A matchmaker's guide to scoring dates (and finding love) this Christmas Love would be a pretty great Christmas present, actually. Linda Prescott has been making matches for 20 years. JOY to the world, they say. But if you're single at Christmas time (when plus-one invitations and loved-up merrymaking abound) it can be anything but joyful. Linda Prescott has been a matchmaker for two decades and she wants to bust you out of this lonely rut. Here are her tips to score a date this Yuletide. Be playful and bring out your inner flirt After 20 years in matchmaking, I can reassure you that people respond really well to a playful fun behaviour. There is definitely a balance when it comes to being flirty, if you are too flirty you can come across as easy or sleazy and we don't want that. Be cheeky with a few little comments but have a mischievous smile at the same time. A smile is very powerful because it tells someone you are having fun which makes the other person feel more comfortable. A few touches on someone's arm as you are telling a story, a flick of the hair (for girls), just have fun with it. Don't take dating too seriously. If you are too serious people can confuse that with boring. Dress to impress. Happy Couple Enjoying the Party Source: ThinkStock First impressions count and you only get one. When you decide you are serious about finding someone to share your life with be serious about looking your best. If you are unhappy with the way you feel, this can and will show when you meet someone new. If you are carrying extra weight - make some changes to your routine such as watch your diet and start some exercise. Does your wardrobe need a little bit of a revamp? Being the Christmas period, there are some great sales on at the moment. Take the time to spoil yourself and add a few extra pieces to your wardrobe that can mix and match can make all the difference. Looking good makes you feel good, which leads to my next point ... Always have a positive attitude. People are attracted to people who have a positive demeanour. Next time you walk away from a date think to yourself "I had a good time." Thinking positive will make you want to spend more time with that person and get to know them. The right partner will be able to bring out the best in you and vice versa, so next time you want to talk doom and gloom - zip it. Always talk about positive things on early dates. Plan some conversation starters prior to the date such as food, travel, music and current goals. Bad topics are work, religion and finance. After hearing about thousands of successful dates I can assure you that if someone has a fun time with that person, even if they were unsure if there is a romantic connection, they will always ask to take them on a second date! Let your circle know you are open to meeting someone genuine. Your friends know you best, so let them know you're looking. If finding someone to share your life with is a serious priority, put it out there! Do up a brief profile on yourself with a nice accurate photo and send it off to your friends and colleagues who might have a friend in mind. By telling people you know and trust to also tell everyone they know that you are ready to meet single, genuine, people who are looking to meet someone like you. Another way is to list five "deal breakers" that the potential match must have - for example; must live within 2 hours of you, nonsmoker, no children and wanting to have children in the future - at the end of your list state that you are interested in catching up with these people for them to email you. You'll be pleasantly surprised with the results! Get out there and experience new things. It's no secret that if you keep going to the same places you won't meet anyone different but sometimes we need to be reminded. During the Christmas period there are a lot of people out and about, get a group of people together on a Friday afternoon and go somewhere you have never been before. This time of year is one of the only times I would say you have a good chance of meeting genuine people in bars because there are more people out and about for work Christmas parties and end of year drinks. And above all - be open to finding love Give people a chance and don't be too quick to judge. It's such an important thing when looking for love because sometimes (and usually) the best partners are the ones you wouldn't have normally chosen, which is why you might still be single. Forget about having a 'type' of person you are looking for. That doesn't work. Remember the list of the five deal breakers we made earlier? Stick to it. Don't date people that you know you aren't compatible with, this will never work out. Most importantly, look at the 'why tos' rather than the 'why nuts'.