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Meet People: 10 Great Ways to Meet People

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Meet People: 10 great ways to Meet People

 

Meeting people is a skill. Like any skill, it can take time and practice to meet people easily and effectively. Not everyone can meet people easily. For some, it can be extremely challenging and even embarrassing to meet people, especially meeting new people.

This lens gives TEN tips and hints about how to meet people easily and effectively.

Books About How to Meet People 

How to Win Friends & Influence People

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 07/26/2008)

The Secret Language of Success: Using Body Language to Get What You Want

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 07/26/2008)

Goodbye to Shy

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 07/26/2008)

Advantages of Meeting People by Online Dating 

No longer seen as a haven for desperate and dateless, online dating offers many advantages for meeting people:

  • You can quickly meet people whose characteristics (age, religion, height, weight) match what you are seeking.

  • The anonymity of the internet makes it very easy to communicate with strangers.

  • You can spread your cast and search wider areas to meet people than you would normally be able to do.

  • You can meet people from the quiet and comfort of your home.

  • Meeting the right people and finding the right partner is a matter of numbers, meeting as many people as possible over a short period of time. Internet dating allows you to virtually meet many people over a short time allowing you to meet people you would not normally meet.
  • Books about Internet Dating 

    I Can't Believe I'm Buying This Book: A Commonsense Guide to Successful Internet Dating

    Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/26/2008)

    Online Dating for Dummies

    Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 07/26/2008)

    Internet Dating: Tips, Tricks and Tactics

    Amazon Price: $11.95 (as of 07/26/2008)

    Disadvantages of Online Dating 

  • Like everywhere on the internet, there are frauds. Married people say they are single, people post misleading photos of themselves or give incorrect information about themselves (age, height, weight, etc).


  • Someone's personality may seem very different on the internet than they actually are in real life.


  • You can spend months falling in love with a false image of someone only to have that image evaporate in the first seconds after meeting them in real life.


  • You may fall in love with someone too far away to have a normal relationship with them.


  • The secret to internet dating is not to take the 'relationship' too seriously until after the first face-to-face meeting has taken place. Use the internet dating process to select a few interesting people and then meet them as soon as possible. If the person is not who you imagine them to be, forget it and move on.

    Be A Rapid Dater 

    Meet People With Speed Dating

    Speed dating capitalizes on the idea that couples know within the first few minutes if there is chemistry. By meeting many people for a few minutes, we increase the likelihood of finding a potential match in a short period of time.

    A Speed date is an organized event where people meet each other over a series of short dates, lasting anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes. At the end the "date", the organizer gives a signal and the participants to move on. In this way, each participant can meet anywhere from 10-30 people. At the end of the event each dater gives the names of people that they would like to see again. If there is a match the organizers provide both people with contact information.

    Speed Dating Via the Internet 

    An innovation in Internet Dating

    online dating reinvented: speed date on the web

    SpeedDate is the first online speed dating site. We allow you to join speed dating sessions from the comfort of home using your webcam, microphone or IM. We believe that speed dating is the most fun and quickest way for you to meet great people on the web. Check out SpeedDate.com

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    Another Online Speed Dating Video 

    SpeedDate Example Date

    Real people speed date

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    Books About Speed Dating 

    SpeedDating(SM): A Timesaving Guide to Finding Your Lifelong Love

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    Speed Dating: The Smarter, Faster Way to Lasting Love

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    Succeed at Speed Dating

    Amazon Price: $5.91 (as of 07/26/2008)

    Meet Up 

    Dont like the idea of Internet dating? Why not use the power of the internet to facilitate meeting people face-to-face. This is the idea of Meet Up.

    From Wikipedia: Meetup.com is an online social networking portal that facilitates offline group meetings in various localities around the world. Meetup allows members to find and join groups unified by a common interest, such as politics, books, games, movies, health, pets, careers or hobbies. Users enter their ZIP code (or their city outside the United States) and the topic they want to meet about, and the website helps them arrange a place and time to meet.

