What to Do When a Woman Rolls Her Eyes or Walks Away

Let her go. Do not follow her, do not call after her and do not ask what you did. Give one calm, polite line if the moment allows it, then turn and do something else. When you cold approach women in person, an eye roll or a walk-away is a clear signal, and the right response to a clear signal is to respect it and keep your composure.

An eye roll usually means she is irritated, tired of being approached, or guarded. A walk-away means she does not want the conversation. Neither one is a comment on your value as a man, and neither is an invitation to try harder.

a dating coach points out that the more attractive a woman is, the more often she is approached, and the more likely she is to be "a little bit icy." Her coldness may have been built by dozens of earlier men before you.

Sometimes the cause is something you can adjust. a dating coach says that if you are getting rejected on the opener more than roughly a third of the time, the problem is the opener itself. Look at tonality: sounding unsure with everything ending as a question, speaking too quietly to be heard, and not smiling.

Check your position too. If you cut across her path at a sharp angle and she had to stop, her reaction may be to the approach, not to you.

If she is still within earshot, say one short line: "No problem. Have a good one." Say it calmly, with no sarcasm. If she has already turned and left, say nothing.

Never follow with an explanation, a second attempt or a comment on her attitude. A woman who walks away from a stranger is acting reasonably, and chasing her converts a mild moment into an unpleasant one.

Keep your shoulders down and your eyes up. Do not slump, shake your head or exhale loudly. You want to look like a man who was friendly and is now moving on.

If your hands shake, put them in motion: take out your phone, check your pocket, turn and walk. It does not matter what you do, as long as you leave with your composure.

Before you do anything else, breathe out slowly. Your body has just been told you were rejected, and it reacts with a rush. A breath is the fastest way to settle it, and it is far better than going straight into another approach while your heart is racing.

The danger is not the eye roll. The danger is what you expect afterwards. a dating coach says a man who braces for a bad reaction tends to get one, because his eye contact, body language and tone all change. He gives the cure: lower the bar for a good outcome. A friendly hello is a win.

So go again within ten minutes. Pick someone you would like to talk to, say hello, ask a real question. If one rough night has made you afraid to try again, approach anxiety after getting rejected badly is a good read.

Nobody likes this part, and almost every man who approaches women has to get used to it. It is far easier with a coach who stands a few steps away and tells you what you did well and what to change.

At a Cold Approach Bootcamp, you get live coaching on every approach and feedback after every set, including the ones that end with a walk-away. It runs in Miami and New York. Group is three consecutive days at three students per coach, and Private is one, two or three days one-on-one, each day with two four-hour blocks. There is no skill floor, so a man who is afraid of exactly this is welcome. You leave with a written practice plan.