Learning to manage your dating life like you manage your business life can make matchmaking websites and online dating more effective and fun.

When you have a successful career, your dating life can easily fall off the agenda. But dating doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You can meet fabulous new matches outside of your social circle by online dating without making it a time consuming process. So, consider this an executive brief on cyber flirting efficiency. Get your legal pads ready, because our meeting starts now!

I. Scheduling Perfection

Manage your dating life; don’t let your matchmaking website accounts control you. You can remain proactive by setting daily goals to check the status of your accounts. Whether you’re dedicating 20 minutes to each account or committed to signing out only after you’ve sent five witty messages, getting specific with numbers will help you develop a routine that fits your lifestyle.

II. Downloadable Apps

Your thumbs are attached to your iPhone anyway, so you may as well download some apps to assist in your dating life too. Every major site has a mobile app that will notify you when you get a wink or message, assuring that you can stay connected even while you’re boarding the red eye to New York.

III. Flirting Channels

While it may seem contradictory to the term “efficient,” putting your profile on multiple dating sites is integral to online dating success. Join one big dating site and one niche site based on your interests. You’ll meet a broader group of singles than if you just stick with what you know. After all, no one gets ahead by staying in their comfort zone.

IV. Take Initiative

In your executive life, people come to you when they need something. Where your online love life is concerned, you’re the one who wants something, so go get it! Being proactive by reaching out to your matches is a must for both women and men. The dynamics of dating are different when we’re talking digital. If you show up on page 20 of your perfect match’s search results, they simply might not come across your profile!

V. Embrace Excel

If you thought Microsoft Office was only for your professional life, think again. Excel is a great tool for organizing communications across dating platforms. Most sites delete your message history after a mere 30 days. It would be embarrassing if you sent a first email to someone who blew you off a couple months prior, right? Plus, you can keep notes about your matches without worrying that the details will vanish after a long meeting.

VI. Online Optimization

Even the best profiles need an update every few months. Not only will it keep your virtual first impression fresh, but it will also bump you to the top of your match’s searches on most sites – instant dating optimization. Add a few new photos, update the text and you’ve given yourself a digital facelift!

VII. Follow Up

We’ve all done it — checked our e-mail when we didn’t really have the time to respond and forgot to reply. You wouldn’t let a business lead fall off the radar because they didn’t email you back, right? You’d simply follow up. Well, the same applies for your dating life. Be aware that digital silence doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not interested. Following up shows that you’re still interested and gives your match that perfect opportunity to continue the conversation.

VIII. Don’t Mention The Competition

Dating online means that you have access to potentially thousands of singles with a few keystrokes, but that doesn’t make it OK to talk about your other experiences with a match. Discussing or asking about other dates is a surefire way to kill any budding chemistry. Whether you’re e-mailing, chatting on the phone or sharing a bottle of wine, focus on the two of you. Be confident enough in your strengths to keep your competition out of conversation.

IX. Give a Call To Action

Online dating is all about getting offline. Within three e-mail exchanges, you should be setting up a time to meet or talk on the phone. Ladies, don’t be afraid to ask him out. We’re focusing on keeping your online life time-sensitive! Chivalry can and should happen when you’re on the date.

X. Screening & Synergy

A first date is not a first date. And I’m not joking. Use it as a chance to have real-time conversation and see if chemistry exists, but try not to judge too much. Rather than looking for fireworks which are unrealistic for meeting an almost-stranger for the first time, think in terms of synergy. Do the two of you together have the potential to enhance each other’s lives? If the answer is yes, get more romantic the next time you meet on your real first date.

Overall, putting some basic best practices in place will help streamline your dating life. Before you know it, you’ll be experiencing first date magic!

Copyright © Laurie Davis/2010 Singular Communications, LLC.