Speed Date: the basics where to start
Decide in advance what you are looking for in the speed dating experience. Making new friends to go out with on a couple of casual dates, for example, is really a bit different than zealously searching for a soulmate who may have your young children.
A starting place
If you are on a speed date, you are bombarded by a gigantic amount of personal information in a very short period of time. This can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to choose which person you’d like to see again. Since you only have a few minutes, focus on the basics: how the person’s life feels and whether or not you are happy with them. Ultimately, the success or failure of the date will depend on the little things the other person does or says, just like in a conventional dating situation. Everyone prepares for dates in different ways; however, the unique structure of speed dating requires that you have at least a little idea of your dating preferences. Before starting the session, formulate a notion of what you like and what you don’t like. It might help to make a list: jot down the personality quirks that irritate you and any possible “deciding factors”, traits, or habits that you would never want to find in a person you date. If any of your speed dates exhibit these traits, then you can quickly eliminate them as feasible companions. It is also helpful to write a short mental list of favorable traits, whether they are things you love or things you would like to experience on the go.
Remember, it never hurts to be a little adventurous. Here’s how it works: interested men and women meet at a prearranged location. As the women sit at individual tables, the men go in 10-minute intervals until they meet and speak to each woman in the room. At the end of the evening, you let the event organizer know who you are interested in seeing again, and the organizer provides contact information. What you choose to do next is up to you! During a speed dating event, too many people pretend to be someone they are not in the hope that more people will be interested in them and more dating. They may get more appointments, but they will waste everyone’s time. Think of it this way: if you want to find someone to hang out with long-term or date, you have to like him for who you are.
Communicate who you are from the start, and you will not only discover someone, but you will discover the right person. The fun thing about speed dating is that you only have six to ten minutes to decide who you see as dating material! You can also make the most of it and have a couple of solid questions organized. It is also beneficial to have the answers ready for these questions. Think about the most common types of questions you are most likely to be asked, and a short answer tagline for each is nothing worse than searching for words in a place where you only have a few minutes to make that all-important initial impression. It’s also a great idea to put together a mini “personal infomercial” – a (really) short 1 to 2 minute life story about you that highlights some positive aspects of your personality. Have it memorized and ready to drop in a second!