Friday, September 28, 2007

An outrageous profile... that worked!

Again, combing the web to find new and interesting approaches to eHarmony... I found something that intrigued me.

On the StyleLife forum (A pick-up artist forum, supported by Neil Strauss' online coaching academy), one member asked for a critique of his eHarmony profile, saying that he hadn't been getting any responses from women in the month that he had been online. I won't bother to repeat his profile... but, in character, it was similar to this one.

One of the guys on the forum, Thorny, (although admitting to me that he had no experience with online "dating"), pointed out some of the major flaws... and gave a sample of the profile that he would have written. Here's what he suggested as an intriguing style to emulate:

1. What are you most passionate about?

eHarmony. Totally.


2. What are the THREE things for which you are MOST thankful?

I'm most thankful for Girls
I'm most thankful for Guns
I'm most thankful for Glory

3. Other than your parents, who has been the most influential person in your life and why?

Derek Zoolander, for giving us Blue Steel, Le Tigra, and Magnum.

4. The four things your friends say about you are:

Outa Sight!
Great-riffic!
A real knob-job!
A whale of a tale.

5. What are three of your BEST life-skills?

Finger snapping
Frottaging
Peacocking


6. What is the most important quality that you are looking for in another person?

Beauty is common, so in addition to her good looks, she much have a great personality, a good energy, and a good outlook.

7. Other than your appearance, what is the first thing that people notice about you?

My good looks

8. What is the ONE thing that people DON'T notice about you right away that you WISH they WOULD?

My super awesome underpants

9. How do you typically spend your leisure time?

Adventuring

10. What are five things that you "can't live without?"

sex
air
blankets
music
excitement

11. Describe the last book that you read and enjoyed. What was it about? What did you like most about it?

"The Game" - Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists. I liked that there are so many guys studying the things that make me awesome.

12. Describe one thing about yourself that only your best friends know.

Get out of here. I don't even know you and you're already asking to be my best friend? We're totally breaking up.

Gotta admit, it's all-out "no fear". It definitely demonstrates Thorny's genuine personality (or, at least, some aspects of it). And... it's different.

Turns out, the guy who wrote for advice didn't just use this profile as inspiration. He copied it "word for word". (Well, he couldn't have done that for the multiple-choice sections, but I'll take him at his word for the rest.)

... and, sure enough, the next day, he reported that he had three women communicating with him.

Like I've said, genuineness (or, at least, the appearance of it) and a "no fear" personality will carry you well in your profile... It's interesting to see what happens when it's taken to the extremes.

(Oh, and if you want to read the original exchange, you'll have to register at StyleLife here, and then read this thread. And, thanks, Thorny, for letting me repost your profile here!)

3 comments:

Mara said...

Wow...I would have clicked on "close match" SO fast. Yes, a quirky answer catches my attention and breaks up the monotony of learning that every guy has been most influenced by his friends, would be described by said friends as "physically fit" (so, so unlikely), last read The Da Vinci Code, and is looking for a girl who "won't play games."

But to answer every question like that indicates to me that he's not really taking his search seriously and also doesn't respect his matches enough to share anything genuine about himself. I would wonder what he's hiding and might respond to questions if he sent them...but he would definitely be starting at a distinct disadvantage and would have to show a different side of himself quickly if he wanted to hold my interest.

Unknown said...

I did get a chuckle out of Thorny's profile, but I'm going to have to agree with Mara on this one. I understand that the point was to be unique and show no fear, but I'm willing to bet that the guy that ultimately copied this profile didn't get very far beyond OC, assuming he even made it that far. In any case, the kind of women that would respond to this type of approach are not what I am looking for.

Being original, genuine and having no fear, are all things that have helped me improve my results on eH. But think for yourself, take the core of Thorny's approach, and develop a profile that demonstrates your unique personality. That is the way to a more successful eH experience.

BittenChick said...

LOL @ Mara and the monotony -- I couldn't agree more! Have we been getting matched with the same guys? Dang! ;-)

I really liked bits and pieces of Thorny's profile, specifically "my super awesome underpants" and "we're totally breaking up". Cheeky comments that get me to laugh out loud are automatic interest-builders, and there definitely aren't enough guys who are confident enough to be humorous in their profiles. It can be difficult to strike a good balance though, between being clever and funny or being cocky and "too cool for school". I would have gone into OC with this guy just to see if he had the ability to be more introspective ... Unfortunately I'm finding that some of the wittier guys out there have trouble turning *off* the jokes and silliness more often than not!

Great post though, Scott -- I hope it inspires people to let some more humor slip through! Girls always say that they love a dude with a great sense of humor, so cut loose and make us laugh, fellas! ;-)