Forget asking your friends for relationship advice. If you want to find a guy, ask a guy.
In particular, one who knows the dating game, perhaps one who has his own NBC reality show, “Ready for Love,” and has just released a book “How To Get the Guy.”
Matthew Hussey, British matchmaker extraordinaire, certainly had a lot of ladies seeking his counsel at a talk he did at the Stepping Out Studios near the Flatiron District last week.
Early on, Hussey tells the all-female audience, “Stop being blinded by appearance. Remind yourself how bored you will be with a guy who isn’t [the qualities you desire] but is beautiful.”
Easy for him to say. Matthew Hussey looks like a matinee idol. He also has a British accent.
No wonder the Get the Guy Web site is flooded with comments like, “Oh, what to do when you have a crush on your relationship guru? I love you.”
The audience at the lecture can’t seem to stop cooing over him, either.
“I think he’s hilarious,” said Alex, 23, an assistant producer from the Upper East Side. “I saw him on TV. A woman said she felt like a hag, and he replied, saying ‘Don’t plant an insecurity in someone’s mind,’ and I thought, ‘I want to hear what else this guy has to say.’ ”
But the question remains: If you are really struggling, how effective are Hussey’s lessons going to be?
Much of his advice seems surprisngly practical. Read on for how to meet your man, Hussey style:
■ If someone says they are an accountant, and you do not know what to ask, say, “What’s the best thing to ask an accountant?”
People will tell you what they want to be asked.
■ Start a “happy hour” for your friends to meet every two weeks. It gives you a casual place to invite a guy you’re interested in.
■ Touch men! Quickly! On the pectorals! Using the back of your hand!
■ Stop asking so many questions. Instead of saying “Can you make the movies on Saturday?” just say, “Come with me to the movies on Saturday!” People are bad at making decisions.
■ Many people meet through social activities. Try using a site like meetup.com, which helps people with shared interests form off-line groups.
■ Try to be more than one thing. Many people, Hussey explains, just come across as “nice” or “sexy.” You will do better if you find a way to show many sides of your personality, for instance, by being “sexy but also classy.”
Or maybe you could be “menacing but whimsical” like a Disney villain. You decide!
If you’re still confused as to how to bag your beau, Hussey spends the last portion of his lecture telling women that they can attend his five-day, “life-changing” course for a mere $5,000.
And what about Hussey? Has he found the love of his life?
“In the past few days,” says Hussey, “All these journalists have asked me whether or not I’m single. That’s not the right question. Ask me whether or not I’m happy. You’re making the barometer for success whether or not you’re in a relationship.”
So, he’s probably single! And making an unconscionable amount of money! Go invite him to your next happy hour.