As of writing this article, 158 million Americans are living in lockdown cities, and despite what the president says, they won’t be heading out for margarita Mondays anytime soon.

For singles from coast to coast, this poses a problem.

How are you supposed to meet women when the only places you’re allowed to go are the supermarket and (god forbid) the hospital. While meeting a woman in the ICU in the midst of a pandemic sounds like a morbid Nicolas Sparks novel, it’s a story you’d much prefer to read than live.

So what now?

Turn off your apps, stop chasing leads, and live a life that consists of working, shitting, and walking Polly? That’s one way to deal with the situation -but not the only way.

Not being able to see your romantic interest in person changes the dating dynamic. Notice that I didn’t say ends, simply changes.

Any dates that you have in the next few weeks or even months will most likely need to occur online. Before the pandemic started I would never have suggested virtual dates. To quickly build a connection you need face to face interaction. But pandemic times call for virtual measures, so here we are.

Although it may seem odd, virtual dating is now the way to go. In this article, I’ll teach you how to book a virtual date in these apocalyptic times.

Why Now Is the Best Time To Meet The Woman of Your Dreams

Everyone’s concerned about the coronavirus and with good reason. Just a week ago the US had 10,000 confirmed cases, as of writing this article we’re just over 70,000.

But just like how Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse during one of the most transformative and challenging times in history (the Great Depression), you too can leverage this apocalyptic turn of events to connect with amazing women.

Consider how lonely is it to not be able to go into the office, meet up with friends, or attend social events, mixers, or happy hours. How many people are living alone with limited social interaction right now?

To cope with the loneliness, single women are going to be a lot more receptive to corresponding with strangers. That’s why it’s time for you to master online dating. Use this opportunity to your advantage.

But just how do you become a master?

Let’s get into it.

How to Book a Virtual Date During Coronavirus

First, Bait Her Interest

Naturally, with everyone at home, Americans have much more time to twiddle their romantic thumbs and get to swiping. Those hours that were once filled going to work, the gym, or getting tipsy at brunch with friends are now gone. In order to fill the time and satisfy their social needs, Americans will look to online dating.

This need is a double-edged sword. Ladies will now flock to dating apps, but where there are ladies willing to get romantic, there are also oodles of men foaming at the mouth.

Knowing that the competition is high you’ve got to up your game. Do this by penning a badass opening message.

Step writing, “hey,” “hi,” “hola,” or any other vapid opening message that takes minimal creative juice to compose. I call these the “h-factors,” -avoid them at all costs. Offer up an initial message that demands a response.

Quality opening messages are those that include an open-ended question about something she posted on her profile. Ask her about the picture that looks like it was taken in France or what her favorite taco spot is.

Making your first message a question makes it easy for her to come up with a response. It also steers the conversation towards a topic she likes. There’s a reason you don’t message a woman about death diving if nothing in her profile points to her even knowing that such a sport exists.

Knowing that there are so many people on dating apps, you’ve got to be strategic about when you message her. Bumble found that its users were most active from 8-10 p.m. on Sundays. If possible, message her first between these hours and continue with the conversation until you score a phone number.

Waiting to message back will likely mean other men will message her in the meantime, thus pushing you to the bottom of the message queue.

Build Trust & Rapport

Barring a pandemic I advise clients to get her phone number or ask a woman you met online out with a TDL within 10 messages. Seeing as how we’re now in the throes of a pandemic, it’s okay to continue your conversation via the dating app for a little longer than 10 messages.

That being said, it’s still important to take the conversation out of the app before too long. While still on the app, she views you as just another Tinder dude. Once you have her phone number, her opinion and the label she assigns you will change. This upgrade in status means you can ask certain questions of her. It’s also is a signal that she values you more than others.

To build rapport both within the app and via text messages ask her questions about emotionally charged subjects including questions in one of the following four categories: family, favorites, hobbies, or pets. Discussing these subjects will elicit an emotional response, rather than a logical one, and dating is all about emotion and sensation (especially for women), not logic.

Only by opening her up emotionally will you be able to form a meaningful bond through dating exclusively online.

Avoid Talking About Work… And The Coronavirus

Work talk doesn’t generally elicit positive emotional responses. Naturally, work will come up, but in these uncertain times, it’s not what she wants to talk about. Neither, of course, will Covid-19. It’s these two things that engulf her daily life. Your job is to take her away from the quotidian.

Though if she wants to vent about work or the virus, let her. Being there for her when she needs you most will accelerate your social bond.

Ask her what she’ll do as soon as the virus ends. Ask her what restaurant she misses going to most and where she’ll vacation as soon as she’s able to. When you two run out of things to talk about, ask her to play a game.

Words with Friends, Scrabble online, and Clash of Titans are all awesome multiplayer mobile games you two can play, or if you have the same gaming console, why not play one of these games.

How to Book a Virtual Date

Texting can only do so much to form an emotional bond. To take things to the next level you’ll have to hear each other’s voices and see each other’s faces.

Scroll through Tinder right now and I guarantee you’ll see women offering to FaceTime or call. This is what the pandemic has done to people. Stick a woman in a room with her roommates and tell her not to leave for a few weeks and she’ll seek out fresh social interaction in novel ways. There’s only so much of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel one can watch (mostly because sadly there are only 3 seasons).

After you’ve built enough rapport suggest sharing a bottle of wine. Use a TDL when booking a virtual date. Message her, “hey would you like to share a glass of wine tonight at 6pm via Facetime?” If you don’t feel comfortable enough with FaceTime just ask her to talk via a call.

Seeing as how there are only so many things two strangers can talk about over a FaceTime call, make it known before the call that you can only chat for 30 minutes or so. Should the conversation flow, this will only make her want to converse with you even more and will give her something positive to look forward to.

Be Prepared To Overcome Her Objections

If she objects to your first TDL pitch, be ready with plan B. If she says she can’t meet today, suggest tomorrow at the same time. If she can’t make it a 6 pm suggest 8 pm. Try 3 times to overcome her objection before asking her when she’s available.

If you sense she needs to get to know you better before FaceTiming, suggest playing a multiplayer game.

Calling a stranger is admittedly an odd dynamic, pandemic or not. Give her time to warm up to you. God knows if there’s one thing we all have, it’s time.

So What’s Next?

Think of the pandemic this way.

For months you’ll be holed away in your cacoon like a caterpillar. But being in a cacoon of self-isolation doesn’t mean you aren’t growing. Like a caterpillar, you’re evolving -just out of sight. Once the virus passes, you’ll re-emerge as a smooth and suave butterfly, ready to flutter your wings and court away.

Being locked away gives you the time to hone your dating abilities. But this is a journey that you shouldn’t embark on alone. With me -your professional wingwoman- we’ll prepare you for the dating scene. We’ll create a dating plan that you can implement even now and ready you for the dating scene once we’re no longer sheltering in place.

Book a 1-on-1 New Client Skype session with me today to begin your process of romantic transformation. We’ll uncover things that might be holding you back from reaching your goals, create a strategy, and see if my 3 month coaching program could be right for you.