Should You Speak on the Phone First?

Whether you speak on the phone to someone before you go on a first date is a matter of personal preference; some people find it to be reassuring, while others worry that their sense of humour will not be interpreted well without the benefit of body language. If you are unsure about whether to speak to someone before meeting up with them, here are a few things to consider…

Reasons to speak on the phone before a date

If you live far apart

You’ve found someone with whom you have a lot of shared interests, you are attracted to them and you can’t wait to meet in them person, however they happen to live a long way away from you. Long distance dating can be tricky and it isn’t as easy to meet up with someone if they live far away from you, so it is wise to speak to them on the phone before you go to the expense of travelling to see one another. This allows you to see if your connection goes beyond online messaging.

If you are not sure about meeting up

If you are not completely sure about meeting up with someone, then speaking to them on the phone can help you to determine whether you would get on if you were to meet in person.

You won’t be clouded by physical attraction

Physical attraction can distract you from someone’s flaws, which won’t be a problem if you get to know someone on the phone first.

It can also help you to develop a mental attraction to someone, who you may not have fancied upon first look.

Reasons not to speak on the phone

Safety first

A lot of people are uncomfortable about giving out their phone number before meeting up as it can compromise their safety. If you do choose to speak before meeting up, you could use a video chat service like Skype or Google Hangouts.

First impressions

When you meet in person there are a lot of things that you can pick up on that won’t be evident on the phone, like fragrance and body language, which can make all the difference to how you feel about someone. You might that you get on well on the phone, but do not feel any chemistry when you meet in person.

You’re worried about awkward silences

Simply enough, some people do not like to speak on the phone and find the whole experience of chatting to a stranger to be incredibly awkward. When you meet in person you can be silent together, or you can break the silence by speaking about your surroundings, but silence on the phone can be rather unsettling.

What do you think? Would you prefer to speak on the phone before meeting up, or would you like to skip straight to meeting up in person?