Have you been “looking for love in all the wrong places,” as the old song goes?

Are you tired of the online dating or sitting on that bar stool?

You should be looking in the right place: South Florida Introductions.

This Boca Raton company is a relationship service, not a dating service, notes company director Sheryel Aschfort.

That one word makes a big difference.

“Our members are not looking to date hundreds of people,” says Aschfort. “Our members are successful, quality people who are looking for a serious relationship. These are people who are not interested in taking the risks of dating online. They want something better.”

That something better is South Florida Introductions, 4800 N. Federal Highway, in the Sanctuary Centre at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Yamato Road, in Boca Raton.

Aschfort is the South Florida singles expert. She served as a mentor and trainer for the TV shows’ Millionaire Matchmaker, and has spent almost a quarter-century helping people find the right match for a serious relationship.

“I designed this system,” she says. “Over the years we have tweaked it to where we know what works best.”
What works best is what she calls South Florida Introductions’ “ personal shopping and visual matchmaking,” a system that combines one-on-one assistance with realistic, professional photos of members and verified, truthful information on a carefully screened pool of members.

“We meet individually with each member,” Aschfort explains. “We get to know them, their likes, their dislikes, their dreams, their hobbies, their lifestyle. And, when they meet someone, it’s like being introduced by a friend.”

A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that only 18 percent of people are successful in finding a relationship online.

People fail, Aschfort says, because they “are playing in the wrong sandbox” — taking a scatter-shot approach to a large and mostly incompatible pool of prospects; hoping, against odds, to find a match.

“With online dating, a minimum of 80 percent of people are lying about something,” she points out. “And, there are no background checks and no service guaranteeing that the information is true. Conventional matchmakers are all blind dates. There are no visuals; and as much as they try, you are just getting blind dates.”

People who date online or try to find relationships themselves, Aschfort observes, “go for chemistry first and then try for compatibility.” It should be the reverse: compatibility first, then chemistry.

The success rate at South Florida Introductions is 84 percent because it stresses compatibility first.

Aschfort says members date from a “pool” of carefully selected candidates that fit their profile “until they find the chemistry.”

The extensive membership process is designed to do two things: to help members find their perfect match and to provide security.

Before anyone becomes a member, that person undergoes a complete background check. “Unfortunately, there are people who are out to do harm,” she says. “In our 25 years, we’ve never had an incident. We get to know everyone. And, we know what’s true. It’s very hard to mislead us.”

A thorough, in-person interview with a staff member gives each individual a “personality styling,” Aschfort explains. “We figure out what you need and draw you to the right person.”

“Personal relationship coaches” work one-on-one with members to help them meet others. “We give you someone to talk to, to coach you, and help you meet the right people,” she observes.

Or, members can view South Florida Introductions’ entire protected and locked, members-only data base to better assist their coaches in making selections.

Privacy is paramount, Aschfort says. Members are contacted only if they consent, and personal information is not released until there is mutual interest among members.

Plus, each member is photographed by a professional portrait photographer.

“We are the only service offering visuals,” Aschfort says.

“Our photographer shoots photos in an informal, outdoor setting. He takes 150 photos to get five to best represent the client. He shoots until he gets photos of the real person you are.”

The search for someone to share your life shouldn’t have to be filled with heartache. It just takes “playing in the right sandbox,” as Aschfort says.

That sandbox is South Florida Introductions. It’s the next best thing to a match made in heaven.