Nailing The First Impression

That’s it! You’ve done it! You’ve successfully weeded through all of the creeps, weirdos, and catfish that you matched with to find a semi-normal human being out there in the online dating universe. You are now well on your way to finding love in NYC. Congratulations, you’ve made it further than most. Now it’s time to take your dating to the next level and go out IRL, and you don’t need an expert matchmaker to tell you that making a good first impression is the most important part of meeting up. Here are a few quick tips for nailing the first impression.

Picking a place to meet can be difficult. The location you suggest can say a lot about you before you and your match meet. With that in mind, try to choose somewhere between your two locations that you wouldn’t be ashamed to be associated with. Remember, the decor, clientele, and menu prices will reflect on you.

Guys, make sure to show up exactly on time, if not five minutes early. Girls, be sure not to show up more than three minutes late, if not exactly on time. Timeliness shows that you respect the other person. Especially if you’re dating in NYC, it’s always better to be too early and wait in the coffee shop across the street than to rush in thirty minutes late because of traffic only to find their seat has been vacated–or worse, filled by someone else.

Any expert matchmaker will tell you appearances matter. The first thing someone sees is what you’re wearing. Your clothes and how you put them together say a lot about you that you don’t realize. Ladies, six inch heels and leather pants can scream “high maintenance” while guys, a beanie and flannel may proclaim “freelancing hipster.” So if that’s the statement you’re looking to make, by all means go for it but be aware of what your clothes say about you.

Most importantly, have fun and smile! The best way to make a first impression is to allow your most positive attitude to shine through. Even if you make the other person travel across town, show up late, and look like a bum, any date can be saved by a sense of humor and a winning personality. People like people who are enjoyable to be around, it’s as simple as that.

Written by Joyce Cohen