15 First Date Tips For Men | What To Do On Your First Date

So you've successfully asked that bright-eyed girl out on a first date? Congratulations! Now check out these first date tips for men that will guarantee you a second one.

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First Date Tips for Men | How to Impress a Girl and Secure That Second Date

1. Make Your Intentions Clear

First and foremost, make sure that your date knows that you are going on a date. This is perhaps one of the most overlooked first date tips for men.

You have to make sure that your date knows that you are meeting for a date and not a simple friendly or business meetup. Without this, you could be setting yourself up for the friend-zone, and everyone knows it's hard to come back from that.

Before going on that first date, ask yourself, “Does she know that it's a date?” If you can't confidently answer, “Yes!” then that's bad news.

Clarify your intentions and stop worrying about rejections. It will save you a lot of money and time if ever that she does reject you.

2. Plan Your Date

A lot of men make this terrible mistake of showing up at the meeting place and asking the question, “So what do you wanna do?” If you really wanna impress that girl, have a plan. Planning your date sends an important message: She is worth the effort.

It doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive, it just has to be memorable. Make it unique and personal. Plan your activities so that there is time for you to really get to know each other and gauge whether the two of you are a good fit or not.

Nope, a movie and dinner is not a good idea.

3. Keep It Mysterious

Now that you have a plan, keep it a bit of a mystery. After all, women love surprises.

If she asks where you're going, only give her bits of information. Most importantly, give her clues on how she should dress. You don't want her to feel uncomfortable during the date because she's overdressed or underdressed.

Just make sure the place you're going to or the plans you made really are worth the wait. Go to places that are well-reviewed, and as much as possible, avoid places that are too crowded.

4. Dress to Impress

If a girl has agreed to go on a date with you, she will look her best. Why not do the same and dress to impress too, right?

You don't need to spend an entire hour getting ready. For once, however, maybe you could abandon those ratty jeans and that wrinkled shirt.

Instead, wear something simple, but polished – like some dark jeans and blazer paired with loafers. Top it off by, of course, showering, shaving, and running a comb through your hair.

More than the actual clothes you're wearing, it's also equally important that you smell nice. This is an underrated tip that actually leaves a huge impression on your date. Make sure to have some breath mints and cologne or perfume with you at all times.

5. Be 15 Minutes Early

Showing up on time (not just for dates, actually) is a habit more people need to learn. This is an essential on our list of first date tips for men.

It sends the message that your date was important enough for you to plan your day accordingly. It makes you seem thoughtful and well-prepared. After all, you don't want your date waiting around and regretting having said yes to you.

Plus, it has a ton of benefits! If you're going out for coffee, for example, it gives you time to pick out a good spot where you can actually talk.

If something unforeseen really does happen, then be a gentleman and call your date to explain the situation. Honesty and communication can really go a long way. Trust me, she'll understand.

6. Keep Things Casual

For first dates, stick with “low investment” activities in terms of money and time. Why?

For one, you don't want to look like you're desperate to impress her (even if you are). Leave the fancy and expensive dinners for next time.

Long activities that will require you to commit a lot of time can also be a gamble since there's always the risk that you won't hit it off. When that happens, you don't want to be stuck somewhere where neither of you can make an early exit.

Besides, if the date is going great, you can always suggest another activity to keep it going.

7. Be Normal

Be normal simply means that you should avoid being weird.

Don't take her to some noisy concert or ask her what she would want to name your children someday. Plus, those weird things you do with your guy friends like burping the alphabet – you might also want to hold off on showing those skills off for later on.

Try to avoid being giddy as well – it tends to come off as anxiety and not mere enthusiasm. It sends the message that you're not confident and comfortable with yourself, which just makes you seem like a nervous wreck.

8. Ask Good Questions and Actually Listen

One of the best (if not the most important) first date tips for men is to ask your partner questions and listen to them. Nothing beats a person who is great at conversation.

Go into your date with the actual goal of getting to know one another and seeing whether the two of you would make a great fit. Ask your date questions, really listen to them, and respond. Show your genuine interest by following up on her answers and giving your thoughts and opinions on them.

Don't just talk about your favorite sports teams and how well they're doing, especially if your date is not into those kinds of things. Instead, try to find your mutual grounds.

Part of planning a date is planning a list of things to talk about ahead of time. Dead air can be one of your worst enemies on a first date.

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9. Stop Swearing

Yes, there are girls who love bad boys. However, cursing and swearing non-stop can get old very quickly.

Instead of making you look cool, it just makes you look like you're trying hard to be cool. For your next first date, try to eliminate those four-letter words from your vocabulary, okay?

10. Give Genuine Compliments

Just as you would like to know what she's thinking, she, too, would like to know what you're thinking. One of the most underrated first date tips for men is to give genuine compliments.

Contrary to popular belief, compliments are not cheesy. It shows that you recognize the efforts your date put into what she's wearing, or how she is as a person.

If you're complimenting her outfit, for example, be specific. Instead of saying she looks nice, tell her you love the dress she's wearing.

Simple one-liners during the date such as, “I love your smile,” or, “How am I so lucky to be on a date with you?” can really work their magic when delivered at the right time.

11. Actually Be There

Forget your phone for the next few hours. Stop checking your emails. Ignore those messages from your friends and just be in the moment.

Slow down. Take your time. Pay close attention to your senses. Savor them. Savor the moment. Breathe, listen, and enjoy the time that you have with this person.

12. Be Mindful of Physical Contact

Not everyone is comfortable with physical contact, and you don't want to make the mistake of being the creepy dude who's too touchy. As much as possible, be mindful of physical contact on the first date and try to gauge how comfortable your date is with it.

On certain occasions, such as when you're helping her out of the car, pulling her seat, or leading her through a crowd, physical contact may be acceptable. Beyond that, however, the level of comfortability with touch will vary, so just be mindful.

13. Decide Who's Paying for the Date

Traditionally, the man should be the one paying not just for first dates, but for every time you go out. However, we now live in different times and different beliefs.

As much as you would want to pay for the first date, there might be women who get offended if you insist on it even if they ask to split the bill. The key here is simply respect.

To avoid these awkward moments especially when the bill arrives, discuss it before asking for the check. Just leave the guessing games for next time. Besides, we're all adults here anyway!

14. Read the Signals

So the date went well and you both had a great time. Now that you're about to say goodbye, one big question lingers: kiss or hug?

Well, one of the best first date tips for men is to know how to read the signals. You don't want to force your date to kiss if she's not comfortable with it, and you don't want to let her down when she's obviously sending signals that she wants to kiss.

If you're not sure, however, and you don't want to take the risk, then just touch her arm lightly, put yours around her, give her a hug, and thank her for a fantastic night.

If you're confident and you really want to leave an impression, make her want the kiss, but don't give in. Instead, end the night with a hug.

Most men are too excited for the first kiss. Not kissing her after the first date makes you unique and memorable. It also makes her want that first kiss more on your second date.

15. Don't Wait Three Days Before Calling or Texting

Finally, last on our list of first date tips for men: Don't be the douchebag who waits three days before calling or texting her. It's actually not cool, boys. That “3-day rule” is absolutely ridiculous.

Regardless of whether you had a great time or not, be a gentleman and let her know. No girl wants to wait three entire days before knowing that her date likes her enough to have a second date with her.

Want to be suave on your next first date? Keep these first date tips for men in mind and you'll definitely score a second one.

Are there other crucial first date tips for men that we missed? Share them with us in the comments section below!

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