Well done lads – you’ve given those thumbs a work out and perfected the art of swiping left and right.  And for some lucky ladies out there, it’s a mutual match.  But wait, your job is not done just yet.  The fun is not supposed to lay in the swiping, it’s in the thought of meeting someone that could be the perfect catch of course!  But if you are on Tinder merely for ego boosting purposes; my apologies for the rude interruption –you may swiftly return to the swipe!

But for the Tinder men with substance; the one’s excited about meeting the real deal aka a woman, here’s some feedback from ‘Tinder Women’ to go from a simple swipe to the real world.

 Tip No. 1 – Start a conversation

I know it’s so 1980’s, but today’s women are waiting for men to make the first move.  The truth be known we need you men to make us feel a little special and that is simply by you being the generator of the conversation.  So don’t be shy and get in touch.  Tinder even provides some fantastic opening lines that are full of wit and cheekiness. And hey, if they don’t go down so well you, can always blame Tinder for the bad opener.

Tip No. 2 – “Hi” It’s Just Lazy

That’s all you’ve got? Frankly that’s just lazy and un-engaging!  Hi? Uh.. Bye! Come on gents; you can do better than that, we believe in you! If you can’t open with more than a Hi then you should go back to your thumb work outs and keep swiping.

If you are not a fan of using the Tinder suggested openers, topics, simple opening lines can be ‘how was your weekend’, what’s 2 amazing things about you that only your close friends know, what’s your favourite sport / hobby / restaurant / bar etc… Hey even a ‘what’s the plans this weekend?’ will take you a lot further than a ‘Hi’!

Tip No. 3 – How to Engage in Messaging

You send a message. Wait for it… she responds…you respond… she doesn’t respond for a few hours and you keep sending messages. Tread lightly, this is a delicate balance. More than 3 of these messages without a response and you can be sure we have put you into the dark and unfortunate ‘Weird Tinder Stalker’ category and will shortly be blocking you after declaring to our girlfriends ‘I have a tinder stalker’.  True Story!

Tip No 4 – Ask Questions

Perfecting the art of conversation via message is never easy as there is no tone and no emotion.  However a good indication of a conversation that is flowing and progressing is questions being asked by both parties.  Answering a woman’s question without a follow up question leaves her doing all the work.  It should be a two way engagement here – 1 for 1, back and forth. Everyone loves chatting about themselves, let us have a go!

Tip No. 5 – Progression

Real life is not is not through your Smart phone.  Real life occurs when you interact with a human being and have a conversation.  Now that’s been clarified, the purpose is to progress the online message and move it to a date as soon as respectfully possible.

Some tips on the progression – you should know some vital information about your potential date e.g. their name is a no-brainer (though Tinder does help you out there), find some of their interests, establish a common ground and an understanding; find your have shared interests.

Tip No. 6 – Set up a Date

Simply ask the question.  ‘Would you be interested in catching up?’ – Now that didn’t hurt did it?

I strongly recommend that you do not organise your date through Tinder.  At a minimum you should exchange numbers.  For men with balls; call her and find out a little bit about her. Find out when would be a mutually convenient time to catch up. Use what you know to suggest something you both might enjoy.  Details from there can be confirmed via text but you should aim to at least chat prior to meeting.

Tip No 7.  Date Night is set

Do not abuse the use of their number.  You have not met yet and it would be wise not to ‘over text’ your new date prior to meeting them.  This can result in the opposite effect and you may find them cancelling the date for ‘a friend’s birthday party I completely forgot about, sorry!’

Voila!  It’s that easy to progress from chatting to meeting.  Generally, chatting online should not extend to over a 2 week period, you may find yourself falling into the ‘nice to chat to online’ category; the chances for you aren’t too bright from there I’m afraid.

Tinder is fun and certainly addictive.  If you are in it to meet someone, follow our Top Tinder Tips and you’ll be making your way from the swipe of a photo to the first date in no time!