I was recently talking to a Brentwood friend about the local dating scene. Depending on one’s perspective, Los Angeles is either the place with the most options for a single person to choose from – or the city that makes even the most desirable people single.
Los Angeles has the highest number of single households in the country at 54%. The national average is 28%. If LA has so many singles, why do Angelenos have such a hard time finding one another?
The answer might be found in a research study conducted by Sheena Iyengar, professor of business at Columbia University and the author of “The Art of Choosing†.
Professor Iyengar and her research assistants set up a booth at a California market offering samples of Wilken & Son’s jams. Every few hours, they switched from offering a selection of 24 jam samples to a selection of only 6 jams.
More customers were attracted to the large selection (60%), while only 40% were attracted to the smaller selection. But here’s where it gets interesting: 30% of the customers who were presented with the smaller selection actually bought the jam, while only 3% who checked out the 24 samples made a purchase.
“While the presence of choice might be appealing as a theory,†Professor Iyengar said, “in reality, people might find more and more choice to actually be debilitating.â€
Are most Angelenos single because there are too many choices? And does Internet dating make matters even worse because it’s so easy to “sample†hundreds of offerings? And how much time is wasted before you determine someone you thought you’d click with really wasn’t for you – or maybe wasn’t really the same person as presented online?
So how does one go about finding a mate in the city with so many possible choices? More organically, that’s how. Many couples are introduced by a mutual friend. Research shows that women who have the most girlfriends are more likely to find a long-term relationship or get married. That works great before the age of 28, but then what?
In Los Angeles, more and more people are turning to professional matchmakers. At Organic Matchmaker we spend all day every day reviewing hundreds of options for our clients and narrow down their choices to a few hand-selected options based on a member’s selection criteria. The problem of “too many choices†typical of online dating sites – or just living in LA – is thereby eliminated. We do the pre-screening for our members so they don’t have to.
If both parties to a potential introduction agree, a meeting is arranged. Nothing beats face-to-face. I’ve heard stories of people who spent weeks “falling in love†via email exchanges, only to be disappointed once they actually met.
We urge people to “get right to it†and meet for hors d’oeuvres and maybe a drink at a nice restaurant or bar. Coffee is too rushed and casual, not taken seriously. But dinner is “too much,†fraught with hidden messages, unrealistic expectations – and no escape if the chemistry isn’t right. Plus it’s more expensive.
We host several fun, informal and non-intimidating events; our experts provide personalized coaching that can take many forms (physical, emotional, etc.); I will work with you one on one as we seek out someone who is right for you.
We have a great track record and we are proud of our many happy clients. This is a team effort and we’re on your side.
If you just spent another Valentine’s Day wishing you weren’t alone, consider working with a Matchmaker. Next year you could be celebrating with someone special! Be sure to ask for the “Brentwood Special†.
Kristina Lynn is the CEO of Organic Matchmaker. Interested Brentwood singles of both sexes are encouraged to visit
www.OrganicMatchmaker.com
