Unfortunately, you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Most girls on the dating scene won’t make time for a second date with someone they weren’t impressed by on the first.
This raises the stakes for a first date considerably, because, to put it bluntly, it is now or never.
Dates are unpredictable, and no matter how well you prep for a first date or how polite and accommodating you are, they may still flop.
If a date goes well has much more to do with compatibility than anything else.
That said, it doesn’t hurt to give yourself the best chance to win over the girl you’re meeting by following these 22 helpful tips.
22 Ways to impress a girl on a first date
- Choose an interesting restaurant, bar, or activity
- Confirm the date in advance
- Be on time (or a little early)
- Shower beforehand and dress well
- Greet her with confidence
- Compliment her appearance and outfit when you see her
- Be clear and assertive
- Appear comfortable in your surroundings
- Be polite to the people around you
- Don’t brag
- Tell her what you are passionate about
- Tell her about your career and plans
- Tell good stories
- Prepare a few topics of conversation in advance
- Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself
- Ask her questions about her life
- Pay attention when she talks
- Don’t shy away from physical contact
- Be clear about what you are looking for in a relationship
- Ask her on a second date if you want to
- Ask her if she wants you to walk or drive her home
- Lean in for a kiss (if it feels right)
How to impress a girl on the first date
The most important thing on any date is that you are kind, genuine, and honest.
Give the girl you’re meeting the chance to get to know the real you and to see whether you could spark a connection.
In many ways, going on a date with a girl is giving her a crash course in all things you.
You are essentially showing her what her life could look like if she chooses to continue dating you.
If you want to impress her, you should spend a few minutes thinking about how best to make being part of your life sound desirable.
All these tips will help you to honestly present yourself and your circumstances in the best light.
1. Choose an interesting restaurant, bar, or activity
Doing exciting things helps keep the spark alive in long-term relationships.
If you are going on a first date with a girl, choose somewhere unusual or fancy to show her that you value out of the ordinary experiences.
Many relationships struggle once they have left the honeymoon period, because couples fall into routines that eventually become ruts.
Showing your date that you are the kind of partner who values nice places and unusual experiences will surely impress her and increase her likelihood her saying yes when you ask for a second date.
2. Confirm the date in advance
No matter how many days in advance you ask for a date, it is always a good idea to confirm your arrangements closer to the time.
While you might have provisionally told one another that you’d go for an 8 o’clock dinner at the local pizzeria on Thursday, check in 24 hours prior and say something like, “Are we still on for this Thursday at 8 at Mario’s? I’ve been looking forward to getting to know you better ☺”
3. Be on time (or a little early)
There is nothing less impressive than bad timekeeping.
If you’ve left a girl waiting in front of a restaurant for twenty minutes, the chances she will say no to a second date are pretty good.
To show your date the respect she deserves, arrive at your designated meeting place at least five minutes before the scheduled time.
4. Shower beforehand and dress well
People say “Dress to impress” for a reason. And beyond wanting to look your best for your date, it is also just a mark of respect to show up clean and wearing appropriate clothing.
What that clothing is will of course depend on the formality of your date and what you’re doing.
If you’re a man going to a fine dining restaurant, wear a collared shirt, a blazer, and appropriate formal trousers and shoes.
However, if you are going rock climbing, you will obviously want to wear light, sporty clothing.
Just make sure that whatever activity you are doing, your appearance is clean, presentable, and appropriate.
Looks obviously aren’t everything, but most straight girls value knowing that the man they are dating can clean up reasonably well and knows how to take care of themselves.
5. Greet her with confidence
Greet a girl on a first date by approaching her confidently. Depending on how well you know her, you can either hug her, shake her hand, or simply greet her verbally.
The most important thing is that you are not awkward on a date and that you appear comfortable with your choice of greeting.
6. Compliment her appearance and outfit when you see her
The one of the five love languages that almost all girls appreciate is “words of affirmation.” I mean, who doesn’t like to be told nice things about themselves?
It is gentlemanly to compliment a girl on her appearance on a date, so if you are struck by how beautiful she looks, don’t be afraid to tell her.
It will surely make her smile.
7. Be clear and assertive
Most girls aren’t hugely attracted to someone who “mms and aahs” back and forth and doesn’t know how to be decisive.
Be clear and assertive about what you want to do while on a date—in terms of everything from what wine you like to which table you want to sit at.
Obviously consult your date but have a clear opinion on the issue and don’t let things devolve into the “Oh, I don’t know, I mean, whatever you want,” back-and-forth situation.
8. Appear comfortable in your surroundings
This tip for how to impress a date requires good preparation.
Basically, don’t take a girl to a Michelin-star restaurant if the whole experience is going to make you hugely uncomfortable and awkward.
Choose a venue for a date when you will feel at ease. If you are on edge, it will interfere with your ability to genuinely connect with your date.
