Transcript: It's Your Move

On Dating
Episode “How to make contact with people you like online.”

Andrea: You have been surfing online dating sites for awhile now, and you finally found someone you want to write. How do you make the first move? Today I am going to talk about making the first contact. I’m Andrea Syrtash, and this is On Dating.
Q: Do you think people can find love online?
Man on street: Well it’s Hard to find a lasting relationship, in a lot of places. So I guess if you find one online then you really have time to talk to the person before you actually meet them.
Woman on street: I absolutely do feel that people could find a lasting relationship online. Its just really is, you have to be smart and get to know the person.
Man on street: Yes I think people can fall in love online. And I think it happens all the time. Me I’m a romantic so I am always falling in love.
Man on street: Well if two people are honest, and get connected and have things in common. And they’re for real. I believe there’s for real people out there looking for love. As I have said I have friends who have met there partners and they are married now. So it’s definitely possibly.
Andrea: Keep in mind people online that are desirable get approached a lot, so you really want to stand out. Now these people don’t really have time to write back to every single email they get. And if they do, there very, very nice people. But let’s not expect that.
A few simple things to remember so your profile stands out. Keep it concise, keep it upbeat. You know be positive be specific. And post one maximum two great shots of yourself, and make those photos recent.
Anna: Online Dater
Biggest pet peeve: Guys who IM “Hey what’s up?”
Andrea: I can’t blame Anna for getting annoyed with such a lame introduction. I mean come on, hey what’s up? Hey dude how’s it going? Like cant you be a little more interesting than that. Anna says that when she gets such a boring email like that on IM. She actually closes the window and doesn’t even look to see who wrote. Ouch.
So when you write someone you want to be specific. You want to tell that person what you really liked about her profile. People notice when you notice them, so keep that I mind when you make the first contact.
As a social experiment, another friend of mine posted the lamest profile in history. She said she hated most things, she was really negative. And she made her physical charecteristics sound totally odd. Sure enough, she got emailed by some guys that all they knew, was that she was 28 and single. Come on guys is a heartbeat enough.
I mean this is ridiculous; she shouldn’t have gotten one response. Let’s be a little pickier.
And while were talking about meeting, you definitely have to keep safety in mind. Even though you may feel like you know the person online that you have been communicating with. Remember this person is a stranger. So, meet in a public place. Tell a friend or family member where you are. Bring your own method of transportation. Keep your cell phone on, and of course have fun.
Here’s my online dating tip of the week. When making the initial contact online, and when meeting the date, Have fun always remember that. And remember to ask questions about the object of your interest. Pay attention to him or her. But just make sure you don’t turn your questions into a serious job interview.
So remember, even a bad date makes a great story. So get yourself out there and have some fun. Thanks for watching On Dating, I am Andrea Syrtash, see you next time.