It seems so simple. You see a girl who catches your eye, so you ask her out. But truthfully, pursuing the woman of your dreams is easier said than done. What you should say or do is often overshadowed by the fear of rejection, leaving most men frozen in their tracks.

But the good news is that it does not have to be this difficult, as long as you do what comes naturally to you. So many men seek the advice of others when it comes to asking Ms. Right out on a date. The problem with this is that the preferences of outsiders tend to clash with the personal style of the individual, making for minimal success. As with anything in life, you cannot go wrong with being true to yourself.

And while the manner in which you ask a woman out is irrelevant, there are certain conditions to take into consideration before doing so. Read on to learn about five steps to get her to go out with you. You may recognize a lack of one or more of these practices in your own dating life, but it is never too late to improve your game. So, how do you ask her out?

One Thing at a Time

Consider the following scenario: you are at a house party, when you see a beautiful woman at the other end of the room. With a nice dose of “liquid confidence,” you approach her and start up a conversation. She seems nice enough, and no sooner than you learned her first name do you ask her out. Suddenly, she has to go “check on her friend.”

What went wrong here? Many guys make the mistake of treating women like lollipops in a candy store. “I’ll take that one!” They see a room filled with blondes, brunettes, and everything in between, and they think they can have their pick of whomever. In truth, women prefer to get better acquainted with a guy before moving onto any talk of a date. A better way to handle the above situation would be to use the night as an opportunity to get to know her. If (after some lengthy conversation) she or you are about to leave, then ask her if she would like to go out sometime. Never forget that women take longer to warm up than men do.

Get Her to Open Up

If you follow the above step by chatting with a woman, you should be able to tell if she is enjoying the conversation. Her body language, eye contact, and general response to you will speak volumes. If, on the other hand, she seems disinterested, you can either jump ship and move onto someone else, or continue engaging her.

If you choose the latter, try learning more about her. Ask her what her occupation is, who she knows at the party you two are at, what she does for fun, etc. While it is good to show interest in her, be careful to not lay it on too thick. With every response she gives, make sure to include some information about yourself to keep the conversation flowing. If, after a while, she seems to open up to you, then casually tell her you enjoyed talking with her and would like to see her again sometime. If she is still stone cold, move on. Do not ask her out.

Flatter Her