Plus, someone who seems uncomfortable is not impressive.
9. Be polite to the people around you
No matter what you decide to do on your date, treat everyone around you politely.
Show kindness and compassion to the people around you and be respectful to the people serving you.
Your date will surely be turned off if you treat people you perceive to be beneath you with disdain.
10. Don’t brag
When you’re trying to show someone that you are a viable future partner, you may want to tell them about all your good qualities, your excellent financial position, or anything else that you think is objectively impressive.
It cannot be stressed enough: don’t do this!
No one likes a braggart. Particularly if you are dating a smart girl, she will see through your act immediately and will probably just assume you are a bit insecure.
Instead, tell her about your successes in the context of telling her other things about your life.
Bring them up organically so that it doesn’t seem like you are trying to win her over by telling her how great you are.
11. Tell her what you are passionate about
Ambition and passion are highly attractive qualities in a partner.
It is beautiful and inspiring to see someone’s eyes light up when they get excited talking about something they care about.
Whatever it is you care about, be that environmental activism, your career, or your favorite NFL team, showing genuine care and enthusiasm for something will impress your date.
There is nothing worse than sitting across the table from someone on a first date who seems to have no passionate interest in anything.
Most girls would rather figure out how to date a guy who is busy all the time than to be with someone who is permanently stuck to the couch.
So don’t be afraid to show your date your passion—she’ll like to see it!
12. Tell her about your career and plans
While you don’t have to outline your whole five-year career plan for a date the first time you meet her, giving her some indication of what you do for work and where you see yourself going professionally.
This will give her a rough picture of that part of your life so she can assess whether it is compatible with hers.
While professional achievement is not necessary for a girl to want to date you, it is certainly impressive.
Demonstrating that you have a career plan and know where you’re going, no matter what direction that is, is a definite turn on.
13. Tell good stories
There are few things as impressive as good storytelling.
Being able to construct a narrative effectively and bring things to an exciting conclusion is a skill not everyone possesses.
If you can keep your date on the edge of her seat while you tell her about your life, you’ve already won.
You will definitely have impressed her, and it is highly likely she will be wondering how soon your second date can be.
14. Prepare a few topics of conversation in advance
While you don’t need to write out a script for your date before you even go on it, it is a good idea to keep in mind a few of the topics you’ve discussed before—whether on a dating app chat or in person.
Just knowing that you have something you can bring up in the event of an awkward silence can help you feel more relaxed.
Being able to keep a conversation flowing is an impressive quality in a date, and one the girl you’re seeing will no doubt appreciate.
15. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself
Someone who can laugh at themselves is great company.
Being able to make jokes at your own expense shows that you don’t take yourself too seriously, and that you have a lighthearted approach to life.
This will be very impressive to any girl who values a good sense of humor.
16. Ask her questions about her life
Girls are not impressed by dates who don’t let them get a word in edgewise.
In fact, if you are having a conversation with someone, you should both be speaking approximately fifty percent of the time.
Really think about that next time you sit down across from a date.
Make sure you are engaging your date in the conversation by asking her to open up about her life and interests.
17. Pay attention when she talks
And, after you have asked those questions, don’t just sit there blankly thinking your work is done. Make sure you are genuinely listening to her responses, and to what she says in general.
Down the road, you can impress her by referring to something she said on your first date—clear evidence that you were really listening to her from day one.
18. Don’t shy away from physical contact
Girls like it when the person they’re seeing isn’t afraid to take control.
This doesn’t mean you should be overly physical, but if you can feel that your date is into you, don’t be afraid to touch her shoulder affectionately or brush her knee under the table.
19. Be clear about what you are looking for in a relationship
Being clear about what you do and don’t want in a romantic partner is impressive to a date.
It shows that you are not just there to please them by saying all the right things, but rather that you know what you are looking for and what you want and that you won’t be swayed from your convictions.
That kind of clarity is extremely attractive to most women.
20. Ask her on a second date if you want to
If you know you want to see the girl you are on a first date with again, ask her out on a second date.
Don’t feel like you should hold back before asking or wait three days after the first date.
If you are clear in your own mind that you think she’s interesting and you would enjoy getting to know her better, then tell her this.
21. Ask her if she wants you to walk or drive her home
While she may be just fine taking the bus home or driving herself, asking whether she needs any assistance getting home is a nice, chivalrous gesture that will impress most girls.
It conveys care for her safety and wellbeing, and this will not go unnoticed.
22. Lean in for a kiss (if it feels right)
If you reach the end of the night and everything has just fallen into place, don’t be scared to kiss her.
If you sense that your date is as interested in you as you are in her, impress her by confidently leaning in for a kiss.
Hey, it’s me, Steven. Dating and relationships have always fascinated me. On Dategosu, you will find my best tips to make sure your next date is a great success!