    For example, if you are in Zurich, Switzerland and are interested in Books, you will find The Zürich Book Club Meetup Group. Or if you are in NYC and like Ballroom Dancing, you will find your group there.

    You just signup and you will receive an email informing you of the next time and location that the group will meet.

    Meetup allows you to personally meet people with similar interests right in your local area.

    Meet People By Helping People 

    Do Community Services

    If you are Civic Minded, you may find a soulmate simply by volunteering to help others. Here are some suggestions to find the volunteer opportunity of your dreams:

    Habitat for Humanity

    United Way

    Volunteer Match

    Volunteer Solutions

    Red Cross

    Take Salsa Dance Lessons 

    Dance lessons are a great way to meet people, because you will be paired up with many partners and have a chance to meet new people almost every day. Of all types of dance lessons to take, Salsa is the BEST for meeting people.

    If you are going to take dance lessons, by all means take SALSA dance lessons. Salsa is a relatively new fashion and there are Salsa dance clubs everywhere. So, after you have taken a few salsa lessons you can start going to salsa clubs and meetine people there. Since Salsa is a couples dance, you are expected to ask people to dance with you and this is a great opportunity to meet someone who looks interesting. If you take any other kind of dance lessons (ballroom, tango, jazz, etc) after you have developed your skills you will find very few places to use them.

    Sexy Salsa Clothes 

    Women will look HOT in these dresses at a Salsa Club

    d188 Sexy Marilyn Monroe Halter Salsa Dress

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    Ruched Ruffle Halter Dress

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    b007 Handkerchief Hem Salsa Skirt

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    Get A Job!! 

    Dealing With The Public

    It is a bad idea to date a co-worker and this should be avoided if possible. However, there is nothing wrong with dating a customer! Get a job that puts you in contact with the public. This will have two results:

    1. Because you have to constantly interact with people, getting a customer relations job will improve your people skills

    2. You will have daily interaction with interesting people and one of them may be someone you like.

    So, if you are a woman, apply to work as a salesperson in a men's clothing store. If you are a guy, try to get a job in a woman's shoe store. Or get a job as a bartender or waiter/waitress. These are perfect part-time jobs for students and will put you in contact with many, many people.

    Pump Iron 

    It is something of a cliche to meet people at a gym. But this is an excellent opportunity that should not be missed. Going to the gym has several advantages:

  • You get to see people in very revealing outfits, and you will quickly know who is attractive.

  • You will not only be meeting healthy people, but at the same time, you are working on making yourself more attractive.

  • Try to find a gym that has a co-ed recreation facility, such as a Whirlpool / Jacuzzi / Sauna / Steambath, etc. It is very easy to strike up a conversation with someone when you are sitting around relaxing.
  • Sexy Gym Clothes For Her 

    856 Miami Sport Women's Lycra Capri

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    621 Otomix Parachute Capri

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    644 Sport Cami Women's Cotton/Lycra Camisole

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    Reflex "Harmony Wave" Cotton Zipper Hoody (445w)

    Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

    Great Looking Gym Clothes For Him 

    Get Smart! 

    Many people developed their social network very easily in a school environment, but find that after graduation it is more difficult to meet people. For those people, the obvious answer is to attend evening courses or workshops.

    Many universities, recreation centers and businesses offer workshops on a variety of subjects from wine tasting to massage to yoga to oriental cooking. Opportunities vary from city to city. But they are relatively easy to find by doing a Google search. Try to find workshops that are are short-term, fun, interesting. Below are a few examples:

  • The Learning Annex offers workshops in subjects from Wine Tasting to Ballroom Dance in Los Angeles, San Francisco, NYC, Minneapolis, San Diego and Toronto.

  • Many Universities such as UC Berkeley Extension offer low cost workshops and courses on everything from programming to psychology, as well as free and low costs lectures on subjects from Art to Global Warming.

  • In the UK, NIACE organizes conferences, seminars and training courses.


