Your Coach Awaits: Daters in Vancouver Get A Little Help

By Alana Berg

VANCOUVER - We may not be reinventing the wheel anytime soon, but we've yet to grow tired of revamping the “how to’s” of the dating world. There may be hope for those aspiring Casanovas out there, as dating experts prove money can buy you love (or at the very least a first date!). Perhaps a sign of our busy, harried times, the phenomemon of dating coaches for men has been on the rise in Vancouver lately, grabbing the attention of casual daters and soul-mate seekers alike. Cynical singles can attest - the trials and tribulations of finding a match made in Vancouver can be a daunting task at best, so maybe we need more than a little help from our friends after all

In an effort to better understand why the use of a dating coach is gaining popularity and changing the dating landscape in Vancouver, I caught up with dating expert Zach Browman. Browman is the brains behind Social Fluency, a Vancouver-based company specializing in attraction coaching for men. At the age of 33, Browman now recalls a time when he felt it necessary to re-evaluate his approach with women, following a long streak of bad luck with the ladies. He began a quest of self improvement which ultimately brought him to Boston, where he trained with an industry expert who later asked Browman to run coaching workshops in L.A., San Francisco, and New York City.

When asked why he eventually left the company to develop his own business, Browman explained, "There are a few companies out there, but they are more focused on the manipulative side and seduction. We focus on creating attraction, which is about becoming the kind of man women find attractive." And so it seems, Social Fluency aims to teach attraction as a skill, one that will yield positive results for the clueless men in search of love.

Typically, once you've taken the first step in contacting a coaching service, you'll have a free consultation at which you will be assessed and given a program recommendation. Often times coaching will entail role playing exercises mixed with practical hands-on field practice. You may prefer pay-per-hour telephone advice or a full day of private coaching, ringing in upwards of $2000.

Although some may feel sceptical when it comes to breaking love and courtship down to a simple science, Browman’s approach is a pleasant surprise: dating advice with integrity something rarely found in the up-and-coming “business of love.”

The hopeless romantic may long for the day when love had no rules and regulations. After all, there is something endearing about the sheer innocence and authenticity of an unplanned first encounter, however awkward. Imagine a city where men are sparking up conversations at every opportunity, all with the same canned routine - the women of Vancouver may grow tired and move back east! Until then, find comfort in knowing that Mr. Wonderful is out there, he's just busy in a coaching session at the moment.