The modes of picking up a person vary by age group and by venue, but there are some good dating advice and rules that everyone should abide by. For simplicity's sake, let's take a look at a pick-up in a grocery store. Here's a modern meeting place that's rife with singles, teeming with aphrodisiacs like chocolate and fruit, and well-stocked with all sorts of conversation starters.
• Once you spot the person you'd like to approach, assess his basket to ascertain his availability. Baby food? Step off the trail. Individual servings of string cheese and baby carrots? These could be for a kid—but they could also be for his own brown-bag lunches. Proceed with caution.
• Make eye contact, and gauge his level of interest by his reaction. If he holds your gaze, or if he looks down at his basket and then up again, feel free to proceed. If he studiously examines a pile of cantaloupes, prepare to meet with some resistance.
• Use this time to devise a decent opening line—all you need is something inoffensive that's going to garner a response. The desired response is laughter and/or interest as opposed to eye rolling or a slap across the face.
• Don't let too much time pass before you make your move. The longer you lag, the more likely it is that he'll move on to the frozen foods aisle, where a more toothsome, more aggressive suitor might be waiting to try his luck.
• Once you've made the first step in his direction, do not falter. Be swift and sure in your walk and your posture—shoulders back, head held high, hands pumping purposefully at your sides.
• As you deliver your opening line, reach down to the lower registers of your voice and make eye contact.
• If you're met with silence or a brush-off, do not stay and beg. Wish her a good day and retreat. If nothing else, this episode is good practice for the next time you spot a looker in the citrus section.
Jodie Brittain is the CEO of Australian Online Dating Service Slinky - the Aussie-only Dating site for men and women looking for great friends and genuine relationships. Join Slinky Online Dating for Free!
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