  • Find short-term workshops in subjects that interest you. Or better still, if you have the skills to do it, teach a workshop or a evening class to adults.

    Learn the Art of the Non-Verbal Invitation 

    You are in a crowded cafe, coffee cup in hand, scanning the premises for for a seat. In the distance, someone looks at you, smiles and removes their jacket from the adjacent chair. Your reaction? In all probability you will accept the chair being offered. You have accepted this person's non-verbal invitation. Can you imagine that this person may have placed that jacket on the chair intentionally in order to reserve it for someone just like you? There is a good chance that they did.

    We all do it. We get on a bus or go to a theater and place our jackets or briefcase on the chair next to us. We may do it in order to put our jackets somewhere, or to reserve the seat for a friend who we are waiting for. Then when it gets crowded, we remove our items and offer the chair to someone who seems to want to sit.

    Why not learn to use this socially accepted behavior to intentionally reserve a chair in a cafe for someone you would LIKE to sit next to you? The non-verbal invitation is a polite way of offering a space near you to someone you find interesting or attractive.

    Join The Club 

    Find a "social activity club" in your area. Some social activity clubs are oriented to sports, others to dining and still others to cultural activities. Find one that is comfortable for you. Some examples are below:

  • In New York City Social Circles introduces people not just for dating, but for friendship, socializing, & activity or travel partnering.

  • In Dallas, Dinner For Six organizes dinners for groups of three single men and three single women.

  • Florida Side Trackers organizes outdoor activities club for single people in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.

  • In Southern California Athletic Singles Association organizes at least 15 events each week covering every sport and social activity imaginable.

  • Also in Southern California 20s and 30s Singles provides an opportunity for active adults to meet and participate in fun outdoor and social activities throughout Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties.

  • In the UK SPICE SPICE is a Nation-Wide adventure/social group.

  • One of the most international social activity clubs is the Hash House Harriers. The 3H has about 1700 chapters located in virtually every major city of the world. This club combines running with drinking and other social activities.


  • This is by no means a complete list, but simply representative of social activity clubs in the US and Europe. To find a social activity club near you, Google Social Activity Club and the name of your city.

    Pickup Lines 

    In general, we do not suggest pick up lines. Most of the time, they are superficial and will make you appear to be shallow. Avoid them whenever possible. It is usually better to say something more natural that has to do with the situation you are in. But sometimes they can work and sometimes you can think of nothing else to say. If you can think of no way else to open a conversation, a pickup line may be better than no opening at all. Here are some of our favorites:
    • You may fall from the sky, you may fall from a tree, but the best way to fall... is to fall in love with me.
    • If I received a nickel for everytime I saw someone as beautiful as you, I would have just earned my first five cents.
    • I hope you know CPR because you take my breath away.
    • Hi, I just wanted to give you the satisfaction of turning me down; go ahead say no. A little reverse psychology just might work once in a while.
    • Hi! I want your opinion on something. I have two different colognes on my wrists (or neck if you are brave) and I wonder if you will tell me which one you like better.
    • I don't want you to think I'm ridiculous or anything, but you are the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen. I just felt like I had to tell you.

    Vote for YOUR favorite of the 10 Best Ways to Meet People 

    Please Vote By Clicking an Up or Down Arrow

    Get Involved with Community Services

    3 points

    Join a Social Activity Club

    2 points

    Online Dating

    1 point

    MeetUp.com

    1 point

    Meet People At Work

    1 point

    Take a Class / Workshop

    1 point

    Use Non-Verbal Invitation...

    In a cafe, bar, diner, theater or train1 point

    Speed Dating

    0 points

    Go Salsa Dancing / Take Dance Lessons

    0 points

    Meeting People At a Gym

    0 points

    Do you have suggestions for meeting people? 

    If so add them here

    InternetCowgirl

    There's a lot of great info here on how to meet other singles - nice lens!

    Posted March 31, 2008

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