Speed-dating is something new to most people, the kind of thing that one only hears about or sees on TV. Since it is relatively new, many people harbor the misconception that people who participate in speed dating activities are desperate to find a partner or are lacking the ability to meet someone the traditional way. Truth is, many speed daters do not fall in any of the said categories. Most speed daters usually do not have the time to pursue traditional courting or are just trying something new for a change.
Speed dating is a way to meet other single people. During a speed dating event, you will either be one of those who go around in a rotation or the one seated. During this activity, you can meet and talk with participants of the opposite sex for anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes. Each participant will be given a sheet where you mark down who you feel compatible with. This sheet will be collected by the organizers at the end of the speed dating event. If two people select each other, both interested parties will receive the contact information of the other. Then, it’s all up to you from then on.
In the limited time that you spend to meet and greet with other speed daters, you are all trying to set an impression while trying to determine whether or not there could be a possibility of a building a relationship with anyone of them. Unlike in online dating, speed dating allows you to actually meet other people in person. If you can’t find someone who interests you in a speed dating event you attended, you can still make friends with them. Who knows, your new friends could introduce you to someone who is right for you.
When attending a speed dating event, here are some do’s and don’ts that you may want to consider:
Don’t Drink Too Much Before Speed Dating. Many speed daters, especially first timers do have a drink or two to loosen up and to help them talk more freely with other speed daters. However, if you drink too much, get tipsy, or get drunk, nobody would want to meet you. You will only be making a nuisance of yourself if you’re drunk. If possible, don’t drink at all. If you’re sober, you can make good decisions, be more focused, and be able to make the best impression that you can in the limited amount of time given to meet and greet with other speed daters.
Do Relax And Be Yourself. It’s easy to get uptight especially when you are nervous. Just relax and be yourself. After the third or fourth “hello, how are you,” it takes quite an effort to seem interested and you will sound fake. Loosen up and enjoy the experience of meeting new people. You see, it is much easier to talk to someone when you are relaxed. Moreover, you can focus more on getting to know the person across you if you relax rather than thinking about how nervous you are.
Do Not Do All The Talking. Of course, how can you get to know other people if you do all the talking? Some people who feel nervous just rattle on and on but others might perceive it as conceit or as being preoccupied only with themselves. This is not a good impression to make. With that said, if you encounter somebody who does all the talking, do not let them. To have an equal opportunity to get to know each other, you would want to have an equal amount of talking.
Do Keep an Open Mind and Enjoy the Experience. Remember that when speed dating, not everybody participating in it is not in the same boat as you are. You may meet some weird people or those with offensive personalities but you also have the opportunity to meet some genuine people, even the special someone you have been waiting for. You can go with a bunch of friends to a speed dating event to help take the edge off.
…hope this is of some help,
Billy Baker
