I’ve seen lots of rules written out there on the net from so called experts about how long you should wait to call a girl after you’ve gotten her number. Some gurus claim that you should wait a week to call, while others say that you should call as soon as possible. With all of this different information, how is anyone supposed to ever know what to do?

In my dealings with relationship issues, I’ve found that the simplest, most direct route is usually the one that works best. I’m not a big proponent of playing games and creating rigid rules regarding time in order to create a false sense of unavailability smacks of being too obvious. I’m not saying that you need to tell the girl that you are dying to see her and have nothing else to do, but I advocate being natural and not playing silly games like waiting a certain number of days to call.

I’ve found that the best results are obtained from waiting 24-48 hours to call. How did I come up with this window? Simple. When deciding when to call a girl, you are dealing with two main issues- 1) not wanting to seem to available and needy and 2) making sure she remembers you and doesn’t forget.

The first issue is obvious. If you call the girl right away, like later that day or the next morning, you look way too eager and no one is attracted to anything that comes too easily. That is why you wait 24-48 hours. What about the second issue, making sure she doesn’t forget? There are some experts who advocate waiting a week so that she starts wondering if you’ll ever call and she starts worrying and thinking about you constantly.

Get real.

In this day and age, a woman is hit on anywhere from 5-15 times a day. And, especially if you live in a big city, everyone is always in a rush for time, so how much time did you actually have to spend with her to create this amazing impression which will give her sleepless nights wondering when you’ll call. If she is very attractive, she probably has at least several guys calling and texting her on a daily basis. So what gives you the edge by waiting a week to call? Unless you hope to start the conversation like this, “Oh hi Susan, this is John from last week. No, I was wearing a blue shirt. We met in the park… you don’t remember me?” Is this your idea of a good way to start a call?

With attractive women, it is out of sight out of mind. They have a constant stream of suitors and it is up to you to beat your way to her door before the others. Who knows, maybe she meets a guy she really likes in that one week you’ve been waiting, and as a result totally loses interest in you.

Then there is the matter of her qualifying herself to you. How do you know that she is someone you would like to get to know better unless you have more time with her and are able to have a decent enough conversation? By waiting a week, you are also delaying the opportunity for you to find out further if you are interested in her. Sure, sure, maybe you’ve had a long two hour talk in person where you discussed the meaning of life, but really, as discussed before, with everyone being so busy, how likely is that?

Remember guys, stop playing stupid games. Don’t wait too long so that she forgets and don’t call too soon. You’ll be fine if you call her within 24-48 hours of getting the number.