A psychologist found your chances of getting a date could come down to something as simple as whether it's sunny

Wait for a sunny day

One summer, Guéguen sent a bunch of 20-year-old male business students onto the streets of France. He tasked them with soliciting phone numbers from 500 young women.

Half the time, the participants were sent out on sunny days; half the time, they were sent out on cloudy days.

In both conditions, the men introduced themselves as "Antoine," told the woman they found her pretty, and asked for her phone number so he could call her later about getting a drink.

As it turns out, women were significantly more likely to provide their digits when the sun was shining.

Ask her for a favor first

Another study found that the "foot-in-the-door" technique, often used by salespeople, can work for romantic interactions, too. Essentially, when you ask someone to do one thing for you, they're more likely to comply with a second request — in this case, to go on a date.

For the study, three men between 19 and 21 years old approached nearly 400 young women walking alone in shopping malls in France.

Sometimes, the men carried a cigarette with them and asked the women for a light; regardless of whether the women had one, they then asked the women if they'd like to have a drink.

Other times, the men simply asked for directions; again, regardless of whether the women were able to provide them, they then asked the women out for a drink.

Still other times, the men asked the women out without asking them for anything else.

Results showed that women accepted the men's requests at a rate of just 3% when they weren't asked for anything. But when asked for a light or to give directions, they agreed about 15% of the time.

Bring Fido with you

Once again, an attractive 20-year-old man was assigned to approach 240 young women walking in the street. After introducing himself and telling the women he found them pretty, he asked for their phone numbers.

Half the time, the man was accompanied by a medium-sized, friendly black dog on a leash; half the time it was just the man.

Results showed that 28% of women gave their numbers when the man was walking a dog; just 9% of women did so when the man was alone.

Carry a guitar case

Research has found that women may prefer men who supposedly compose complex music over those who supposedly compose simple songs.

One of Guéguen's studies extends these findings, suggesting that even the appearance of being a musician can boost a man's appeal.

An attractive 20-year-old man approached 300 women in French shopping streets, introduced himself, told them he found them pretty, and asked for their number.

The man carried either a gym bag, a guitar case, or nothing at all.

Sure enough, 31% of women provided their phone number when the man carried a guitar case, compared to just 9% when he carried a sports bag and 14% when he wasn't carrying anything.

Approach her when she's near a bakery

It's not just how you smell that can affect your chances of scoring a date — the odors in the surrounding environment matter, too.

Five 20-year-old men approached 400 young women walking alone in a French shopping mall, and as per usual, introduced themselves, told them they found them pretty, and asked for their number.

In this case, the men looked for women in different parts of the mall, so sometimes they were near a delicious-smelling place like a bakery or a coffee shop, and sometimes they were near a neutral-smelling store, like a clothing shop or a bank.

As it turns out, 23% of the women handed over their digits when they were surrounded by a pleasant aroma, compared to just 14% when the odor was neutral.