COMMUNICATION: How To Flirt, Start Conversations And Keep Them Going? The Art Of Succesful Flirting and Dating

Don’t − − − − − − − − − − Fold your arms. This gives the impression you’re closed, distant or uncomfortable. Use pick-up lines. They are insincere, unoriginal and make the ‘flirtee’ feel as if they’re being played. A simple ‘Hello, I’m Mike’ will do nicely. Put yourself down. Accept all compliments with modesty and grace. If you don’t like yourself, how can you expect anyone else to? Take rejection personally. Sometimes you will hit it off, many times you’ll be turned down. If it doesn’t work out, move on. Use chat up lines. Fact: they don’t work. Fidget. And men, never ever stand jiggling the contents of your pockets. It’s frankly disturbing. Cross your arms in front of your chest. It immediately implies you’re on the defensive. Look down when you’re speaking or you’ll come across as shifty and paranoid. Punctuate sentences with ‘y’know’ or nervous ‘huh’ sounds. It smacks of a total lack of confidence. Bite nails, pick at cuticles or heaven forbid scrape the dirt from beneath the tips. When good flirting goes bad Now that you are a super-flirt, don’t think that the first person to fall for your new-found charms will automatically be The One. As the most experienced fisherman will tell you, when it comes to releasing a throwback, the key phrase is ‘gently does it’ Nicci, a happy-to-be-single, admits that she’ll usually just lie. ‘I’ve been known to invent a boyfriend and occasionally give out the wrong phone number so I don’t have to fend off unwanted calls later on.’ Her flatmate Samantha is more direct, saying, ‘Most people can tell when there isn’t a spark, but for those who can’t, I just tell them straight. Usually, it’s along the lines of “you seem like a really great guy, but I’m just not feeling a connection, so it’s best we don’t pursue it.” (Ouch.) Ultimately, make sure that whichever method you choose to dismiss unwanted attention (even if it is in the form of the worst pick-up line ever), don’t humiliate or publicly embarrass your would-be suitor especially since the more suitable candidates will get the impression you are completely unapproachable. Flirting=fun Ultimately, flirting isn’t really about how you look, act or what you say, but more about how you make the other person feel. With realistic expectations and a little bit of chutzpah, you will find that meeting new people and making some friends is easy as well as fun. So get on out there, shake your tail feathers and don’t forget to smile! Flirting floparoos ClubCard readers reveal some of the dodgiest pick-up lines they have ever heard. ‘Those must be mirror pants, ‘cos I can totally see myself in them’ was pretty presumptuous. Claire, student ‘Can I buy you a drink or would you rather have the money?’ The cheek! Patsy, estate agent ‘You sure must be tired, ‘cos you’ve been running through my mind all night.’ Can you say unoriginal de luxe? Deepah, accountant ‘You must be a Jamaican ‘cos Jamaican me crazy!’ Yawn…Lauren, personal trainer ‘So I noticed you’re a girl…’ Um, ja?! Kim, human resources manager

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