How to meet women and make the right impression

Meeting the right women in your everyday life can often feel somewhat challenging these days, between the increased demands of common work life and the feeling that it all feels a bit chaotic. Then there’s the notion that it’s not just asking how to meet women, but considering how to meet that one special woman that will hopefully change your luck in love and life.

The truth is the experience is always a little weird for both parties. Talking to a stranger is never easy. But that doesn’t mean it has to be uncomfortable or awkward. The perfect way to start is to find the best places to meet women, consider some tips for working on your confidence and approach, and ask why it’s sometimes a good idea to join many modern singles and take your search for love online.

Why does meeting women feel difficult sometimes?

Let’s just get the most common fear out of the way, complete rejection. It’s undoubtedly scary that you could approach a woman and she won’t want any kind of interaction at all. This is understandable as rejection can affect our sense of confidence with others and our general sense of self-worth. Often, we can see being alone or not trying as preferable to taking our chances, and having our egos wounded. You also want to be respectful and appropriate, only approaching women when they’re open to conversation or meeting someone, which can be hard to gauge just based at first glance.

This is where having a better sense of body language can reveal a lot about how socially open a woman is in any given situation. Having open posture or looking around the room can suggest a good time for an opener when it comes to how to meet women.

Context is also important. Do you think approaching them for a conversation feels natural at that time, or more like you are accosting them by surprise? You always want interactions to start on the right footing.  

Looking at how to attract women in a social setting but not come across as desperate or awkward? Here are some common spaces people meet. While we can’t promise you’ll find the right girl every time (although our tips below will certainly help your chances), these can be a good place to start.  

Nightlife

Let’s get the most obvious option out of the way. We’ve included nightlife because it’s important to be selective when looking at how to meet women in bars and clubs. If there’s a live band or specific DJ set list, chances are it will be too loud to have a decent conversation

Picking the right venue for your age range also helps. Chances are you may find it harder to meet your kind of singles if you’re in your 30s and going to dive bars. Also, it still accounts for 27% of how couples meet, according to Statista, one of the few courtship areas that hasn’t shrunk in the face of online dating’s popularity¹.

Dog parks

This option obviously only works if you yourself are a dog owner. But if you are, dog parks are a great space to meet people from all walks of life. They also tend to be more socially relaxed spaces as the main reason people are sitting around is so their pets can have a good time. 

So, this is idle time that you could fill with an interesting conversation or perhaps just a comment on their dog. It’s all about just getting the conversation started. So, try not to overthink your topic choice.  

Hobbies and classes

Taking a class, whether it’s your local college or a small pottery studio, is a great way to get in touch with new people if you’re wondering how to meet women and pick up a new skill along the way. Classes tend to be open, discursive spaces, so it’s a great way to get a basic idea of who your classmates are and if anyone may be compatible with you.

While couples don’t meet at school or college as much as they used to, it still accounts for 1-in-10 couples first connected. Though statistics aren’t that important, when it comes to the individual.

At a singles functions

Whether it’s your classic speed dating event or one of the more sophisticated singles events they often host these days, these are not only great for getting in touch with new people – but also honing your skills when it comes to considering how to start a conversation with a woman. 

Working on your confidence and becoming more comfortable with the idea of talking to women can help you take advantage of these opportunities that come along randomly in your everyday life. Regularly interacting with others can naturally boost your confidence over time².  

Volunteering

Volunteering may not immediately sound like a dating hotspot compared to these other options. But helping out with a cause that’s close to your heart is a great option when you’re wondering how to meet women who share your values and are interested in similar causes.

You get to give back to the issues that really mean something to you, which is always a nice benefit, beyond the dating opportunities it may offer. The key with many of these options is to not go in with too many expectations, apart from viewing these experiences as great opportunities to connect.   

The supermarket

Younger singles are increasingly meeting in more socially relaxed settings, something’s that often referred to as a meet-cute in modern dating. This has become particularly popular in big cities where the dating scene seems too intense and frantic.  

So, if you’re wondering how to find a good woman in this modern era of dating, she may be waiting for you, comparing avocados in the produce section. Once again, the key is to be relaxed in your approach. Try not to be all about finding a romantic opportunity, but treat your approach as a way to have a nice conversation and perhaps form new connections.

What are women attracted to? That’s a complex question and the answer likely varies wildly for each woman. But there are certainly ways to behave and small tips you can follow to improve your chances. 

