'How do I stand out from 20 dates back to back'
This is a thought that will cross your mind before you attend a speed dating event, along with what questions do I ask, what will I say and do I hug or shake hands.
The thing with speed dating is you're meeting a lot of people in one night, so while every date is a different person your conversations aren't necessarily going to be. You have to remember at the same time your meeting someone new, they will also have another date straight after you.
This is where people go wrong and while the time old question of 'What do you do for work?' may get you a different response from person to person but for those people it's the 8th, 14th, 19th time they have been asked this question. Therefore they end up speaking about work all night and each date blurs into one, as a result you become lost amongst the crowd.
So how do you stand out from the other dates?
The answer to this lies in the questions you ask but 'what questions do you ask?' I hear you say and the answer to this is twofold. What you want to find out about them and what you want them to think about you.
Let's say you're a fun person looking for another fun person, then maybe asking something like - 'if you could be a piece of furniture what would you be and why? - might be the random off the wall question that would show you for who you are and find out about them, at the same time. If they found this fun and engaged with this style of question, that's a win.
It's best to be honest with yourself about who you are and what you're looking for because this question could backfire if you were the serious type, as it might go against the grain.
Here's some examples of questions to ask speed dating and I've grouped them into categories for you.
Fun questions.
-Do you have a weird celebrity crush?
-What was the most inappropriate moment you ever found funny?
-What's in your fridge right now?
-What's the best/worst chat up line you've used/heard?
-Have you ever done a prank call?
Questions to get to know someone.
-What's your guilty pleasure?
-Are you a morning or a night person?
-What was the first album you ever owned?
-Name 3 things you can't live without?
-What's the last film you watched that made you cry?
Questions that are potentially more telling. (DEEP)
-What's your biggest regret?
-Name 3 of your fears.
-What one word would other people use to describe you?
-What's the first thing you notice when you meet someone new?
-For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
As you can see from the examples above, you can learn a lot about a person without having to know what they do for a living and also find out whether you two get along.
Again I wouldn't use them all on every date or always use a small handful but I hope these examples inspire you. I'm sure you could come up with a lot more creative questions and ones more tailored to yourself.
So how do we stand out from the crowd – ask interesting questions and you'll get interesting answers.
Stuart is the Business Development Director for Original Dating and has been a regular host for many years, making him an expert in the field of offline dating. Watch out for his regular posts full of dating tips and advice.