London, September 26 : When it comes to choosing Mr Right, it’s not so much a man’s killer looks or IQ that matters to a woman, but his manners.

The findings are based on a survey commissioned by Etiquette authority Debrett's.

During the survey, nearly two-thirds of women said that manners were the most important quality in the man of their dreams, while around a third chose intelligence. On the other hand, only one in 20 women said that she would want her partner to have handsome looks.

Eighty-seven per cent of the 1,000 adults surveyed rejected the notion that good manners were old-fashioned.Wh

While 80 per cent opined that men needed help with their manners, about three-quarters said that men's standards of behaviour were falling.

Half of the women reported noticing bad manners from men recently, with 52 per cent saying that it usually occurred in a social environment, and a quarter said that it happened at work.

The survey also revealed that men knew that women prefer manners to looks or intelligence when assessing a partner. However, half of them said in their defence that they believed that men were confused about modern courtliness.

With these findings at hand, Etiquette authority Debrett's has now enumerated dos and don’ts for men in its book ‘Manners for Men’.

The book outlines the best way to ask for a date, behave on the big night and then continue any romance.

"Debrett's knows that manners are still relevant but the survey findings surprised us by showing how important manners are in Britain today. Only five per cent of women said good looks were a factor in looking for a dream guy,” the Daily Mail quoted Jo Bryant, editor of Manners for Men, as saying.

"That's astonishing and shows that good manners do grease the wheels of a relationship. You don't have to mind your Ps and Qs all the time but small gestures do add up," Bryant added. (With inputs from ANI)