Have you ever asked the person you fancy out on a date? It sounds simple: you like someone, you ask them out. But it’s never as easy as that. Here’s how people on the street work up the courage

Relationship advice blogger Dami Olonisakin asked her female Twitter followers to ask out their crushes by text message and send a screenshot of the results. Some of her followers were successful, others were not.

Fayola Purcell, one of the women who texted her crush, was lucky. “Hey, wanna go on a date with me? Me, you and food,” she asked. “I’d like that a lot,” her crush wrote back. Fayola asked: “Lol, the food part?” to which he replied: “The you part.”

But other people had very different responses including: “Could we skip straight to the banging?”, with another reacting with a straight to the point: “No, thank you.”

These days, showing people we’re romantically interested in them can be as simple as swiping right. But it’s easy to get lost in endless online conversations, Twitter DMs, and Whatsapping. So how do you take it further and ask someone out on a real life date? We took to the streets to ask people for their tips on securing a date with their crush.

Solea Coquin, 17, student, Paris

 Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

I’ve asked out one guy. I had a crush on him for a year. I asked him if we could date, but he just said no. I replied by asking, ‘Can we just stay friends?’, and then I walked away. I was so nervous. I don’t want to ask someone directly again, it should be more natural. You just have to chill out and ask for a drink or something.

Ramzi Yakob, 33, product development, Bromley

 Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

I asked my wife out on a date. I met her on holiday in Amsterdam. When I got back I called her and said I would visit her where she lived in Newcastle. I booked a hotel and went to see her. If it’s easy, it’s probably no good. You need to put in some effort, make it feel more real than swiping right on Tinder.

Steve West, 62, hairdresser, Los Angeles

 Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

The most memorable time was when I went up to someone and said: ‘You’re pretty wild.’ I pulled up next to him in my car and said: ‘You’re amazing and I’d like to get amazing with you.’ I just say go for it. You have nothing to lose.

Shanaz Barnes, 28, marketing, London

 Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

I’ve asked people on dates loads. If I see something I like, I go for it. Straightforward. Be direct. Be assertive. Be confident.

Simran K, 22, graduate lawyer, Middlesex

 Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

I’ve made the first move, 100%. You get the signals, so you know it’s going to be OK. Be confident, but give them time. Girls know how to do that. Show interest in the things no one else cares about. Talk about their family, find out about something, such as a birthday. Then say: ‘Let’s have a seven-hour lunch and talk about it.’ That’s what I did with my now boyfriend.

Sasha Felix, 24, personal assistant, London

 Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

I’ve asked quite a few people out. And it goes well. Go in strong and be confident. People should make phone calls. People can’t say no to a phone call. I say I’m already doing something and then ask them if they want to come, too. Then, if you get knocked back, they think you’ve got plans anyway. It works.

Raj Ahmed, 37, electrician, Romford

 Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

I’d go straight up to them in the street, be direct. Start talking to them. I haven’t had any success rate with that approach, though, and would not really do that! I have had success in bars. When people turn up at a bar, they want a social drink, so, if you give them a smile and if they smile back, you know. I’ve succeeded with that a few times.