Guaranteed Ways To Screw Up A First Date (And What To Do Instead)

Congratulations! You have landed yourself a date, and whether she’ll turn out to be the woman of your dreams or not, you should make every effort to make sure the time with her goes well. After all, if you do screw things up, you might never get the opportunity to see her again!

To ensure you don’t make any blundersome errors, consider the following. These are all classic first date mistakes, and if you fall into any of them, you might only have yourself to blame if the lady you are meeting decides to blot you from her memory. 

These are the guaranteed ways to screw up the first date (with some tips on what to do instead).

#1: Turn up late

Don’t leave a girl standing! She won’t appreciate being kept waiting, and she will probably be more than a little disgruntled when you finally arrive. The bad mood she might be in won’t help your chances of a second date, as the tension in the air might scupper your chances of a friendly evening. 

Our advice? Make every effort to turn up on time. Set your alarm clock if you need to, and cancel any unimportant engagements you may have beforehand. Of course, things can go wrong – your car can break down or the bus could be late – so if you know you might be late, call ahead and let her know. She might be more tolerant if you have a valid excuse.

#2: Make no effort with your appearance

You don’t need to buy a new outfit for the occasion, but you do need to dress smartly. If you turn up in the clothes you have been lounging around in all day, or if you don’t bother to iron out the creases in your best suit, you will give off a terrible first impression. You will also create a bad first impression if you clearly haven’t showered, so be sure to focus on your hygiene when you’re preparing for your date too. Chances are, your date will have spent the day getting herself ready to look nice for you, so it would be an insult if you didn’t bother to make any effort at all.

Our advice? Follow our tips on how to dress to impress, get a shower and pick out your best scent, and wow your date with how good you look and smell. 

#3: Forget to compliment her

Assuming your date has made an effort with her appearance, it would be remiss of you not to compliment her in some way. It would also be foolish of you to say something negative about her appearance, be it the dress she is wearing or the way she has styled her hair. You don’t have to go overboard with gushing comments, but know that you might hurt her feelings if you have nothing positive to say.

Our advice? Just say something nice! But try to be sincere, so if something genuinely impresses you about her appearance, make the effort to mention it. You will make your date feel good about herself if you do, and if you have bothered to make the effort with your own appearance, you might get a compliment too. This is an excellent way for you both to break the ice.

#4: Spend the entirety of the date talking about yourself

We’re sure you’re a very interesting person! You might love nothing more than to regale others about your job, the hobbies you enjoy, and the other facets of your life that you think other people should be informed about. But if all you do is talk about yourself when you’re with your date, her eyes might start to glaze over. She might even stand up and walk out, as another minute listening to how great you are might be too much for her!

Our advice? There’s nothing wrong with talking about yourself, but there are limits! Wait until she has asked you a question about your life before sharing everything there is to know about you. And remember to ask her questions too. This is the time to find out more about her, as you will want some indication of your compatibility with your date. She will also appreciate the opportunity to be listened to! There is some advice on what to talk about with a girl, so have a read and check out any other tips that might improve your chances of a future relationship.

#5: Spend more time looking at your phone than your date

Yes, we know you might be desperate to hear about what your mates are getting up to on Facebook. And yes, we know you might start to suspect the world will end if you don’t answer every phone call, check every text, and tweet everything that is going on about your first date. But here’s the thing. On your date, you should only have eyes for the person you’re with and not on the screen in your hand. The only thing you will be tweeting is “She’s walked out on me” if you focus more on your phone, and the only texts you will start to receive will be ones from your mom in commiseration!

Our advice? If you aren’t expecting any urgent calls or messages, turn your phone off. You can always check your phone when your date has gone for a bathroom break. When you’re with her, give her your full concentration. She deserves to feel important, as if she doesn’t, you can guarantee that the messages she sends out on her phone won’t be very kind ones!

#6: Check out other women

Looking at your phone is a big no-no on a date, but checking out other women is even worse. If your date notices you eyeing up other women when you’re with her, you can expect a glass of water thrown in your face or a kick in the shins from beneath the table! Your date will feel less attractive if your eyes are constantly wandering, and she might assume that you aren’t really interested in her. Needless to say, your chances of a second date will be slim.

Our advice? We don’t need to give you any. You know the right thing to do already, so don’t mess things up. Even if you have decided mid-date that the person you are with isn’t for you, it would still be reprehensible of you to focus your attention on somebody else. 

#7: Push things too far

A first date is all about getting to know one another in a fun and friendly way. It’s not the platform to ask for her hand in marriage, and in most cases, it’s not the time to assume you are both going to hop into bed together afterward. If you push things too far with her, you might just scare her off. That would be a shame, especially if things had been going well before you decided to take things to the next level.

Our advice? Well, don’t declare your undying love for her, for starters. Yes, it might be love at first sight for you, but you need to give her a chance at getting to know you better first. Keep the M-word out of your mouth as well – nobody wants to talk about marriage on the first date. You absolutely shouldn’t try to drop any hints by showing her the men’s diamond engagement rings you’ve recently been looking at, and do not under any circumstances try to persuade her to elope with you. You might think this is incredibly romantic, but it’s a bit scary for the other person. After all, they barely know you, so don’t be too full-on with your feelings. And be mindful where sex is concerned. If a night of passion happens naturally, then fine. But don’t push the possibility, as your date might reject the idea and you if you push it at this early stage in your relationship. 

And so…

If you’re hoping for a second date, your chances might be blown if you make any of the first date mistakes we have mentioned. Heed the advice we have given, and you might improve your chances of a blossoming relationship!