Excerpt: 'You Lost Him at Hello'

Feb. 13, 2009 — -- With Valentine's Day just around the corner, singles everywhere are looking for that special someone. But how many will end up staring at a phone that stubbornly refuses to ring?

Jess McCann has come out with a new book to make sure that doesn't happen to readers this year.

The book, called "You Lost Him at Hello," takes the skills McCann developed as a saleswoman and entrepeneur and applies them to the rocky road of romance.

From knowing the product (that's you) to attracting prospective customers (that's the lucky men you've yet to meet), McCann's book is all about closing the deal with the man of your dreams.

Check out McCann's Web site by clicking here and read an excerpt of her book below. Then, check out more books at the "GMA" Library.

When my friend Anne moved to San Francisco, she didn't know a soul. I admired her strength to pick up and move three thousand miles from home, but I also worried about how she would meet people and regain her social life. After only being out West a few months, she decided to join Match.com. It seemed like the best way to meet guys and get back on the social scene. She posted her profile and began receiving e-mails immediately. After sorting through a slew of messages, she decided to make a date with Patrick, a sous-chef from Los Angeles. He was tall, dark, and handsome with a seemingly good sense of humor. They decided to meet on a Friday night and get a couple drinks. Now remember, as I tell you this story, Anne and Patrick had never met before. In fact, they hadn't even spoken on the phone.

When Anne walked in and saw Patrick she was immediately pleased. He was exactly what his profile had stated—yummy! Patrick was excited to meet Anne, too. He thought she was gorgeous. The first encounter was a success. They got a few drinks and the night began.

After their third round, Patrick suggested they get some dinner. They left the bar and headed to a nice restaurant on the bay. Dinner was delicious and Anne and Patrick were engrossed in conversation for the next three hours. They decided to then go for a walk on the beach. Patrick picked up some champagne and glasses, and they headed out for a midnight picnic. By now Patrick and Anne had been drinking for hours and inhibitions were long gone. They started making out on the beach, and Anne eventually ended up at Patrick's, where they continued to make out until six in the morning.

The next day Anne was beaming. It was the perfect first date. She was extremely excited and even called to tell me about it. Just as she was in the middle of the story, her other line beeped. "It's him!" she squealed. "Let me call you right back." She clicked over and didn't call me back for two days.

Those two days she didn't call back she spent with Patrick. Basically their first date started Friday and didn't end until Sunday. The following week Patrick called and asked to see her again. She accepted, of course, and spent that entire weekend with him, too. At some point during their weekend slumber party, they consummated their relationship. Her rationale? She felt like she knew him after spending so much time with him, even if it was only in the span of two weeks. Things were going exactly the way she wanted. She was happy.

Then came the third week, which also became known as the final week. That's when things got rocky. I won't bore you with the mundane details but by week three the happy couple was no longer a couple, and Anne was calling me crying and cursing his name. I tried to console her, but eventually I had to tell her that she had done something terribly wrong. She spent way too much time with Patrick in the beginning of the relationship. If it was going so well, she should have pulled back a little more. She shouldn't have said yes every time he asked her out, and she should have cut the dates shorter. Every time she went out with Patrick they spent at least twelve hours together! It was relationship overkill.