You meet her. You like her a lot. You take her out for a date. You hold her hand on the walk home. You kiss her. You text her the next day. She doesn’t reply.

Why?

Did you pick the wrong place? Did you talk too much? Did you talk too little? Did you say something wrong? Are you a bad kisser? Maybe she’s busy. Maybe she left town. Maybe she’s with another guy right now! What did you do wrong?

Don’t worry! This kind of thing happens a lot after your first ‘date’. First dates are the first time you get to see if you really like that person in that way. And the reason she hasn’t replied could be so many things.

A common mistake guys make is they don’t connect with her on an emotional level. It’s an easy mistake, because guys and girls are wired differently: Guys talk about stuff they do. Girls talk about stuff they feel.

So if you want to make it to date number 2, you have to get better at talking about feelings - yours and hers - to make that emotional connection. And you have to talk about your real feelings, not the ones you think she wants to hear.

Sure, you should still talk about yourself. But pay attention to what she’s saying and ask her questions to show you’re listening. Make it your mission to learn three things about her. That’s how you build an emotional connection. Dating is all about getting to know the other person. Then you’ll have a better chance of building a relationship with her.

Dating can be tough. You may question yourself and wonder what went wrong. But you’ll get it right eventually. What are your tips for dating?