Ok, so you’ve got the number…Now what?

Everyone has his or her own unique theory on exactly how many nanoseconds should pass between the exchange of digits and the first phone call. Some say call the next day; some say wait until the next millennium. The truth is, you shouldn’t trust anyone’s expertise in this field because each case is unique and needs to be treated differently. So, with that said, we can’t give you the magic number of days. That’s totally up to you. Just call when you personally think it’s the right time to call. Sorry, that’s probably not what you wanted to hear.

Nevertheless, we can help you through the anxiety and awkwardness of the first call.

And now (drum roll please)…DateSpaces.com’s Official Rules For The First Call

1) The Hello
In your opening, try to reference something from your initial exchange. Did he talk about going home to see his family the next day? Ask him about that. Did she yap about her cat? Reference the cat. That precise attention to detail goes a long way and it can be very endearing. It means that the initial conversation you had was legit and shows that you were actually listening to what the other person was saying to you.

2) The Gist
Never forget the objective of the first phone call–to get a first date. Anything else, like learning about the other person’s family, friends, career, etc., just save it for your next face-to-face. How much would it suck if you hung up and knew her first grade teacher’s name but still had no clue when you were going to see her next? Seriously, you need to be in the right mindset during this phone call, so focus your energy on getting that date.

Here’s how to do it.

Before you pick up the phone, make sure you have a specific date of the coming week that you want to hang out as well as a specific activity that you’d like to do with the other person (Not that! You really have a dirty mind…)

Check out these two examples:

BAD PHONE EXCHANGE
Person 1: Hey you wanna hang out sometime this week?
Person 2: Sure what do you want to do?
Person 3: Um, I don’t know, you pick it.

GOOD PHONE EXCHANGE
Person 1: I was going to see “I Am Legend” in the IMAX on Wednesday night. Come with me.
Person 2: Ok cool. I’ve never been to the IMAX before. That sounds fun.

The specific date of the week is important. Stick to your guns. If you picked Wednesday and the other person can’t do Wednesday, be very careful about giving in to any old day of the week. You don’t want it to look like you have nothing else to do, right? You can have one backup day separated by at least a day from your initial pick, but if both days don’t work, you might be fishing for nothing. Best to leave the ball in the other person’s court at this point.

3) The Bye-Bye
Don’t expect to be on the phone more than 5 minutes. If the conversation just takes off and you’re talking for hours, that’s great, but truly, once you’ve booked the date, you’re off the hook and it’s ok to end the conversation right there. You achieved your objective, so why press your luck. Don’t feel bad securing the date and then saying you have to run. It’s just going to make you look really busy and now you’ll have that much more to talk about when you see each other in person. Congratulations!

Now go get ‘em, tiger!