Rules of the Game by Neil Strauss Page B

group of people you don’t know without hitting on anyone or showing any romantic interest. If you do this well enough, soon she’ll be asking you those generic questions.
    The following guide includes the basics of using and developing these openers. Tomorrow, you’ll learn two additional techniques to make them nearly failsafe.
Types of Openers
    A successful opener serves four basic objectives:
    It’s nonthreatening and makes no one uncomfortable.
    It stirs up curiosity and captures the person’s or group’s imagination.
    It’s a springboard for follow-up conversation.
    It serves as a vehicle for you to display your personality.
    There are many different types and classes of openers. These include:
    Direct openers, in which the man shows his romantic or sexual interest right away;
    Situational openers, in which the man comments on something in the environment;
    Indirect openers, in which the man initiates a spontaneous, entertaining conversation that is not about the woman or the environment.
    All of these openers can work, but the first two often fall into the “How about some dick?” category. It’s okay to use them, but only if the woman is initially interested in you or predisposed to be attracted to you. And even then they may not always work.
    I prefer indirect openers because, when performed correctly, they work 95 percent of the time. And those are pretty good odds in this game, or any game.
    Most indirect openers are premeditated and scripted. It may seem contrived and unnatural to prepare something to say, but when you have a conversation starter ready to go at any time, you don’t have to hesitate and try to think of something clever to say every time you see a woman you find attractive.
    Eventually you’ll be able to start a successful interaction by spontaneously saying just about anything. For now, though, think of indirect scripted openers as training wheels—ones that work so well many guys never want to remove them.
Before the Opener
    The game begins before you open your mouth.
    Because the initial approach is such a critical moment, everything from your body language to your energy level takes on extra significance. Here are a few points to keep in mind when approaching a woman or a group of strangers:
    Always have something better to do than meeting women. As soon as you start staring at, evaluating, or ogling a woman in front of you, even if she can’t see you, you’ve just lost every woman behind you. The reason is not just that you may seem creepy and desperate, but also that you don’t seem interesting, fun, or worth meeting.
    Everyone wants to be with the most popular person in the room.Since most groups in public settings don’t know each other, all you need to do is create the illusion of being popular in that moment. From the second you walk in, be engrossed in an animated conversation with your friends. Smile, laugh, have fun, and enjoy one another’s company.
    Then, when you notice someone you want to approach, wheel around and start a conversation. Don’t hesitate or waste time assessing the situation. The art of the approach is the art of spontaneity. If you wait too long, either she’ll notice you scoping her out and get creeped out—or, more likely, you’ll think about it for too long, get nervous, and talk yourself out of approaching.
    Don’t face the person or group head-on when you first approach. It’s too direct and confrontational. Instead, turn your head and ask over your shoulder. Your goal is to give the impression that you’re on your way somewhere else and just pausing briefly to ask some random people a quick question en route. Once the group begins to enjoy the conversation, you may turn and face them.
    Don’t hover over or lean into the person or group. If you’re competing with loud music or they’re seated, just stand up straighter and talk louder. If all goes well,