I want to look at the actual importance of an opening; the question being: is it the most important part of pick up or maybe the least?
I usually go with the latter statement but I also accept that in some situations the “opener” can be more of a major factor than in other circumstances.
However, I stick by my opinion that it is never beneficial when one is putting too much energy and emphasis into a fixed a routine, or getting hung up too much on that killer opener.
There’s nothing wrong with a beginner having a fixed routine just so he can get used to the feeling of approach, and vanquishing the fear of opening a complete stranger. But after the general dread of the opening has gone, its best to move away from the fixed routines relatively quickly, and begin to work on progressing your game. A fixed routine, can after a while, become yet another comfort zone that has replaced the old one.
Here Is My Take On The Approach
Generally, I teach my students to experiment with as many different openers a possible, from the dull and mundane situational observations to the extreme and ridiculous statements.
What is vital is not so much the content of the opening but more the frame of mind before the approach, and of course the…
RESPONSE TO HER REACTION
Or the
REACTION TO HER RESPONSE
I want to discuss this part in greater detail in my next column, because now I want to keep on discussing the frame of mind (pre-approach) and the actual openings.
But briefly what I mean when I say “reaction to responses,” is that no matter how fantastic and wonderful the opener you gave your target was- it can be totally fruitless if it is not taken to the next level. It’s like having a killer intro of a song, (imagine your particular fave intro) so here it is building and building to that crescendo and then being suddenly followed up by a lullaby, what an anti climax! This happens all too often when too much emphasis is put on to a brilliant opener or routine.
Saying that, there are always exceptions to the rules. For example the circumstances and the energy or mood of the target must be taken in to account.
If for instance, she is casually strolling, and taking in the sunshine at her leisure then she is more likely to stop and listen to what you have to say than one who is walking forcefully down a crowded road with a look of bother on her face. Therefore to stop the latter in her tracks and distract her from where she is intending to get to, one has to make sure the opening is a little more or a lot more (choice is yours) than a gentle “hey” Even so, the response/reaction to her response/reaction is still in my opinion more vital to master.
Frame Of Mind In Pre-Approach
No matter what gem you’ve got up your sleeve, your frame of mind must always remain high status and positive. Regardless of situation and target.
I tell all my students to write out a list, of what they require in their ideal woman, not physically. For instance is she funny? Political? Maternal? A smoker? Drinker? Is she ambitious? Does he like woman who can laugh at them selves? Does he like woman who has a interest in current affairs? What puts him off? Someone who is vulgar? Ignorant?
In other words, BE FUSSY! Be fussy as much as us girls are! He will find himself going in to the approach automatically with a tick box, does she fit the criteria? Is she good enough for me? Not am I good enough for her? Reverse the pattern!
Also this will make him much less outcome dependent, and if he’s not outcome dependent then there can be no rejection.
Noun
Rejection - the act of rejecting something; “his proposals were met with rejection”
If he has yet to decided whether she’s met his expectations or ticked enough boxes for him to ask for her number, or offers his then that means he is going in to “set,” without any chance of rejection. Only once he has decided she is worthy enough to take his number (or ask for hers,) does he enter the point when rejection could occur. But to be honest by that stage, if she has told him so much about herself, and providing he has remained in high status through out, the chances of rejection are slim.
When he spots his target, what should not be going on in his head, is the following:
“Wow she hot, right, lets see, what should I do? I hope she likes me, I need to get this girls number, she’s so hot, I hope I don’t fuck this one up etc.”
This will immediately put him in low status, it will put pressure on the situation because he has become so “outcome dependent” and he might even build her up so much that he will not go through with it after all.
Non-PUAs spot an attractive woman, and make up their mind there and then that they want to take her to bed, regardless of whether she’s a bitch or she smokes or she’s dull. This will automatically make him approach the target at a lower status and totally fixated on the outcome, so much so that he will give up all his principles and let her trample on his pride so he can get her to bed.
What should be going on in his mind?
“She’s cute, yeah at least an 8, but what else does she have to offer? I’m going to have myself a little chat with this and see if she funny, nice, political, sexy” whatever his tick boxes require to be ticked.
This will immediately put him in high status, his body language will become more alpha, he will keep his principles and pride in tact, and since he’s not outcome dependent, it will free him from any pressure he might have had otherwise.
So remember: pre-approach frame of mind is more important than the opening line as is also the reaction/response to here response/reaction.
I will leave you with 2 conversations, one resulting with a tried and tested positive opener and the other with a dull opener, each resulting differently NOT because of the material in the opener but with what comes after.
Jack: “Hey- you look like a fairly stylish girl, I was wondering if I could get your opinion on something”
Hb: “Sure”
Jack: “The thing is, its my friend Tanya’s birthday next week, and she kinda has your physique and coloring and I was wondering if you could suggest a knock me dead outfit that I could get her?”
Hb: “Sure- em, what’s your budget”
Jack: “£200″
Hb: “Ok, then I would say a corset, if she has my body then a corset would suit her”
Jack: “A corset, cool”
Hb: “Yeah”
Jack: “Cool, erm, what color”
Hb: “Hmm well if she’s got my coloring then I would say yellow or maybe black”
Jack: “Yellow or black? Cool- do you think she’d like that”
Hb: “Er, well I guess, which girl wouldn’t like an item of clothing for £200″
Jack: “Cool, yeah your probably right. So who are you here with tonight?”
