half of the amount.
4. Listen to What Your Date Is Saying.
Listening to what your date is saying is also very important, as apart from looking good you need to be someone that they can get along with and talk to during difficult times that are without a doubt going to occur eventually if you get into a long-term relationship.
The only way for you to be an able to have a meaningful conversation with someone is by listening to what they are saying properly, which will then allow you to ask better questions and continue the conversation.
This behavior will also show that you are more serious about getting to know them and that you care about what they are saying, with many surveys showing that this quality in particular is extremely valued by females. Also, it will help make the other person more comfortable, especially if they are shy.
5. Do Not Get Drunk.
Drinking a bit of alcohol is used by many people to try and ease their nerves, however, if you can, you should not drink at all or limit your drink to just one so that you do not get carried away and accidentally get drunk. People getting drunk when on dates is more common than it actually seems, and it needs to be totally avoided as when you are drunk, you are not able to think properly so the chances of you saying some rude increase dramatically.
On a first date, you will not know a lot about the person that you are meeting up with, and they will not know a lot about you, so it is best that you do not drink a lot as you don’t what kind of first impression you will give to the other person as you may not be a big drinker, but by having a lot of drink to try play down your nerves you can see like someone who likes to drink a lot which majority of people do not like.
6. Avoid Talking About Serious Topics.
It is important that you do not mention, ask about or infer about any serious topics such as the death of friends and family and religion as these are very personal topics which there is a very high risk with that you can start a disagreement that quickly becomes and argument that can ruin what could potentially been an amazing date together.
Politics is another topic that is an extra big no-no that you simply must avoid. It makes no sense for you to try discussing this, as even if two people vote for the same political party, they will most likely have different opinions about topics. There are people who have been married for decades and still do not agree with each other’s political views, so it is delusional to bother trying to convert someone politically during a few hours long date.
7. Act like a Gentleman.
Just being a good-looking guy and well-dressed will not guarantee that you will get a second date, research shows that compared to men that girls care less about looks and more about personality and the way that their partner will treat them.
This is why you need to act like a gentleman by pulling out the chair for your date if you are going to be eating at a dining table, opening the doors for them and also offering your coat if they are cold without them having to ask you to do it.
Another thing you can do that will leave a great impression is to compliment your date, but just don’t overdo it as it will get annoying, and you will seem desperate which is not a good thing.
8. Remember That Showing off Is Not Actually Impressive.
A lot of guys think for some reason that showing off by telling their date how much money or what they want will impress them so much that they will want to get into a relationship with you.
However, this is far from the truth as it just shows to your date that you are insecure about yourself and that you feel that you can’t impress them by just being yourself, so you just have to compensate for that by showing off what you have. Showing off will only impress gold diggers who you should not be going for in the first place as they only like you for your money.
Apart from showing off financially, you should also not show off who you know as that will also come off as desperate and kind of strange. For example, you should not just start randomly listing all the famous people you have seen in public for no good reason.
9. Watch Your Touching.
Keep in mind that this is a first date, so you should not be overly physical and touchy-feely with your date as they will most likely not enjoy it, and it will contribute greatly to their decision of not inviting you to a second date.
Of course if you are going on a date where some contact is inevitable like if you are going to go play basketball on the court or are going canoeing, and you need to help your date off the boat, so she doesn’t fall into the water then that is fine.
10. Smile.
Smiling is very simple, and you should try to do it more during the date, it will make you seem more approachable and will likely help your date to open up to you and be more comfortable you compared if you were just sitting there staring at her with a blank facial expression.
Apart from smiling you should also be more expressive like for example while your date is talking you can nod your head in agreement and do other natural facial expressions, but just make sure that you don’t look like you are playing a role in a pantomime.
11. Do Not Start Moaning or Saying Bad Things About Your Exes.
It is a good thing to open up to your date about your life, but you need to draw a fine line between opening up and just moaning continuously throughout your whole date. This is an instant turn off for most people, as they will most likely get the impression that you moan like this all the time, so they will definitely not want to invite you to a second date.
Furthermore, you should just avoid mentioning your ex-partners if you can, but if it becomes the topic of conversations than just saying something like ‘it just did not work out’ or ‘we were not meant for each other’ rather than going on a tirade about what a bad person they are and how they did you wrong.
12. Maintain Good Manners.
Finally, it is important to maintain good manners as they will show to your date that you are what you are like, if you have bad manners they may get certain impression such as that you have a bad standard of hygiene and that you are not well-educated. This is a much bigger factor than it sees, as few people want to be someone that will embarrass them out in public with their terrible manners.
Good luck dear men on your first date!
