If you're ready to get out there and give your flirting skills a go, there are a number of things that you'll need to remember before you get started:
Do:
- Learn to like yourself so that you can learn to accept compliments with grace and without putting yourself down. Our sections on Confidence and Self-Esteem have some great tips and advice for you to look through.
- Practise smiling and paying compliments to people.
- Maintain playful eye contact.
- Show that you're optimistic; try to think of the positive things in your life, not the negative.
- Accept that not everyone is going to like you and you may get knockbacks along the way. Hold your head up high and move on. Remember that we all make mistakes, and flirting, just like any other skill, takes time and practise to refine.
Don't:
- Invade someone's personal space - by all means lean in a little, but not so far that they feel trapped.
- Be sarcastic or rude - it's not attractive.
- Act miserable, bored, ditzy or snooty.
- Stare unblinkingly when maintaining eye contact.
- Look over their shoulder when talking.
- Be too keen, too fast. It's off-putting and reeks of desperation.
- Don't ignore the signals - if they're not interested, move on.