Tune into their body language

A study found that 55% of all human communication is non-verbal³. That’s a huge realm of communication happening between two people before they even start having a proper conversation, and is a big part of how to meet women. As mentioned, look for open posture that’s open to being interacted with. This can include turning their body towards you while talking, nodding or tilting their head as you talk, and not crossing their arms.

But you should also try to project positive body language by maintaining proper eye contact, maintaining good posture and smiling gently as you speak. One of the most important things in talking to someone new is putting them at ease, which body language can help convey.  

Starting from the point of a stranger

Approach can be an important factor when it comes to how to meet women and make an impression, getting past those social self-defense mechanisms we often put up in modern society. Timing can be important here. You want to try and talk to them when it feels like a natural opening, not when they’re immersed in conversation with a friend.

Knowing how to approach a woman confidently and respectfully is key. A direct approach can often work, especially if you feel like their body language shows openness to conversation. Simply introduce yourself, and try for a different kind of opener that isn’t just asking them their profession – and see if you can build a rapport from there.

Practice confidence building techniques

It can sometimes feel like just walking up to a woman in your everyday life feels like too much of a leap of faith, but here are some basic exercises for learning how to be more confident:

• Challenge the negative voice in your head telling you these opportunities aren’t worth the emotional risk, when you know these ideas aren’t true.
• Surround yourself with people who support and see your true worth, not people who make you doubt it.
• The more you step outside your comfort zone, the more natural it will feel.
• Be kind to yourself. Even in the face of rejection. This is just a small bump along the road on. your journey to the right woman for you.

Be relaxed and authentic

Bringing a needy or anxious energy to a conversation with a woman can often be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s like you’re secretly telling her that you don’t believe in yourself or why you’ve begun this interaction, and this normally doesn’t end well, in any social context.

To calm down, remember you’re just having a conversation with someone and getting to know them. It could be a 5 minute one that goes nowhere, or it could be the beginning of something much bigger. But until you know, try not to make something more of it than merely the casual good intentions we all have in these situations.

Be respectful

You don’t need to study facts to know that being sexist or toxic to women during your conversation is a big red flag for most female singles. At the end of the day, despite whatever notions you both may hold of gender roles or traditional values, everyone wants to feel seen, heard and respected in a conversation, particularly when you’re trying to make a good impression.

Showing that you respect a woman and value her emotions in a situation tells them that, down the line, you’re more likely to be the kind of healthy, respectful partner that helps contribute to strong, enduring relationships.  

Be humble

Bragging excessively or generally being overly confident in an interaction can also scare people off when you’re finding out how to meet women. While women do enjoy charm and self-confidence, going too far in this area could tell them who would be the focus of the relationship in the future. Remember that you’re trying to build a real connection and that sometimes takes putting your ego aside, to truly see the other person.

How to meet women online

Meeting people online has increasingly become a good default answer to the question of, how do you meet a woman?, with over 39% of new couples having met on an online dating app or service⁴. So, let’s explore some tips for making your online dating journey a bit more successful and get you the kind of dates you’re looking for:

• Make sure you use recent photos with good lighting. Online daters can be very sensitive to deceptive photo techniques on a dating profile⁵.
• It’s not all about looks though, try to fill out your profile as much as you can so people can get a real sense of you and who you are beyond the profile.
• Some apps lean heavily towards male users – often at around 60% with increased app usage time – which can make things a bit harder. This just means you have to try a little harder to stand out from the crowd and also take the time to find the right app for your dating goals. The right woman will spot you in time.
• Try to be nice, polite but decisive when messaging women. You’re on a dating app so try not to be too coy and miss out on a potential dating opportunity. 

It’s important to be patient though. Finding just the right person for you can sometimes take a bit of work.

Try not to overthink how to meet women and enjoy the journey too

As you can tell, with all the different ways people can meet and connect these days – from meeting on a dating app to finding that special someone on a nature trail – the idea of how to meet women has become easier than ever. Because we as people are more connected than we ever have been.

So why not take advantage of that in your dating life? Start small, like perhaps having some small talk in line at a smoothie shop. It may not lead to anything, but you’ll grow more comfortable with the idea of starting conversations in life, and spotting connections, as you learn where to meet women that fit you.

Context and timing can also be very important, especially with modern ideas about approaching women. So try out the locations we mentioned, be polite, throw in a couple of jokes, remember to be respectful of their boundaries and also have fun. That’s what dating is about.