If you’re single, you’ve experienced one. Maybe it was amusing. Maybe it was crude. Maybe it had you going “What?” But no matter what, it likely made an impression.

It’s the pick-up line. And although it’s a staple of singles scenes everywhere, it’s kind of like the loud, obnoxious uncle who gets too drunk at Thanksgiving and cracks dirty jokes: You know it’s part of the whole thing, but you’d really rather avoid it altogether.

Chad Hammontree says he personally stays away from using pick-up lines for one reason.

“They’re cheesy as hell,” he says.

Kate Richardson remembers her single days, when guys would try to woo her with pick-up lines. The success rate of a pick-up line, she says, is all about the delivery.

“If it makes me laugh, then I get to know them,” she says. “If they seriously use it, I’ll just laugh in their face and walk away.”

And I agree with her. No guy who seriously uses a pick-up line is taken seriously. But make a joke out of it, and you’ll likely get a conversation started. Or at least make her crack a smile, rather than roll her eyes.

Worse than pick-up lines, though, are when guys use “sets.” Sets, for those who didn’t watch VH1’s “The Pick-up Artist,” are when guys use a made up story or scenario as an icebreaker.

I remember one night out when a guy came up to my friends and I and said that his buddy wanted to go home, even though it was 10 p.m. on Saturday, AND it was his bachelor party. He told us we really needed to convince his friend to stay out.

I didn’t buy it for a minute. Come on, what guy leaves his own bachelor party early? No guy, that’s who. My suspicions were confirmed when said bachelor came up a few minutes later and said “Hey, it’s my birthday!”

(Tip: If you are going to use a set, at least make sure you and your buddies have your stories straight.)

My problem with sets is that they’re usually even cheesier than pick-up lines, and they involve a lot more work, i.e. you’re wasting a lot more of my time. Not only that, you’re wasting my time with something completely fake.

Just be real. You don’t need pick-up lines or sets. All you need to do is come up and say hi and introduce yourself. It’s that simple.

And of course, it never hurts to offer to buy us a drink.