7 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Open Membership

I have just celebrated my one year anniversary of working at Maclynn and I would like to share some of my top tips to optimising your Open Membership.

During my time at Maclynn, I have easily been through over 3,000 Open Member profiles, and had close to a 1,000 calls and meetings with very eligible singletons all across the globe. Every single individual I speak to is looking for something different when it comes to their ideal partner, whether it be their location, age, background, interests or values. One thing they all have in common is that they are looking for a partner to have a serious and committed relationship with.

For many, they have exhausted the online dating scene, swiping for hours on end until they give up and delete the app for the third time. Others tend to be newly single, perhaps separated or divorced and terrified of stepping out into the ‘dating scene’ or don’t even know where to start. If technology isn’t your friend, I recommend dipping your toe into the world of offline dating; you and I can have a chat over the phone and create your Maclynn profile and Open Membership.

Open Membership is passive and therefore many new members feel the pressure to make their profile stand out. I would like to share my top tips on how to get the most out of your Open Membership.

Be open minded – It is very easy to have tick boxes when it comes to the perfect partner, but have you ever considered opening up your criteria? I’m not saying you should start accepting dates from any Tom, Dick or Harry, but open your mind up a little. As an Open Member, we won’t be proactively searching for you, so unless something is a deal-breaker for you, I would suggest you are open with your preferences. For example, being open to a 10 year age range, or not restricting yourself to a 20 mile radius from where you live. If we approach you with a potential match and they don’t quite suit your preferences, you can still say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to being introduced.
The ability to take a good photo – First impressions count. Maclynn’s matchmakers share a brief snapshot of a potential match, but it is likely that the photo will play a big role in helping you decide if you want to meet that individual. Good quality, lighting and a smile can go a long way, check out our blog on how to take a good photo.
Be honest – We will ask questions about your career, interests, family background and values, past relationships and what qualities you would like to see in your future partner. We don’t necessarily share this information with a potential match, but with the knowledge of our client in mind, this is very useful for us to know if the two of you are a good match. If we introduce two people, we want to know that it is authentic and appropriate, if you have some skeletons in the closet it is much better for us to know. Be sure to read our terms when signing up as an Open Member!
Step out of your comfort zone – You’re single and are likely to have had some experiences with dating and relationships. It’s not every day that you speak to a love guru, so take advantage of working with a relationship expert. Ask for their advice and listen to feedback, even if it’s slightly out of your comfort zone – what have you got to lose?
Positivity – It’s easy to feel like you’re stuck in a rut with dating but signing up to a matchmaking service should be exciting. This is a whole new avenue of dating that you are yet to explore, so ask as many questions as you like and approach it with a positive mindset.
Patience – Although we have success stories of love at first match, it’s not always the case, so be patient. As an Open Member it may be a case of waiting until we take on a new Private Member that is perfectly aligned to you, in which case we will be in touch! If you’re in London I recommend you come along to one of our singles’ events, it’s a great chance to meet other members and introduce yourself to Maclynn’s matchmaking team. And if you really want to make things move quickly, why don’t you consider our Private Membership options? 85% of our Private Members are matched successfully in the first 12 months.
Put time into your profile – Whether you are typing up your profile or having a 15 minute chat with me, it is useful to put some time aside to enhance your profile. We match based on an alignment of core values, have a think about what your core values are and how you’d like them to be reflected in a partner. Have they originated from lessons your parents taught you or have they changed as you’ve grown up and moved through different relationships and stages in life?