Looking to start a relationship but you’re not sure where to meet singles? Well, the ideal solution for you could be giving virtual speed dating a try. Where not only can you meet lots of attractive and interesting singles all in one night – but you get to do it all from the comfort of your home as it’s all online!
To make sure you get the most out of your virtual speed dating events, though, you should know all about the etiquette that surrounds these types of dates. That way you’ll have the best chances of impressing your dates and making them more likely to match with you.
So, to help you out, here are our top tips on the best virtual dating etiquette:
1: Turn Up on Time
Just because you’re attending a virtual speed dating event, it doesn’t mean that you can turn up just on time or late. In fact, because you are just logging in from home, it makes it that much worse that you would turn up late – especially if you miss any dates.
So, always make sure you’re prepared for the event well in advance. That means giving yourself plenty of time to get ready and making sure your laptop is plugged in and ready to go.
2: Pick Somewhere Where You’re Alone
It’s hard to make sure that you’ll be totally alone in your home, especially if you have a flatmate or two. What you can do, though, is choose to attend the event from the privacy of your own room and let others know that you shouldn’t be disturbed.
If you choose to attend a virtual speed dating event when you have your friends over, who fancy listening in to what you and your dates are saying, this would be incredibly rude to those you’re meeting that night. So, don’t do it!
3: Turn Your Phone Off
Just because you’re not there in person, it can be tempting to sneakily have a quick look at those notifications on your phone. The problem is, you’re never as sneaky as you think you are, which means that your date has likely see what you’re up to – which they will likely find rather rude. Especially when your dates together are so short.
The same goes for getting phone calls during dates. It’s just off-putting so make sure that you keep your phone on silent and out of reach for the duration of your evening.
4: Attend All Your Dates
Of course you’re not going to feel an instant attraction to everyone that you get put with on a virtual speed dating night. Nor will all the singles find you attractive either. Good etiquette says that you should always give all of your dates your full attention without judging beforehand that you’ll never like them. Indeed, you might even surprise yourself at how much fun you have.
Whatever you do, though, you should never log out of a date just because you don’t think you’ll both be compatible. Remember, a speed date lasts for as little 4-5 minutes, so there is absolutely no need for you to leave early. Just smile, ask some questions and if you don’t like them, you don’t need to match with them afterwards.
5: Don’t Drink Too Much
As much as a drink or two can really help you have fun during your speed event dates, getting overly drunk is a total no-no. Just think yourself, would you like to date or chat to someone who is really drunk, making silly jokes and being a bit too rowdy? Of course not, so it’s good etiquette that you don’t do the same to your dates either.
So, have a drink if you like but also make sure that you have a big glass of water too.
6: Think Up Some Fun Questions for Your Dates
As easy as it would be to leave your dates to ask all the questions on your dates, it’s just good manners to think up some questions yourself and take some pressure off them. Plus, by making up your own questions, it gives you the perfect chance to find out some key information about singles to see if they might be someone you’d like to date.
7: Don’t Spend the Whole Date Talking About Yourself
True, you should take the opportunity to sell yourself on a speed date – particularly when you really want singles to match with you. Want you don’t want to do is get into your virtual meeting room and then just spend the entire 5 minutes talking about your life, job and interests without letting your date get a word in edgeways.
As, rather than encouraging your date to match with you, there far more likely to think you’re self-centred and will instead match with someone who took the time to ask them some questions about their lives too.
8: Dress Up for the Occasion
Yes, it’s a virtual date so it’s not quite the same as going for a date in person, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t dress up for the occasion. After all, you’re going to be on camera, so it makes sense that you put on your glad rags and really show yourself off to those you’re speaking to. Plus, it’s only polite when your date has made the effort too!