This is the 3rd year I have been running Dare2Date and the No.1 question I get asked is does speed dating work!
My answer is YES it does and for many other reasons than simply meeting ‘the one’. Over the past 3 years there have been loads of people date each other, start an exculsive relationship and I know of 4 couples who have moved in together after meeting at a Dare2Date event. Two of those couples have been living together for 2 years. I even know of a couple expecting a baby; I am just waiting for a wedding!
The great thing about speed dating is you get to meet 10-12 single people in your age group; now how often do you get to meet and talk to 10-12 singles in a pub?
Some of the advantages of speed dating are:
- You get to meet people you wouldn’t meet anywhere else. Guys often tell me they meet amazing/beautiful girls at my events that they haven’t seen anywhere else. If you are in the habit of going to the same pubs you can meet the same people over and over again.
- Great for busy people. There is no need to go go through loads of internet dating profiles and then spend time emailing people you don’t even know if you will have chemistry with. There is also no need to waste hours in pubs trying to talk to people who are just not interested.
- Allows you to meet people face2face. Speed Dating gives you the fast pace of online dating with the benefit of meeting the people all in one go. Perfect way to see if there is any chemistry.
- Helps you work on the first impression you make with the opposite sex in a risk free setting (at speed dating no-one rejects you when you go up to them). The skill of making a great first impression is somthing all single people need to develop no matter what method of meeting people they chose.
- Helps you learn to trust your intuition when meeting other singles.
- If you go to speed dating with the right mindset, then the night is a lot of fun. By the right mindset I mean don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
The great thing about speed dating is you don’t need to go with a friend and believe it or not it is a great place to meet new single friends. I do tell people to come with realistic expectations and have fun. You get to meet 10-12 people and if you are lucky you will meet ‘the one’ but meeting the right person really is a numbers game and the more people you meet the more likely you are to meet the one. Also if you make new friends you have the benefit of expanding your social circle and meeting even more singles!
People also have to remember everyone’s experience of dating is different – this goes for both speed dating and internet dating. Some people meet the person of their dreams after going speed dating once or going on one internet date. Others may need to meet a lot more people before they have met the person that fits them perfectly.
People coming to speed dating often worry about the pressure of meeting and talking to singles but no matter what method of dating you chose you will have to face this fear. Speed dating is a great place to practice your dating skills in a relatively safe environment, like I said before no-one will tell you not to talk to them. I have found the people who are not initially successful just need to work on these skills and they end up being successful the next time.
Now I recommend you come ‘well groomed’ (I hate that expression but it paints the picture) and try to make conversation without talking about yourself too much.
For more tips on what to ask at speed dating read Help I am Going Speed Dating what do I ask? https://dare2date.com.au/?p=876 and Is it Possible to Click in 5 Minutes? https://dare2date.com.au/?p=935
Anyway speed dating really does work – so why not give it a go?
By Debbie Rivers
