Five tips for nailing the first impression

Today’s guest blog is by Melbourne-based writer and author Nicole Haddow, who used her own romantic escapades as inspiration for her first romance novel, Tweethearts. Here she shares her tips for nailing that all important first impression.

 

When you’re getting to know someone online, you can’t go off your usual sense indicators to interact with them. To begin with, you’ve got nothing but the words you choose to exchange and a few pictures, so it’s essential to communicate in a way that gives you the best shot at creating a genuine connection.
Here are a few simple tips.
Be yourself
While your instinct might be to attract as many people as possible, the fact is you only truly need to find one person. With that in mind, try to show people your real self. Don’t hold back the person you are for fear that people will be put off by your quirks, and don’t be disheartened if they are – not everyone will be compatible with you and that’s okay. If you like to sign off with a rocket emoticon at the end of each message, do it. The right person will find it endearing.
Take an interest
A great way to engage a person in conversation is to ask them about themselves. Pick an interesting piece of information from that person’s profile and ask them to tell you more. You’re likely to get a better response than you would if you made a generic statement like, “How ‘bout this weather we’re having?” Unless you’ve struck up a conversation with a meteorologist, in which case the weather is a good subject to go with!
Keep up the momentum
So you’re chatting to someone online and are enjoying it – that’s great! Try to respond to their messages within a reasonable timeframe. Keeping someone hanging in the online dating world isn’t wise. In a matter of clicks, they can be building a relationship with someone new. That’s not to say you should be spamming people with a stream of conscious thoughts, but you’ll be better off if you respond to a message within 24  hours rather than playing it cool and waiting for days.
Arrange to meet
You have a pool of like-minded single people right in front of you, but once you’ve plucked someone from the crowd and started chatting, try to meet in person if you feel there’s a good connection there. It might make you a little nervous, but if you don’t move the conversation to a face-to-face location, you’re missing out on opportunities to see if there’s real life chemistry. It might go well and it might not – but you won’t know if you don’t progress outside of your online relationship.
Dress to impress
When you’re meeting someone new, it doesn’t hurt to make a bit of an effort with your outfit. You don’t need to throw on your formal attire; your clothing should still be a reflection of your personality, but it doesn’t hurt to flick a comb through your hair and put a clean shirt on. Wear something that gives you a bit of a confidence boost. If you feel good, it’ll show.