Guys, I want you all to listen carefully, because I’m trying to help you. Think of me as your coach, reviewing strategies with you for the big game. If you’ve been failing to close the deal with women, it might be that your playbook is out of date. If you want a better chance at scoring, follow my advice.

I’ve been writing about relationships for a long time, but there are some important things that I’ve never put in writing before. Disclaimer: I’m not much of a sports fan, but I do know how to win on the field of romance, so I’m trying to put my best advice for you in a way that you’ll grasp easily. Here are the basic rules of the game:

1. In sports or romance, winning depends on your skill, your strategy and just as importantly, how much work you’re willing to put into it.

2. “Unnecessary roughness” is against the rules, whether it’s physical or verbal – or forgetting anniversaries or birthdays!

3. Remember: you’re in it to win it, so keep a positive attitude.

4. Poor performance on a regular basis could lead to you being traded.

5. You’re not going to hit a home run every time you’re at bat. Remember this.

6. Play nice, don’t forget to say thank you and please.

7. Know the rules before you play and keep in mind that depending on the players, different rules may apply.

8. Size up the competition – what gives you the advantage?

9. Be open to learning new moves.

10. Stay true to your team mate.

11. Always remember your protective gear to prevent accidents!

12. If you get overwhelmed, take a timeout to think things over before giving up.

13. Play to your strengths.

14. Keep private business private. Locker room boasting is for losers.

15. Before you jump ship to another team, make sure you’re really getting a better deal!

16. Let her know that she’s your “MVP.”

17. Don’t keep score. Love isn’t about points.

Additional Tips

Here’s a few things that men in my past did that definitely stuck to the important rules of the game. They might not be on my team anymore, but I’ll always think fondly of them for the thoughtful things they did for me:

“DAVE” took my mom for a fancy dinner on her birthday; he was trying to score points with me as well as learning more about me by talking to her – and it most certainly worked!

“SAM” picked me up from a long day at work and took me home, where I discovered that he’d fully stocked my refrigerator and pantry to save me time and effort – he knew how stressful my job could be and the long hours I worked and it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.

“SCOTT” gave me full use of his apartment when we were dating. I was free to eat anything from his fridge, answer the phone when I was there and keep things in my own drawer in between visits.

I hope some of these lessons will stay with you. With these strategies in your playbook, your performance can’t help but improve! However, remember that in the game of love, we don’t necessarily always win, so if your contract doesn’t get renewed, pick yourself up and get back out there! The more you practice, the better you’ll be and if your goal is to win, keep at it!