Making a great first impression

They say that first impressions count – and that’s certainly what we heard from over 45% of the 1,000 single women we questioned in a recent survey around their attitudes towards first dates.

And to mark the most romantic time of the year, we’ve created the ultimate guide to making sure that your all-important first date doesn’t turn out to be your last.

So, as they might say on Take Me Out, let the whistle see the flute!

Suit Yourself

You might think that your best suit is best kept for an interview or for a friend’s wedding but it’s certain to be a big hit with the ladies. Not only did over 20% of them think that it shows you’ve got a good job and are successful in your career, a huge 72% thought it would prove that you care about making a good impression.

So before you even open your mouth, you’re already off to a flying start.

Be Prepared

It’s one thing being all suited and booted but you should still pay attention to some of the smaller details, too; like making sure your hair’s looking great and you’ve splashed on some nice-smelling aftershave. In fact, 41% of the women we talked to said that they expect their date to spend over an hour getting ready for a date.

Teeth and smile were also an important factor for our respondents. A quick brushing, and even a flossing if you’re really keen to make a great impression wouldn’t go amiss.

Talk The Talk

So now you’re looking good and generating the impression of a man who’s confident and knows what he wants from life. Now it’s time to seal the deal with some silver-tongued charm.

39% of the women told us that it was very important that their date could make conversation with them. So make sure you’ve got some topics up your sleeve just in case there are any long and awkward silences in the chat (whilst trying to avoid boring them).

Learn From Others’ Experience

We also thought it would be useful to find out some of the biggest turn-offs and here’s what we suggest you don’t do based on some people’s most disastrous dating experiences.

• – Don’t turn up with your mum, or any member of your family for that matter.
• – Don’t complain about the restaurant’s prices being too expensive, even if they are.
• – Don’t pay for the meal with discount vouchers.
• – Avoid talking about ex-partners. It never goes down well!

So there you are – some sure-fire tips about how to get things off to a great start – and how to avoid a dating disaster.