This week's top 5 dating tips for men

Dating can be a difficult and even nerve-wracking experience. This is especially true when it's the first date with a someone you've recently met, and even more so if you have been out of the dating scene for a while.

It's easy to feel under pressure to get things “right” on a date and impress the person you're with, and it's very hard to know how to actually do that. Here are five useful tips for men who want to make a success of their dates:

Be Yourself
This is one of the most basic and most common pieces of dating advice out there – but a lot of us are still very bad at following it when we date somebody new. Of course you can – in fact you should – make an effort and dress up a bit smarter than usual, and keep any annoying habits you know you have in check. However, you shouldn't put on a big show or try to be something you are not. If you can't be yourself with this person and still make a success of the date, then it wouldn't have worked in the end anyway.

Lay Off the Phone
It should go without saying that you shouldn't spend the date fiddling with your phone – though there are still guys out there who don't seem to have heard about that one. Go one further and switch the phone off, or at least put it on silent so that you will only pull it out if there is a genuine and relevant reason. Nothing spoils a romantic mood quite like the sudden intrusion of a ringtone.

Keep the Conversation Two-Sided
Some guys are so keen to make sure that they are interesting and entertaining company that they just keep talking and talking and talking. Others are so keen to make sure they take an interest in their date or simply so shy that they hardly say a word. If your date has one of the same problems, the situation can get even worse. Try to be conscious of how the conversation is going, and if necessary make a deliberate effort to keep it two-sided. Make sure you talk enough, but if your date hasn't said anything in a while or seems to be struggling, ask them a question to to turn the conversation their way then sit back to let them take control.

Be Sensible With Red Flags
If you have any red flags when it comes to dating, be sensible. This works both ways. Don't overreact to little things like small, annoying habits when your date otherwise seems like a great person. At the same time, if you see any really serious red flags that mean things are just not going to work, don't try to ignore them for the sake of good looks or a single shared interest.

Be Nice
Pretty much every man finds this easy enough when the date is going well, but what if it isn't? If you have not clicked with a person and you don't think that any further dates will work, this is no reason to cut things short or stop making an effort and certainly no reason to be rude. Enjoy their company, along with the food, film, or whatever else you are doing on the date, and then part on good terms.


Still looking to fix up that first date? Get yourself along to one of our dating events taking place across London almost every night of the week!