Online Dating? 4 Steps To Crafting A Great Email

By Dr. Christie Hartman. Posted on Nov 9th 2012.

Want to email that cute guy, but don’t know what to say? Read on!

So you're browsing on an online dating site and you've found a handful of interesting guys you wouldn't mind knowing better. Since you've read my recent article on why women should consider initiating contact with men when dating online, you now have five great reasons to give it a whirl. Because emailing a man is nothing more than starting a conversation, you may think, "Why not?"

However, once you decide to email an interesting guy, you may find yourself thinking, "What do I say to him?"

More from YourTango: How to Handle Online Dating Burnout

A good online dating email should have four components: a greeting, an attempt to establish a connection, a request to chat and a closing.

1. The greeting. As I discuss in Find The Love of Your Life Online, good manners are often lacking in today's email and texting culture. By greeting him by his name, his handle or by simply saying "Hey there," you stand out and show that you're polite and respectful.

More from YourTango: 3 Traps To Avoid When Talking To Your Man

2. Attempt to establish a connection. Online dating involves looking at tons of profiles and interacting with complete strangers. In other words, it's highly impersonal. Instead of sending a generic, impersonal message, try to establish a connection with him, to interest him beyond your profile or the thousands of other women he's checked out. Read his profile, find something you both have in common or that resonates with you and mention it. Do you both love dogs? Are you both single parents? Does his secret love of science fiction strike a cord in you? Each of these is a potential way to connect.

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Dr. Christie Hartman

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Christie Hartman, PhD
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Location: Denver, CO

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