So many hooks, so many avenues, great opener….but what an anti climax right?
After the opening, as good as it was, comes the point where she is reminded she is talking to a total stranger, what happens next? Barriers go up, and everything else after that becomes un natural and desperate.
Lets look at this one.
Jack: “Hey, great music here tonight”
Hb: “Its ok”
Jack: “Ha- if I was in a club where I thought the music was just ok – I would leave”
Hb: “Yeah?”
Jack: “Defiantly, why would someone stick around if the music was lame?”
Hb: ” I never said it was lame”
Jack: “Yeah, but you never said it was great either”
Hb: “Well, it’s ok”
Jack: “See there you go again- back to that boring word ok, you should try being more adventurous in your choice of words”
Hb: ” Like what?”
Jack: “Like, I think the music here is weak, or its plain or monotonous, pick one!”
Hb: “Ok, it’s monotonous”
Jack: “That’s true it is a bit, I guess you must hate rap, that can be monotonous”
Hb: “No, I like rap”
Jack: “You don’t strike me as a ghetto girl”
Hb: “I’m not really” (laughs)
Jack: “Too late babe- tonight I’m going to know you as Ghetto Queen”
This shows how a boring opener with a non-responsive girl can be more effective if done correctly than a great opener with a responsive girl!





October 8th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I’ve read little bits about how the girl needs to meet your standards rather than you meeing hers, but I love the fact that it is all laid out so clearly and defined in this post.
The frame of mind in the pre-approach is a really interesting topic, something which I’ve not really considered before. The idea of being fussy and have a list of boxes the girl needs to tick is awesome, especially as it means the guy won’t give all of himself away immediately he’ll hold himself back a little and that will prevent him from looking over-eager.
And I totally get how just having this aspect of inner-game controlled and mastered will save a lot of time wasted in opening sets with the wrong frame of mind.
Also it adopts a natural method of gaming, and thats something I think most of us are here to learn- natural seduction, not the recyled routines and tricks that are drowning the community at the moment. Good stuff!
October 9th, 2008 at 4:46 am
Me again. I had some more thoughts on this last night, in particular regards to the opener.
The opener itself, surely it’s only purpose is to open a set right? All it is meant to do is to provoke a reaction from the set. So whatever is said doesn’t really matter, because after the opener you should then go into natural game anyway. Like Style proved with his ‘do you brush or floss?’ opener, it really doesn’t matter what is said, just so long as you open the group. After that it’s down to natural conversation skills.
In the example above with the guy talking to the girl about the corset he probably put too much dependency on the subject of his opener to carry the conversation, but I don’t think that makes it a bad opener or un-suitable. I just think he would need to work on discovering those threads where conversations can lead. For example the girl says “which girl wouldn’t like an item of clothing for £200?”… that could easily lead on to a teasing comment just like in the second example where the guy calls the girl a “ghetto girl”.
So my thoughts are, that is doesn’t matter what you open with (even canned material) just so long as you don’t rely on it to carry the conversation. Just consider the opener as just that- the opener, it opens, but it by itself, won’t keep the conversation open.
p.s. someone else comment on this post…please. lol
October 9th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Openers are not just a way to “open” a set. It opens you up to endless possibilities of conversational threads…IF YOU JUST LISTEN. That last opener was great because it was obvious that he was listening and responding.
The first opener was more of him running that thread til it died. Then tried to open another thread. Doesn’t work as well than if you cut off the thread and then asked that question in between, multi-threading.
Or he could have made a comment about the corset. He could have made a comment about the color. Or even the comment about spending the money on clothing for a friend.
So many options but didn’t capitalize. It was almost as if he just waited til she answered it to get to the next question. You can go into natural game from the opener…like the second opener shows.
I’m babbling at this point. I just didn’t want Richard to be alone here. lol
October 15th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Hey there, I’m from New Zealand and boy does this post make sense! Checking all the boxes instantly makes you more comfortable and appear confident, our PU lines in NZ usually include very broken threads like
guy : “hey…”
girl : “hi!!! =)”
guy : “how are you today?”
girl : “gooood? =)”
The kinda stuff you get from a clothing store assistant, not only weak and awkward but embarrasing for any mates in the area.
Thanks again for the brilliant advice!
October 18th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Nice to see a post from a woman. I often find the way women present information much more matter-of-fact and less manipulative than when men try to convey the same ideas. I know this sound like the oppposite of what most guys out there think, but hear me out…
You see, when most guys go about teaching openers the main goal is to get the woman talking, then they can go on to talk the woman into liking them. This puts the woman (at least temporarily) in the position of power. And that’s about as far as the opener goes. The thing that I like about Kezia’s approach is that it takes the power element and objectifies it. It makes the opener an even playing ground where both parties can feel each other out, which is much more natural and comfortable. Let’s admit it guys, women are good at this shit, so let them be the ones trying to convince you into liking them.
Anyways, that’s my 2 cents, for what it’s worth…
Nice post Kezia.
- Ross