Get the full dating spectrum, in Exec Digital's February issue!
So this guy walks into a bar….
And realizes he’s already met every girl in the place.
If this sounds all too familiar, chances are you’re in need of some help. Not the kind of help a three day bender will provide, but one that will sustain you emotionally, physically and mentally. It’s called a committed relationship, folks, and it’s time you got yourself one.
You don’t have time to get your assistant a birthday present, let alone find the energy to try out the city’s dating scene. While you might get lucky after pounding back a few cold brews at the local pub, this is 2012. If you’re interested in a committed relationship, there are ways around another one-night stand.
For some the answer might be Patti Stanger, a third generation, old-school matchmaker who has the skills to keep her success rating in the 90th percentile, while grabbing the nation’s attention with her brash commentary and enviable entourage.
The title is hardly elusive– the Millionaire’s Club is a matchmaking company dedicated to execs that make much more than six figures. Developed more than a decade ago by veteran matchmaker Stanger, the matchmaking heir has revolutionized today’s modern dating scene (and I’m not talking about her Bravo reality show) by turning back the clock and focusing on the individual rather than the algorithm.
“We are essentially headhunters for love,” said Millionaire’s Club COO and Patti’s right-hand man Destin Pfaff. Headhunting starts with a screening process to determine if you’re a right fit, a series of paperwork, maybe a little makeover or two, and eventually some carefully matched dates.
“There’s a human factor, so everybody is going to be treated a bit differently. We’re not a computer database,” Pfaff says. “It’s done on guts; it’s done on intuition; it’s done with feeling – so if we get the wrong feeling from a guy, we’ll tell them.”
Now Patti’s family heirloom has turned finding love into a South African safari, with Patti acting as guide; a guide that provides services you’d find in a five-star hotel: around the clock support, individual attention, and hands-on service until the desired product is delivered. “[Members] aren’t paying for a website; they’re paying for our time.” And when every second counts, time is your most valuable commodity.
With more than 30,000 women in their database, and roughly 15 men per matchmaker, you can bet they’re going to be paying attention to your needs. Though The Millionaire’s Club doesn’t preach marriage, it marks success in finding a life-mate. With Patti, she won’t stop the hunt until you’ve found your prey.
As significant as managing time plays a role in your dating life, you’ve always got time for your Smartphone. In a world obsessed with the latest gadget, online dating site OkCupid.com marketed today’s biggest bulk, alternating the universe by offering a dating site that can be accessed anywhere. Scanning for weekend dates can happen as seamlessly from the line at Starbucks to the comfort of your own sofa, so long as you keep up your profile.
Build a community, and dates will come. The trick with OkCupid is not just that it’s free, it’s data. “Our site is built around an analytical approach,” says co-founder and CEO Sam Yagan. “Our approach is that there really isn’t someone who has all the answers.” Other sites might have a psychologist on their side, he says, but you can’t always believe one person: have a conversation, pushes Sam, and that’s a success.
Meeting someone can be based on numbers, if you know your trigger point. Just think about it, even if your best friend sets you up, in the end it’s all about chemistry. “As a dating site, we can filter the wheat from the chaff,” says Yagan. The digital approach is to find someone to have a conversation with that might initiate a relationship spark. “We’re not saying, ‘THIS is your soul mate.’ We’re a pre-qualification service.”
Timing is everything when OkCupid’s qualifications are divvied, and that’s where GPS tips and free services – to enable everyone a record-worthy response time – can facilitate all types of relationships. Data is involved, but OkCupid’s rhythm eliminates anyone who might not record a conversation with you – instantly speeding up the process when it comes time to date, or simply converse.
