The Smart Woman's Cheat Sheet: 10 How-To Tricks

5. How to Perfect Your Dating Profile

Anybody can say they're smart, thoughtful and funny...so that's what everybody does. Your goal is to compose a 200-word profile that shows off your assets as only you can. That means details.

Think of five things you like to do and write a one-line story for each. For example, "I'm a sports fan" becomes "I never miss a Red Sox game"; "I like eating out" becomes "I'm a sucker for Indian buffets," and "Reading is my passion" becomes "I devour everything by John Irving." This will help the guy get a better sense of how he would fit into your life. Use your best lines, then sit back and watch the responses roll in.

Bonus Tip: It goes without saying that your primary photo should be one that was taken during the past year. But keep in mind that the more natural shot of you walking outdoors or at a picnic with your family will probably draw a higher-quality crowd than a hot photo of you in your clubbing gear.

Source: Evan Marc Katz, CEO of E-Cyrano.com, an online dating-profile writing service and author of Why You're Still Single (Plume, 2006)