You're excited about a person that you've met online. You haven't chatted in live-time yet, but the two of you have exchanged a couple of emails through an online dating site. Things are progressing nicely, and you're ready to go on a real, live date.
Email is Only One Dimensional
But wait! Email communication, although interesting and fun, isn't a good indicator as to whether or not you'll actually click with someone face-to-face. Email is very one-dimensional; you are only reading what the other person has carefully chosen for you to see. There is no time to think when you are chatting with someone on the phone and therefore the reaction from your potential date is immediate.
What To Look For During Your Conversation
Now, I'm not trying to say that the people you've chatted with are sneaky or trying to be dishonest.
Most chatters (more than 73%, according to ComScore Networks) are truthful in their dating profiles. But what you don't know is how the person you are interested in really communicates in live-time. Does their communication style match yours? Is their voice pleasant? Do they talk too fast? Use language you find offensive? Listen more than they talk, or talk overtop of you?
Keeping Safe While Chatting with a Potential Date
Therefore, before meeting someone from an online dating site, spend at least 20 minutes chatting on the phone, first. Block your number if you are concerned about your personal information, use a program such as Skype to ensure your privacy, or sign up for a dating website like Lavalife which offers video and voice chat services through their system.
Plus, taking the time to chat with someone you've met from an online dating site before meeting in person is not only prudent, it's a good safety measure too. If at any time you get an odd vibe, or feel remotely uncomfortable, you can just hang up, and not worry about ever talking to this person again. Alternatively, you may just find the online dating prospect on the other end of the phone you're chatting with so intriguing, that you want to meet them as soon as possible. Either way, you'll have more information to make an informed decision.
Chatting First Before Meeting Someone Online
