| What should I do once I receive an online dating message?
That is so cool. There is only one thing you should do, and that is to answer it! Do you remember, we said earlier that success in online dating is a question of luck, timing, technique and mental attitude? Well you were lucky, you had your first online dating message. Next, get your attitude right. First of all calm down if you need to, (stop dancing around your terminal), think 'positive' and read the message again until it is clear to you what it says. Do you like your first internet dating message? Now which options do you have as to the timing? If you don't think you would get on because your prospect didn't meet one of your 'must have' criteria you should still send a 'thank you but no thank you' reply. 1. You can play hard to get and wait, let's say a week before you answer your online dating e-mail. That is not very cool. You know the saying "strike while the iron's hot". To wait a week is obviously bad timing, and it isn't very smart, especially if you think that you might be interested.
2. You could sit down and put together some rushed message and send your response immediately back. No, don't do that either, that is bad timing as well.
3. You may be very interested, but you do not know how best to prepare your online dating answer. So you decide to send an excuse message saying that you are interested, but you are going on a (imaginary) business trip and you will write properly on your return. Well that is polite but not very smart and it is not good timing either.
4. Good timing is to respond to all of your computer dating messages, as best as you can, within one day. Next you obviously need the "technique" in order to prepare your best and proper internet dating response. We have dealt with various technique questions and "do's and don'ts" in this section (headed "An Art of Electronic Messaging"), so you may need to review it in order to refresh your memory. Then use the message you received as a starting point for your response. But do not worry too much, the most important thing is that somebody else is interested in you, and you are responding positively, promptly, and as best as you can. Let cupid matchmaking personality work for you. | 
