Speed Dating Tips

Here's a quick and easy to follow list of speed dating tips to help make your first or next event more successful. A list of the best places to go, advice on how to get more matches and the pros and cons of speed dating.

Pro's & Con's of Speed Dating

Good Reasons to Speed Date

1. Lots of dates - where else can you get 20 or 30 dates in one evening?
   

2. Time efficient - First impressions really do count. It only takes a few seconds to know if they're potential partner material or not. And you have the ideal excuse to move on if you don't want to take it any further.

3. Everyone's looking for a date - There's no need to wonder if they have a girlfriend or boyfriend already.

Disadvantages of Speed Dating

1. No choice - There is no pre-selection. In any 'normal' dating situation you'd get to establish there's at least a bit of chemistry between the two of you before you begin to speak. Not the case here.

2. It's scary! - To start with at least. Particularly going along to your first event. Take a friend or two to help get you through that first event.

3. It's difficult to be you - With only 3 minutes or so, it can be difficult to let the real you shine through. If you end up trying too hard to win dates, you'll be doing yourself a lot more harm than good.

Top Speed Dating Venues

Who runs the best speed dating events?

Well, the important thing with speed dating is to be able to get easy access to events. So the companies that run the most events are often the best to go to. More events means more potential dates.

Here are the biggest and best speed dating services in your area:

Speed Dating UK

1. Speeddater

2. Slowdating

3. Xfactordates

USA/Canada

1. HurryDate

2. Pre-dating

3. 8minutedating

International

1. Speeddater

Speed Dating Tips to Get You More Matches

So you've decided you're going. You want some speed dating tips...

How do you get more matches? And what do you avoid doing (unless you think the TV's particularly good this week and you just want some quiet time to yourself!)

Do:

• Work out some good questions before turning up
• Dress well - Not tarty. Not tatty. Think quality and you'll be about right.
• Take a friend for support if it's your first time
• Remember you're only aiming for a 2nd date - not marriage. So don't make it a bigger deal in your head than it really is
• Admit your fears - it can be endearing if you tell your partner it's your first time. If that's the only thing that comes into your head in the conversation, feel free to share it. However if it's your 37th time - it won't work!

Don't:

• Date with your friend sitting next to you - the temptation to listen in and chat with them will be a distraction. And your partners will not thank you for it.
• Get drunk! No matter how amusing you think you are - you ain't!
• Expect them to do the work - There's 2 people sitting at the table. You need to hold up your end of the conversation - even if you decided before you sat down that it wasn't going anywhere
• Be nasty - Even if you feel like they're doing it to you, you never know who their friends are. The gorgeous guy or girl you meet 3 dates later may well be their best mate - and they will compare notes on you.
• Compare numbers of matches with your friends - You and your friends are different. Sure, if your numbers are low and stay low you may want to get more advice. Dating is not a popularity contest. You're better off with a handful of right dates than 100 wrong ones. Be glad that you haven't wasted your time with those you don't get a match with.

If you'd like more speed dating tips to help you get more matches, I'd recommend this book. It's not all about speed dating but it does give you 9 pages of advice on how to improve your dating and the fun you'll have. The remainder of the book covers how to find your Mr. Right - in a lot of detail!