Is it by the number of times you are asked on a second date or the times your date accepts a second date? Perhaps it is how much you make your date laugh or how long the date last for? Maybe you think it is how well you dress or where you choose to take your date?
The secret to being a good date is all in your attitude, if you are relaxed and having a good time then you will be a good date, no matter what you're wearing or whether that spot on your chin is covered up enough.
Here are some tips to help you become a really good date :
Don't agree to do anything you do not enjoy. Perhaps his passion is fishing or she loves ice skating but unless you also enjoy these activities then you are going to get bored and neither of you will have a good time.
Line the dates up, no seriously keep your options open and date lots of people. If you only have one date every six months then the pressure on getting it right and them being "the one" becomes overpowering for you both. If you make friends of the opposite sex online and don't have a date this Saturday then ask a friend if they want to meet and have some fun.
Unless you can both talk for England then don't opt for the usual evening in a pub or restaurant. If you are not sure you can talk non-stop for four hours or are a little shy then choose to do an activity, go to the cinema or a walk round the local antiques market. It is much harder to relax and flirt when sitting opposite someone for hours trying to keep the conversation going, so opt for an activity that allows you both to relax and have fun with each other.
Keep the conversation positive and light, don't discuss your health issues or how much you hate your boss/ex partner/next door neighbour. Without chemical assistance nobody is upbeat and positive all the time but a first date is not the time to get into your 'issues', you will just come across as a boring winger.
Have something to talk about, read the paper, watch the news, read a book, just have something in your conversation arsenal above and beyond "what's your favourite food?" Don't pretend to be interested in a subject you are not, you will just look silly but even if you just say "I was reading about the US election and I just don't understand their political system" will allow your date to discuss their knowledge of the subject or allow you both to laugh at a subject neither of you understand.
If you want to be a great date then you should also read my tips for 6 things not to discuss or talk about on a first date