Making Contact

Written by Carole Lipari


Whether you're sending a note to a member of an online community or responding to an online personal ad, how you start an e-mail relationship can determine whether it will ever become more than an e-mail relationship. Here are some things to think about when making first contact:

Don't Send Form Letters Obviously some information in your introductory e-mail will berepparttar same no matter who you're sending it to. Your location, age, profession and other details you may wish to include are relatively constant. Just make sure you add that personal touch to your message. It's always a good idea to mention what aboutrepparttar 132567 person you're writing to compelled you to respond to them. No one wants to feel like they've been caught in a huge net someone tossed into cyberspace to see what they could catch and no matter how carefully you word a form letter, they almost always read like form letters. Also, you may end up contactingrepparttar 132568 same person a week later from a different personals site and receivingrepparttar 132569 same form letter twice never makesrepparttar 132570 recipiant feel special.

Be Honest Of course you want to highlight your best qualities when introducing yourself to someone you're interested in but there is no easier way to sabatoge an online relationship than lying. This also includes exagerating, implying something false and being non-specific enough to avoidrepparttar 132571 truth. You don't have to provide unflattering information inrepparttar 132572 first e-mail but you shouldn't address a subject if you don't want to be honest about it. The "real" people,repparttar 132573 ones you want to meet, don't expect perfection. In fact, if someone seems too good to be true, they probably are. So be honest, be yourself and start off onrepparttar 132574 right foot. What might begin as an online flirtation could turn intorepparttar 132575 real thing unless you've built yourself an image you can't live up to.

Improve The Odds

Written by Carole Lipari


What arerepparttar statistics on successful online matches? No one really knows since making a connection onrepparttar 132566 Web is such a private and personal matter. From articles inrepparttar 132567 media and success stories spread by word of mouth in chat rooms and forums, we know that many couples are getting together inrepparttar 132568 real world - some even making a lifelong commitment. But for each success story, there are at least a few online relationships that didn't makerepparttar 132569 transition to offline. These tips may help you stackrepparttar 132570 deck in your favor and improverepparttar 132571 odds.

Keep It Local Althoughrepparttar 132572 Internet allows us to meet people from all overrepparttar 132573 world,repparttar 132574 best chance for making a successful online to offline transition is to start with someone inrepparttar 132575 same geographic area. The stories of couples who got together (and stayed together) despite thousands of miles between them may be romantic but they are few and far between. While some singles seem to seek out a long distance relationship, they might actually be seekingrepparttar 132576 comfort thatrepparttar 132577 built-in obstacles provide. Online-only relationships can be great for those who are looking for fantasy but if you are seeking a real offline relationship, best to start with someone relatively nearby.

Make Communication A Two-Way Street Just as in real life where opposites often attract, many online couples have a "talker" and a "listener". The listener asks questions, offers advice/support and will hang on every word fromrepparttar 132578 talker. Sounds great in theory to have someone you can tell all your troubles to, share your successes with and who will be there for you whenever you have time to sit down atrepparttar 132579 computer. The problem is once these one-sided couples leaverepparttar 132580 online world and have that first date,repparttar 132581 talker knows virtually nothing aboutrepparttar 132582 listener. It's better to give up a bit ofrepparttar 132583 spotlight and get to know your chat partner now so you don't end up seated acrossrepparttar 132584 table from a complete stranger later.

Keep It Honest How tempting it is to stretch or hiderepparttar 132585 truth from someone you only "see" online! Trading photographs is a good start but trading information is important too. Of course you shouldn't give out personal information to just anyone online - it isn't smart or safe to do so - but if you are involved enough with someone to consider meeting them away fromrepparttar 132586 computer, it's important to be honest about yourself and your life situation. We've all heardrepparttar 132587 stories of couples who spent months online together only for one half to find outrepparttar 132588 other is older, younger, married or even a different gender than what they always claimed to be. So keep your own end ofrepparttar 132589 conversation honest and pay close attention to what you're being told (and especially what you're not being told). When that little voice in your head tells you someone is too good to be true, they just might be. Don't let wishful thinking keep you from askingrepparttar 132590 important questions or trusting your instincts.

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