4 women make a date to find Mr. Right

Is finding 'the one' a lot of work? Yes, say the experts, so be prepared.
By MARISA GUTHRIE
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Can't get a date?
Maybe you're not invading his personal space.
Or perhaps you're not making eye contact -- and this is very important -- for at least four seconds.
These are some of the tips offered in ABC's new six-hour reality show "How to Get the Guy," premiering Monday at 10 p.m.
"The rules that used to apply in our parents' world don't apply anymore," said David Collins, who co-produced the show with David Metzler. "The way people date, the way people interact, you really don't have those protocols anymore. It's a free-for-all."
About the show
"How to Get the Guy" puts four thirtysomething women through a man-hunting boot camp with "love coaches" Teresa Strasser (a former host of TLC's "While You Were Out") and J.D. Roberto, an actor and reality-show host ("Outback Jack").
The objective, according to Metzler, "is not to get A guy, but to get THE guy."
Anne, described as "the girl next door," is an unemployed executive assistant; "career girl" Michelle is a successful trial lawyer, and judging from the first episode, has the most trouble following orders. "Dreamer" Alissa, a massage therapist, is the quintessential California flower child. And Kris, an attorney, is outspoken and gregarious. She's dubbed "party girl."
Each episode is framed around one universal truth about love. The first episode covers the basics: getting his attention, or, to use the parlance, "dropping the hanky."
Persistence
Strasser and Roberto take Anne to a bookstore, which is a perfect place because you have a "captive audience," said Strasser.
Anne is directed toward the magazine rack and proceeds to stand very close ("at least 4 feet," her coaches tell her) to a series of gentlemen. Many of them inch away.
"But see, I don't want to stand next to people to make them talk to me," she says.
"You have to treat dating like a job," said Metzler. "Love isn't what happens while you're doing other things."
Which doesn't sound very romantic. But we can all relate: Who hasn't had at least one date that felt a little like a root canal?
"It's the most universal experience that any of us have," said Metzler (talking of love, not dental work).
"We're all looking for, or have found, or at some point in our lives have desired to find love. There's no more universal or meaningful quest in the world."