How to nail a virtual date

While lockdown restrictions and normalcy begin to creep back to normal, and we get excited about the prospect of going to a pub, cafe, or restaurant, we at Oneder believe virtual dates are here to stay to date smarter and more efficiently. We’ve all been there – arriving for a date IRL and knowing within a blink of an eye that this isn’t going to work but being too British to not sit through the next hour or so pretending to be engaged whilst thinking you could have been washing your hair.

Malcolm Gladwell explains this concept in his acclaimed book Blink that the subconscious recognizes patterns and connections — what we call a “gut feeling” — long before our brain. But we often don’t know how or why we know something. “Our unconscious reactions come out of a locked room, and we can’t look inside that room. Guided by experience a person can become an expert.”

Anyway enough about the science – here are some tips to help you nail virtual dates in the future….

Oneder’s top 5 tips

1. Dress to impress (well your top half anyway!)
Prepare for a virtual date like you would a real date – dress up, do your hair and put your makeup on

2. Keep it eye level
Set your laptop to eye level – stack it on books if required – this will avoid any double chins or unflattering angles

3. Light up light up
During daytime face a window and in the evening check your lighting for most flattering angles. If zooming don’t forget their “touch up my appearance” setting!

4. Conversation starters
It’s no bad thing to have some standard conversation starters up your sleeve for example
What have you missed most during lockdown?
What’s your opinion about ?
If you could jump on a plane right now where would you go?

5. Ice breakers
If chatting in the evening you can suggest having a drink together to break the ice.

If you’re not drinking, think about your location and background, art works and bookshelves are also great conversation starters or even go for a walk in the park to relax the vibe.