It’s a dating cliché, but being yourself is really the best way to have other people take notice of you. The dating game works by catching the eye of someone you have a lot in common with. You do this by being original and specific about your interests. Instead of saying that you like sunsets, mention the best sunset you’ve ever seen. State which tracks you enjoy, and your favourite place to see your friends. Specific information does more than make you sound interesting – it also gives potential dates something to write to you about. A couple of years ago I was dating a guy from work who I had been out with for around three months when we attended an office party at my boss’s house. I knew it was going to be a bit of a laugh when he asked me whether I wanted to wear his “fun fur coat”! As the party wore on, however, it became clear that this guy had no interest in talking with me about music. The only thoughts in his head seemed to be about the fact he could see my knickers through my tights because my skirt was so short! That night didn’t last much longer than another dance before he decided he needed to catch up on some sleep and went home. What an idiot. I’m dating again now but if someone told me that they were into ska or Reggae I would definitely give them more for dating consideration than “I like music.” Music can be a great dating topic, actually. I read recently that it was the top dating interest for men to talk about (maybe if this guy had done his research he would know that!) So mentioning your own musical tastes is definitely one way of catching someone’s eye, but let’s face it; there are millions of people out there who love Shakira as much as you do – so what do you need to say to make sure someone takes notice? The first thing is appear genuine, don’t make suggestions which make no sense in a conversation or in relation to your personality. You might love Justin Bieber and think he’s awesome because everyone else loves him but if you’re going on a date with someone it’s best to pose as the person who likes what they like and have interests that really interest you. For example, I love music videos. A lot of them don’t make a great deal of sense at all – I certainly couldn’t tell you what was going on in most of blink-182′s “What’s My Age Again?” video – but some really do tell an interesting story, so mention one or two of those as dating conversation points. Talking about what you yourself enjoy is more likely to catch someone’s eye than just saying you like music; after all dating is about connecting with people and this means putting yourself out there as a specific, not just “music loving” person. A great dating tip is to share something you do. For example, if you love going to festival – mention it. Say that you really enjoy staring at the stars and seeing who can identify the most constellations – then they might be able to help your dating profile somewhere down the line. People like to know what makes dating prospects different from anyone else and by saying “I like music” someone could write quite a boring dating response back to you where as mentioning these other things will allow them space to respond in an individual way which shows that they are interested in getting to know more about you. Music can be a dating conversation point but it is best mixed in with other things to make you sound less “boring” and more individual. I love music, dancing and being with my friends.” Well, obviously. Avoid dating clichés like saying you like travelling or eating out; these are dating game classics which everyone else will say. Ok, not everyone else will say them, but if you state that on your dating profile I can almost guarantee there will be some guy who says he loves travelling too – only his idea of travel is different to yours (he probably likes it dirty). Saying that something makes you happy isn’t very original either; lots of people like activities because they make them happy. Try picking what it is about an activity that really makes dating prospects happy and mention that instead. “going to gigs gives me a chance to be myself and do the things I love, like dancing and singing at the top of my lungs!” This is much more individual than just saying you like music. By mentioning specific dating interests dating prospects will know if they have something in common or not with you – which can help them decide whether or not they want to carry on dating conversation with you. Being as original as possible when it comes to dating means catching someone’s eye but also making sure they don’t think your dating profile is “just another one, same as the last 500.” People make thousands of dating decisions every day; dating is literally like wanting to grab someone’s attention in the street. With that many dating prospects it’s easy for some people to slip through our fingers, so make sure they don’t by saying something which will really make dating prospects think “I want to know more about her.” Original dating game articles like this can be used as dating advice or dating tips for women and/or men (they are gender neutral). Copyright ©2011 Ian Macnaughtan - This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. Free dating advice - online dating tips and relationship advice at womansdaydating.com Dating blog at womansdaydating