Is Dating a Tricky Business?

Friday night is every girl's date night. However, my boss has decided that I will be tasked to market a new Eservice site! What has this got to do with a tax specialist. Out of 2000 employees, surely he could have found a next best alternative? Why me? I relunctantly spent my friday night in the office.

Ally was discussing her marketing proposal with me. I mentioned to her that, in order to develop a good strategy, it required an understanding of my prospects and my product. I also sought to understand the limitations of my imperfect product. In doing so, I wanted to eliminate all concerns my prospects may have and this inevitably makes my competitor look less desirable. When dating, do we similarly seek to understand ourselves and our potential mate?

I was at a party last night. I could not help but noticed Cara (and it was not because she wore the same outfit) as she sauntered along the patio. She is a petite, single chinese girl, whom we nicknamed "Hard Gazer". Cara, like my boss, will first survey the entire crowd and determine whom she would like to approach. Maybe dating is a business activity. You survey, determine your prospect and close it.

Cara has been described to be calculating. Therefore, dating would seemingly be a business activity to her. She wore her ZiZi top and speaks with an almost perfect English. Now which guy would not be turned on? But she did not talk to any of the other female species. It became apparent that she was only interested in men and aimed to appear approachable to the men. However, her efforts were in vain and she returned home alone.

I do think she knows what she is looking for. However, she may not have understood her prospects. I do not know what will make her happy at a party but I believe what will make me happy is a few good hugs and a wonderful and funny conversation. Her failure to enjoy the company of some wonderful people and perhaps the way people have perceived her to be calculating was not helping. She did not know how to market herself.

Perhaps dating is not a simple business, it is tricky. To do this well, one has to seek to understand before being understood. Cara may know what she wants, but does she know what her prospect wants. Will he "buy" the top and well spoken English and skip their perception that she is calculating and in search of a great business deal? Identify those needs wrongly and the plan fails.

So with a great top and charm, why didn't she succeed? I believe, men who are more mature and responsible (and who are seriously looking) will still prefer a woman who carries herself well and is generally well-liked by his friends. If you subscribe to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, social needs are one of the higher ranking human needs that needs to be fulfilled before one can achieve self-actualisation. It is therefore important that a supportive woman helps him achieve that state of self realisation. For this reason, communication must be sustainable both inside and outside the home. Our friends do influence the stability in our relationships. It affects our emotions and state of happiness. Cara did not find her ideal man in the crowd and was not interested in conversations with women. Everyone thought she was aloof and out to get herself a man. She did not appear to be what they wanted.

I had a slow start towards my aim for a wonderful night. But things slowly heated up with great conversations on dragon boating and relationships. It turned out to be a memorable night again. All my friends were happy. Ally,my trusted friend, finally returned home with me.