The only way to not be in the Friend’s Zone is to reject the entire idea and option of being friends with a girl, and make your romantic intent clear enough that you can’t fall into the trap. This is tricky, because often you might want to be friends with a girl first, then make your move. Finesse is necessary, but ultimately, you have to accept the fact that if she isn’t interested, you’ll move on. Otherwise she’s liable to stick you on that dusty shelf of coulda-shoulda-wouldas and move on to greener pastures.

Okay, now I have humiliated myself by sounding like Dear Abby or some other obnoxious leech of the written word and its associated industry. Oh well. Basically, to avoid 1) and 2), above, make your intent clear. There is no real way of avoiding 3) through any of your own actions. If you have any idea 4) could happen, be wary. You can’t really do anything to entirely avoid the friend’s zone, as it is up to someone else to put you there; however, you can try to minimize the risk.