Respect is absolutely critical when you're with your date. Always respect your date's likes and dislikes, don't speak to them like an angry parent or like they're an idiot, and when you're around their friends and family be on your absolute best behavior. If you don't treat your date's friends and family with respect, then you risk having your date think you don't respect him or her. After all, friends and family are an extension of your date.

Give yourself time to learn what types of conversation starters work for you by practicing on members of the opposite sex you meet casually. Practice flirting whenever you can - at the grocery store, the mall, work (tread lightly in this venue lest you be slapped with a sexual harassment claim), or with your friends.

Begin by sharpening your social skills right at home or with your close friends. Practice by holding conversations with people who are closest to you before you reveal your game on a date.

Relationships are often built upon the mutual interests of individuals. Maintaining knowledge of the personal and professional interests of your date will make it easier for you to make a connection and form a bond. Appropriately share some of your personal interests so that others will feel more comfortable sharing their interests with you. Begin to reveal some information about yourself in the comments you make. Mention your areas of likes, dislikes, hobbies, or interests. Seek to find similarities in you and the other person.

Small talk helps to establish relationships with people we do not know well. Below are some key points for engaging in small talk. Prepare your own memory jogger including some of these tips and begin using them in social situations.

• Prepare - Look ahead of time for topics of conversation. Current events, professional interested, and even celebrity gossip are good topics. Prepare some comments you could use in conversations about each topic.
• Listen - Focus on listening for information you hear about your date's likes, dislikes, hobbies, or interests.
• Encourage - Demonstrate your interest by using positive non-verbal behaviors (eye contact, nodding of your head, smiling, saying "uh-huh") to show your date you are engaged and interested in them.
• Follow up - Use the information you gather to create open-ended questions that will facilitate conversation. Some sample questions are: "How did you get interested in lawn darts?", "How long have you competed on the international circuit?", "What shows have you seen recently?", "Are you a fan of early Renaissance music?"
• Probe - After asking a question or making a comment, actively listen to your date's response. Then, follow up with a comment or another open-ended question. The art of small talk is a balance of questions and personal comments. People may perceive they are in the middle of an interrogation instead of a conversation if you only ask questions.

How do you 'Listen to understand another person?' Good listening involves listening not only for facts, but also for feelings. To build relationships, you must listen to people and allow them the opportunity to talk. The following tips will help you to hone your active listening skills.

• Avoid Interruptions. Stop talking and listen. When listening, let your date finish their thought and resist the temptation to interrupt or anticipate what he/she will say.
• Find interest in what your date is saying. Begin with the attitude that everyone has something important to say. Try to understand where your date is coming from; put yourself in his/her shoes.
• Avoid judgment. Often, we are quick to judge others and sometimes we do not fully "hear" what another person has said because we got hung up on something that did not strike us as right. Remember the mind works just like a parachute - it needs to be open to operate effectively. A good listener remains open to new ideas and finds a reason to listen instead of an excuse for why he/she cannot.
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues. Body language such as eye contact, tone of voice, facial expressions, body movements and hand gestures play an important part in the communication process. When listening, nod for understanding, avoid distracting mannerisms (e.g., adjusting your crotch, winking at the bartender), and maintain comfortable eye contact.
• Look for common ground. The pair of individuals with absolutely nothing in common is rare indeed. Try to identify and articulate areas of common interest you and your date share, either personal or professional. Nurture those commonalities and draw the focus away from the barriers.