The Art of Flirting

Make the Right Moves
The finer points of social intercourse………..

The art of flirting is not only the preserve of the rich, beautiful and exceptionally confident, nor do you have to be a wanton women or lecherous Casanova to participate. With a little bit of practice and some sound advise, flirting is available to everyone – best of all, it can be a powerful social weapon when used for good instead of evil.  Did we mention it’s great fun, builds confidence, can win you lots of friends and is a playful yet sure-fire way to test the waters when it comes to romance?

But enough of this shameless teasing, come hither and we whisper some tips in your ear that will ensure you’re not, in fact, flirting with disaster.

New social situations fill most people with fear and while some of us are adept at bluffing it out, the greater portion of the room will usually prefer to stick with the people they know, or hide in the shadows praying that someone will talk to them – in extreme cases, praying that they won’t. Taking the dreaded first step is always a tough one, requiring great reserves of mental strength – or at least a tall glass of Dutch courage. But according to the experts it’s all in the way you approach it.

When people grasp the concept that to be a great flirt you pay attention to the other

Person rather than drawing attention to yourself, it becomes more appealing, especially to people who are not particularly socially confident.

Shift your attention to making somebody else feel good, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that when you make somebody else feel good, they will often return the favour.

Sounds simple, huh? Take your glass of wine, stand next to someone and smile encouragingly at him or her as they talk about themselves. Eventually they’ll run out of things to say and start being nice to you instead. But without using camouflage and sidling up to someone like a Russian spy, how do you put yourself in the right position for that conversation?

Breaking the ice is undoubtedly the hardest part of meeting someone new, so what do you actually say to get the ball rolling – presumably, “Remember my name, you’ll be screaming it later” is not a great opener?

“Start with hello, then go out on a limb, you should tell that story, the one that makes you look like a dodo. Once you reveal yourself as human you’ll help others feel relaxed.” 

Good flirts make other people feel special and enjoy doing it. “Flirts love people and notice what makes them tick.” They also have a great attitude, one that is relaxed, fearless and outward looking”. Treat it like a game,  to win you just need to get then to smile back.” According to the experts, coaxing yourself into the kind of relaxed and playful state of mind you need for successful flirting needn’t require a personality transplant if you’re not usually the gregarious type. All you have to do is change your attitude by being conscious of your negative thoughts and changing them to positive ones. Most of us don’t approach others because we fear rejection, but flirting reduces this risk, as you’re simply putting out feelers to see what response you get before you put your heart on the line. Getting in the right frame of mind will definitely make it easier to get out there and say hi.

To be playful you just have to think playful. Maybe there’s a song that energises you, or a memory that makes you feel good. Conjure them up in your head and you’ll be surprised at that little kick of energy and enthusiasm you get. Our  advise is not to use fake plastic bre3asts or a false moustache as your props – way too much room for error. But certainly having a few tunes that will build your confidence is ideal given the normal social conditions most of us operate in.

When most people think about flirting they concentrate on romantic context. However at it’s heart, flirting is simply about making people feel valued, and in return for this  you’ll be remembered and liked; an ideal scenario for the workplace and everyday social interaction.

Flirting is useful in business, when you flirt with someone you pay them a compliment and compliments can grease the wheels of industry. Don’t confuse this with browning or being overly effusive of course, but it is good noticing other people and being interested in them. Sincere, rather than saucy. As your mother probably told you ,”it does’nt hurt to say something nice.”

It’s important to keep in mind that you  need to be careful when flirting, particularly in the workplace – signals can be misunderstood if you aren’t clear. “Never cross the line or be sleazy,” This is particularly true of email flirting; you must be careful not to be lewd or overtly suggestive they may come back to haunt you. Sending colleagues a digital image of you wearing just a big smile, for instance, is probably a tad too much.

Flirting is not all about achieving a romantic goal, flirting when done well is natural communication where you focus your attention on the other person. It makes people notice you – not for you’re your great feats and accomplishments, but because you come across as a genuine and intelligent human being. Everyone wants someone to listen to them and to remember who they are – it’s one of the greatest compliments there is.

When flirting is great for testing the water of romance or for planting yourself favourably at work, it can also help keep the fires burning in a long-term relationshop.

Flirting keeps relationships – new and old fresh and alive….

So what’s the best advice for getting out there? “Nothing ventured nothing gained”, it costs nothing to smile or pay someone a compliment.