Find Love In Six Months Or We’ll Give You More Of The Same

A certain online dating service has recently announced a brand-new marketing campaign. Since online dating is a popular topic around here, I couldn’t help but write about what’s going on here. So excuse me while I dust off my soapbox.

The very same website that my fiancée Emily and I met on is now offering what it calls a “guarantee”. Basically, if you subscribe for six months and do not meet the “love of your life”, they have your back.

They’ll give you six more months for free.

OK, first of all, where was this “guarantee” when I was happily enjoying the dating process? You know, back when I was spending THREE YEARS actually enjoying being single? I sure could have used a year and a half of that for free.

What? I hear some of you saying, “Hey, I bet that’s not what the ‘guarantee’ is designed for! You are supposed to be out there meeting ‘That Special Someone’, not ‘serial dating’!”

Well, there’s the first of several Silly Points I’m going to harp on. Namely, what makes this online dating service so sure all of us are members because we want to settle down right now? Surely I can’t be the only one who enjoyed going on dates for a few years after a rough divorce. Right? Hello?

So some of you aren’t buying that. Perhaps you aren’t convinced that most people aren’t looking for “The Love Of Their Life” right here and right now.

Okay, fair enough. I’m a flexible guy. Let’s assume, then, that everyone who subscribes can’t meet “Mr./Mrs. Right” soon enough.

Fine. That brings up Silly Point Number Two: “So if something didn’t work for six months, we’ll give you twice as much of it.”

Look it, you’re dealing with a guy here who worked for a major telecom conglomerate for years between life-coaching gigs. Scott Adams of “Dilbert” fame came from the same environment, so his cartoons are particularly funny to me—because they are sadly TRUE!

One of the main reasons my ex-employer’s stock is now trading at roughly 3% of its former value is because when bad management happens, they proceed to (you guessed it) redouble their efforts! That’s right, if something isn’t working, do twice as much of it!

And so revolves the online dating world these days, apparently.

Hey, it’s a nice sales pitch, but that fact does nothing more than beg Silly Point Number Three: If I fail at online dating for six months, why is that the web site’s fault anyway? Isn’t it more likely MY OWN FAULT?

Indeed, if I have the world’s most boring, generic profile up there, insist on fibbing about my age, weight, etc. and have horrific pictures posted, what’s six more months going to “buy” me? And if I repeatedly get burned because I pick the wrong people to go out with and / or have no clue how to not creep out women on first dates, what fault is that of the web site?

It’s all starting to sound rather…um…SILLY, isn’t it? And what about Silly Point Number Four just to add fuel to the fire: Who needs SIX FULL MONTHS to figure out something isn't working? Right?

Life is way too short for that. Getting smart about online dating and doing it in the shortest amount of time possible is always a better strategy than waiting for a free ticket to six more months of the same thing. Always.

by Scot McKay Copyright 2006 X & Y Communications

Want to hear more? Scot McKay is a dating coach in San Antonio, TX and founder of X & Y Communications, a one-stop-shop for dating resources. He is the author of the books "Deserve What You Want" and "Cook For Your Date", and hosts the popular podcast series "X & Y On The Fly". He may be reached at mailto:scot@xandycommunications.netor on the Web at http://www.dating-advice.us/and http://www.romantic-dinner.com/