Dating Tips: 7 Ways You Can Use Phone Dating Services
Get up to date! 30% of Americans have tried out an online dating site or app. 12% of people have entered a committed relationship with or married someone they met through a site or app.
But you’re not limited to the resources on the internet. You can try out phone dating lines, which let you talk to people right away.
Yet you shouldn’t pull out your phone just yet. Dating someone over the phone can be tricky, and you need all the dating tips you can get.
How can you prepare for your conversations? How should you protect yourself from catfishers and scams? How can you take your relationship to the next level?
Answer these questions and you can become a great online dater. Here are seven dating tips you should use.
1. Think About What You Want
Setting a goal for yourself is always a good idea before you join a dating line. Many people join lines to find companionship, but you can join just to meet new people and have fun.
You should also think about what kinds of people you want to meet. Dating lines cater to different demographics, with some focused on LGBTQ people and others focused on Black and Latinx people. If you’re interested in meeting someone from a similar background as yourself, you should select one of these lines.
If you’re more interested in sex and intimacy, you can try a line reserved for phone sex. Take a look at a few different lines before you select one, as some charge high fees.
You can read some dating tips for men or women before you get started. Setting time limits for your conversation is a good way to assess if someone is right for you. If they haven’t said anything interesting within 15 minutes or so, you know they’re not good to talk with.
2. Practice Your Outgoing Message
Your message is your only opportunity to encourage people to talk with you. You want to put your best self forward, but you don’t want to be artificial or sound scripted.
You can listen to examples of messages online and base your message on one. But it’s a better idea to write down a few sentences that describe your personality, interests, and life stories. You can then read the sentences aloud and record your message a few times over until your words are fluid and clear.
It’s often a good idea to be witty or funny. Feel free to throw in a joke.
3. Be Mindful of Scams
Catfishing can occur on phone lines, though it’s harder to pull off because there are no profile photos or written bios. Yet a user can claim to be someone they are not. Listen closely to the message and skip the person if they sound too good to be true.
Some users may try to take advantage of you during conversations. They may ask for financial assistance, or they may love bomb you so they can manipulate you. Don’t give money to anyone you haven’t met and be suspicious of someone who becomes overtly romantic during your first conversation.
4. Prepare Some Things to Say
Once you find someone you like, you can have a conversation right away. But winging it can lead to pauses or awkward topics in your conversation. One of the best dating app tips you can follow is to prepare your remarks.
Write down a few notes on things you want to bring up. Listen to your outgoing message again and think about how you can build off of it to have a long conversation. Keep your paper and pen with you as the conversation is going on so you can take notes on what your partner is saying.
5. Go Back and Forth
It may be a little awkward to date someone over the phone, but a phone date can function exactly like an in-person date. Both of you should talk about yourself and develop a rapport.
Encourage your partner to talk more about themselves. If they bring up something interesting, express your interest verbally and ask them to talk about it more.
You should answer as many of your partner’s questions as possible. But you don’t have to answer a question if it’s too personal or direct. You can say, “I wouldn’t like to answer that question, but do you have something else you want to ask me?”
6. Assess How Things Are Going
You may hit it off with someone and start a relationship with them. But the odds are that your first conversations won’t go anywhere. You may not feel a spark with your partners, or your partners may not feel like speaking to you again.
Wherever you are in your dating life, you should assess what is happening and how you can improve. You may need to be more outgoing, or you may need to listen better. Read guides on how to improve your communication skills and weave online dating tips into your conversations.
Feel free to take a break if things aren’t going well. Give yourself time to focus on yourself and improve your skills.
7. Take It Slow
Even if your relationship is going well, you shouldn’t rush things. Continue to have phone conversations with your partner and try to connect with them on social media and other platforms.
Wait until you’ve had a few conversations before you meet with them in person. If you want a little more intimacy sooner, you can have a talk over Zoom or another videoconferencing software. A few lines also have videos enabled so you can talk face-to-face.
Some partners may want to do intimate activities right away while others may want to wait. You should always get affirmative consent before you start phone sex or another activity.
Use Dating Tips to Your Advantage
You should incorporate dating tips into your dating life right now. Prepare your profile and for your conversations, giving yourself notes to read off of. Keep an eye out for the signs of catfishers like someone asking for money.
Treat a phone dating conversation like any other conversation. Get to know your partner and go back and forth casually. Take your relationship slow, but move on to face-to-face conversations once you know them well.
Start dating whenever you’re ready. The Chatline Guide lets you find the best lines. Browse the best lines today.