Getting Guidance From A Dating Coach

They Can Help You Fix Flaws In Your Approach, To Improve Your Love Life

(CBS)  Some people just don't quite go about it right when it comes to love.

But a professional "dating coach" can help them get things right!

They do everything from teaching you how to flirt to analyzing your every move on a date.

And, as The Early Show wrapped up its weeklong series "How To Date In 2008" Friday, we got "dating coach" Matt Titus to lend a hand to John Jacobs.

He's 45, divorced for eight years, with no kids -- a bad-boy inside, but Mr. Conservative on the outside.

Jacobs comes across to women as very stiff, yet loves to skydive, and ride his motorcycle.

He was even a Navy aviator -- think Tom Cruise in "Top Gun"!

But, he'd never approach a strange woman to ask out.

So, Titus tried to help bring out Jacobs' inner-bad-boy because, when it comes to picking up women, Jacobs was just plain bad!

"I'll take stupid risks with my life, you know, jumping outta planes, jumping my bicycle, whatever," Jacobs admitted to consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen, "but, speaking to a person? I won't take a risk that way."

No way, for instance, he'd go up to a woman in a coffee shop.

Titus sized him up and said, "You're not a bad-boy type. I don't see that in you. But I'm going to give you some of that bad-boy! We're going to package that, too."

"I'd like a little bit of that!" Jacobs said.

"You need some bad-boy!" Titus observed.

Titus began the effort to bring out Jacobs' wild side, something Jacobs hasn't been able to do around women on his own.

"You have to have a lot of confidence," Titus says. "Confidence is key. And you can't wait for love to find you. You have to go out and make it happen.

"If you really wanna be bad, you wanna be a bad-boy, then we have to change your appearance, we have to change it now."

That meant a trip to Macy's in Manhattan to get rid of Jacobs' typical look -- a shirt and blazer.

An hour later, Jacobs had new clothes, new shoes -- a whole new look.

"He's attractive, a handsome guy, but he's never really brought out the dating persona that best fits him<" Titus says. "John is bad-boy. But John is walking around conservative, and he is afraid to take a risk. And he's settling for women who aren't really what he wants (one who's unpredictable and fun)."

The Early Show sent Jacobs out on a date, armed with advice from Titus that he talk about the risks he's taken, and his passion.

Afterward, Titus told Jacobs the woman "thought you were really considerate, you had great manners. And she thought you were really personable. ... Three things she thinks you could work on: Get out of the corporate suit. Loosen up a bit. It's OK to talk about yourself. Reveal a little bit more."

Dating coaches aren't cheap, running in the $125-an-hour range.

Titus co-authored Why Hasn't He Called?". He also contributes to relationships Web site SassyBean.

TO SEE MATT'S ANALYSIS OF THE MANY "PLAYERS" IN THE GAME OF LOVE, click here.

FOR TIPS FROM TITUS ON HOW WOMEN CAN "MANAGE" MEN, click here.

[msangela08]

Re: Mr. Jacobs'' new outfit,etc. The items that were selected for him were more like a skateboarder than a man dressing casual. The look was not bad boy at all; rather a look of "I''m not that interested in how I look, so you shouldn''t be either." He is a handsome man whom seems to have a great sense of adventure. There are plenty of women out there that would gladly take this man out of his personal "danger zone" of dating and share his spirit of adventure.Those are the women that will make him feel comfortable enough to transform the "bad boy" adventurer to the "bad boy" lover. Provided that is what Mr. Jacobs really wants. Wardrobe change not necessary. Not all bad boys have a great wardrobe, career path, or swagger; the one thing they do have is confidence in the character of themselves. Behind every great man, is a great woman.