The cheesy chat-up routine is dead. These days it's all about knowing your prey and speaking their language.

1 The sexy secretary
"Your picture on the company Web site is disgusting"
"That was the first thing my now-boyfriend said to me. He immediately followed it up with 'You're a beautiful, sexy woman and it doesn't do you justice'," says Kate. "The old 'insult you, then say a nice thing' trick almost never fails. It's surprising, it's naughty and it implies he thinks you're cool enough not to be offended. Just don't get the order the wrong way round."


2 The hot friend
"I don't want to sleep with you…"
Isobel said "When it's followed up with 'I'd just like to hang out with you,' this works wonders. She'll ask herself why you don't want to. All her insecurities run through her mind: 'Is my bum too big? Is my nose too wonky?' Sure as can be, she'll sleep with you just to prove to herself that she's worth it."


3 The blind date
"I reckon you're secretly a bit mischievous"
"You can't go wrong with a good, honest compliment. But never be too superficial. Never talk about her figure - that's slightly creepy. Try something a bit curveball - 'I reckon you're secretly mischievous' is unexpected, makes me feel special and has just the right element of 'I reckon you're brilliant in bed' to it."

4 The stranger
"Are they bothering you?"
Sophie said "A guy on the train could see I was getting agitated by a group of guys playing music on their mobiles. In a single question, he managed to convey sensitivity, confidence and alpha-manliness. It's a winning formula."

Got a line that works every time?
Leave a comment below and tell us how it goes.