10 Sure-fire Ways to Make a Good Impression on a First Date

You’re here because you want to know how to make a good first impression on a date.

That’s wonderful. It shows that you are respectful enough to do your due diligence on how to make a good first impression and you care about the person you’re going on a date with.

Your first date is absolutely vital and will directly correlate with whether or not you two will go on another.

That’s why we’re going to go over all things relating to how to make a good first impression on a date in 2019.

How to Make a Good First Impression on a Date

If you want to make a good first impression, here are the boxes you’ll need to check off.

Alright, let’s not beat around the bush any longer. You’ve got a date soon and we have a lot to go over.

Without further ado, let’s jump right into it.

How to Make a Good First Impression on a Girl

Now that the date is set, it’s time to ace that first impression.

Here are 10 tips from women for men on how to make a good first impression on a girl.

Present Your Best Self

When you’re about to go to an interview, you always make sure you’re well-groomed, have a nice hair cut, and wear a nice outfit.

Think of this first date kind of like an interview.

You want to make sure you ace the first impression, and a huge part of the first impression is up to the eyes.

She’s going to take one look at you, and within 7 seconds, without you even saying a word, she’ll have her opinion about you formed.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to wear a suit and tie.

This just means that you should make sure you’re being the best version of yourself.

And if you’re wondering what you should wear, Cosmopolitan was saying you should wear bright colors that stand out.

This is because most everyone wears neutrals and by wearing something bright, you seem fun and confident.

We have an entire guide dedicated to men to help them choose a great first date outfit.

Drink a coffee before-hand to make sure you have some extra energy, wear your favorite shirt and some clean shoes.

Brush your teeth, fix your hair, take a shower, and use some mouth wash right before meeting her.

Trust me, you’ll thank me later. And she’ll probably thank me for this piece of advice as well.

Have a Plan

If you asked her on the date and came up with the plans, then you’re responsible for the good time.

Your plan doesn’t have to be set in stone where you have to do exactly what you planned to do.

But, first dates are already awkward and difficult enough. Don’t complicate things by not knowing what you want to do.

The worst thing is meeting together and asking “where do you want to go?” and her replying, “I don’t know, where do you want to go?” and keep going back and forth like that.

So think of something you’d like to do and either present options, or just go with the flow of what you planned for.

We have some date ideas coming up for you in the next section.

Do Something Interactive

Dinner and a movie can be basic for a first date.

And I know you want to make a good first impression on this date.

So, to avoid any awkward silence, you can definitely do something interactive.

For example, if you’re going on a date during the fall, look for a fall festival in your town. Go walking around and play carnival games.

If it’s wintertime, go to the Christmas fair or ice skating. If she’s into it, and if you’re into it, maybe you guys can go on a skiing adventure.

Summertime is perfect for a homemade meal and picnic next to the lake.

There are loads of things for you to do, that aren’t expensive but create beautiful memories.

You want to stand out from all of the people who took her on dates before you, so avoid the basic things and remember: Google is your friend.

Always look around for your town’s little events or look up some cool date ideas on Pinterest!

Don’t Be Late

Now listen: this is so important.

Your actions speak louder than your words.

You do not, under any circumstances, want to be late on your first date.

You may not be thinking this, but by being late, you’re telling her that she wasn’t worth the planning and time-prioritization.

We women are very good at reading into things, and although you may not mean it, when you’re flustered and late, and we’re looking around for you outside of the restaurant, we’re about to start things off on the wrong foot.

And being your first date, you don’t want to start off on the wrong foot.

You want to be there 3-5 minutes early. This makes you look responsible, says that you cared enough to be there on time, early even.

And you get a few extra minutes to check on your outfit and hair. It’s a win-win.

Communicate

Communication is key. We’ve all heard of that one before.

And of course, if you must absolutely be late to your first date, and there’s no way that you can make it on time, then you need to communicate with your date.

And don’t just text them. Call them.

By calling, you’re showing major respect. If you just shoot a text saying, “sorry, going to be late.”, that might not make the cut.

Call them, let them know about the change of plans and if they’re okay with it, and talk about the new details of the date.

There’s still time to make up for being late, but only if you let them know in advance.

So basically, communicate.

Ask Good Questions

No one wants to be on an awkward date. Neither you nor her.

But sometimes, people just don’t know what to say.

Whether you’re naturally a conversation starter or not, you can prepare yourself in advance.

We have a whole comprehensive list of questions to ask on a first date, dedicated entirely to you and your date having a good time and learning about each other.

Some good things to talk about on a date include hobbies, favorite places to visit, favorite childhood memory, favorite food, a fictional place they’d like to visit, and future plans.

Some terrible topics to talk about that could severely ruin your evening beyond repair: talking about your ex, bragging about finances, talking about politics, constantly complaining.

Talk about happy things, or use some of our first date questions to lighten up the mood!

Be Polite

This absolutely goes for everyone, but there are a few things that a man can do that are very kind.

For example, when walking on the street, you can stay on the side closest to the street to protect her. You can open a door for her and pull out her chair at the table.

That is, of course, if she wants you to. Pick up on social cues and follow accordingly.

Give Her a Compliment

Everyone likes to be told they’re doing a good job and receive a warm-hearted complement.

When you see her, you can tell her she looks beautiful.

But compliments extend way beyond physical appearance.

While you’re on your date and you two are having a great conversation, you can tell her how intelligent she is or how much you appreciate her listening to you.

There are so many things you can notice and compliment a person on.

As much as a person may like to be told how beautiful they look, making a compliment about who they are can be much more valuable.

Make Good Eye Contact

Throughout the night, make sure that you’re making and maintaining good eye-contact.

Good eye-contact can be very attractive and you can read between the lines of a look.

Quality eye-contact also shows great listening skills, which is vital to having a great partner.

Which brings me to my next and final point for the guys.

Truly Listen

When you’re on this date, and if you want to have a second one, then you should truly listen to her.

This should come naturally if you’re interested in the person, but it’s also common courtesy to listen.

Ask engaging questions and say the person’s name often while talking to show you care personally for them.

And even if you’re not planning on having a second date, you need to keep a good reputation. It would be mortifying if you asked the same question more than once. And it’ll create bad vibes on the date.

So make sure you listen well to your partner.

Now that we’ve covered all the best tips on how to make a good impression on a first date…

We hope that you found these 10 tips on how to make a good impression on a first date helpful.

We wish you all the best of luck on your next date and hope it’s everything you hoped it would be.