when there are too many dancers per customer?
It's slow season and too many dancers has been a problem. After I approach a customer and speak to him for a few minutes, I invite him for a dance. He usually says that he has already spoken with 5 other dancers and promised a VIP with each. I make a joke like, "Every woman wants to be with you tonight! Put me on the list. Actually, make me first on the list," or "It doesn't matter what you promised to the others. You need to think about you."
Anyway, I feel absolutely desparate when I speak with someone who has been bombarded with dance offers in a nearly empty club. He must know that he has the advantage. He can choose whomever he wants when he wants. How do I get him to choose me when I want?
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
When there are too many dancers per customer I usually shake a fist at the management. I hate it when they dont turn girls away until business picks up... cause we AL make no cash when there are 34652345614256121 girls and 10 customers.
But I digress.
If a customer has promised his time to someone else, dont try to steal it from them. That's just rude. And turn around would be fair play and I'm sure it wouldnt be groovy if it were you who got your VIP time ganked by another dancer.
If you cant be the first to ask for his time, or somehow snag his attention before the others.... there isnt much you can do.
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
Keep doing your thing. Work hard, keep smiling. the customers will eventually notice you getting more and more dances and they will wonder what is so special about you. And all the floater-new-girls will eventually get discouraged and move on to the next club. But I agree with Paige, dont try to steal dances from others; would you like it if someone did that to YOU? I think not.
PS I just gave myself great advice as well, as I, am in the same boat as you!
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
It also helps to watch the other girls and see what they do. Ive seen custys who tellme they have dances lined up and yet I dont ever see any girls around them. And an hour later theyre still at their table. Some guys wont ever get a dance so dont waste your time.
The biggest thing you can do is always look busy. Even if you have to create an illusion. Make yourself into the one that every guy wants to be with. But everygirl has to find out how to do that for themselves.
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
I don't buy it when a customer says he has "appointments" with other dancers. I never do. If they didn't close the deal then, it didn't happen. The same thing goes for you. Assume it's a BS answer and close the deal faster and do it right there. Don't take no for an answer.
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
One cavaet with Dancerwealth's statement is if the customer asks for a girl by name and she is his fave. Otherwise try to find out why he hasn't gotten any dances yet and what he is waiting for.
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
If he asks for a dancer by her name, I try to discover if he is her regular. If he is her regular, I could still get 3 dances. I noticed that the top-earners could not care less if their regulars got dances from others. Usually these guys come in, spend time with ATF first, then have fun with the other ladies.
I usually ask which dancer if no name is given. If he doesn't know her name, that's my window of opportunity.
I don't consider it stealing. Customers are free to choose. I've never danced for an unwilling party.
What I won't do is badmouth another dancer as a selling technique. I won't compare myself to her either. All I can say is that I'm here now. Why wait?
DW, I signed up for your April 16 teleconference. I can't wait to learn how to get this sort of customer to buy. Also, the "Come back later" customers need to be shown that I won't be available later. I'll be busy. Really, I will. "Would you be sad if I don't come back?"
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
You hit a key topic Lizette. Many clubs especially in the major cities have seen a drop in customers or in the older money spending ones, and a HUGE rise in dancers. The clubs are compensating for the drop in business and target customers by having more dancers work per day, thus collecting the shortfall in house fees. That is one reason why I rarely work in big city clubs anymore and focus on clubs that book a set amount of girls per week.
If you have to daily work in conditions where the number of dancers exceed the customers, and your club has more twentysomething customers hanging out than older ones, your earnings will never be more than hit and miss, no matter how good a salesperson you are.
Keep in mind that guys who come in the club to see a specific girl don't want to be hassled by other girls bum rushing him everytime his favorite gets up from the table. One of my good regulars was very irate when another dancer was hassling him for dances while I was on stage. You know if a guy is there for another girl and proper etiquette is to leave him alone.
More often what happens is that the guy doesn't want to commit to spending any money right now, or in some clubs where 20 girls have already beat you to him, he feels overwhelmed. This overwhelmed feeling is what is causing customers to not come to the clubs as much.
You can sell A FEW of these guys who are indecisive by probing them (name where they are from, and small talk) and then asking for the dance. With more girls than customers you have to talk him into the dance NOW, or if you get up another girl will be after him.
Dancer Wealth will discuss what to say to get him primed to buy if he is still he hawing around.
Still though, if the club doesn't have enough business to go around, finding other clubs to work at is in order.
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tina
You hit a key topic Lizette. Many clubs especially in the major cities have seen a drop in customers or in the older money spending ones, and a HUGE rise in dancers. The clubs are compensating for the drop in business and target customers by having more dancers work per day, thus collecting the shortfall in house fees. That is one reason why I rarely work in big city clubs anymore and focus on clubs that book a set amount of girls per week.
If you have to daily work in conditions where the number of dancers exceed the customers, and your club has more twentysomething customers hanging out than older ones, your earnings will never be more than hit and miss, no matter how good a salesperson you are.
Keep in mind that guys who come in the club to see a specific girl don't want to be hassled by other girls bum rushing him everytime his favorite gets up from the table. One of my good regulars was very irate when another dancer was hassling him for dances while I was on stage. You know if a guy is there for another girl and proper etiquette is to leave him alone.
More often what happens is that the guy doesn't want to commit to spending any money right now, or in some clubs where 20 girls have already beat you to him, he feels overwhelmed. This overwhelmed feeling is what is causing customers to not come to the clubs as much.
You can sell A FEW of these guys who are indecisive by probing them (name where they are from, and small talk) and then asking for the dance. With more girls than customers you have to talk him into the dance NOW, or if you get up another girl will be after him.
Dancer Wealth will discuss what to say to get him primed to buy if he is still he hawing around.
Still though, if the club doesn't have enough business to go around, finding other clubs to work at is in order.
My club attracts older customers. The managers are thinking about implementing a rule that would disallow anyone under 25 from entering with a few exceptions. It's not the club.
Dancers have a set schedule as well. There are a few who I hope get fired soon because they do f*cken $1 dances when it's not required, look like trash, stiff the DJ, and smoke pot in the dressing room.
I like to keep other dancers's regulars company if I have time because who likes to sit alone? I consider it an investment in my future. He has already demonstrated that he is a good customer. He might want a dance from me later that shift or next week. When his ATF returns, I happily greet her, tell her to take special care of the customer, and exit with a smile. It makes the club and me look good.
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
The key to selling in a competitive marketplace is to make yourself stand out as offering the customer something a little better than what the competition has to offer. If you look busy rather than desparate, if you look cheerful rather than depressed, if you're sitting down for a few minutes to gather some info on the customer as opposed to "wannadancing", you'll portray the image of being the better option.
Also, appearance in these situations can matter. 20 years ago, if you flipped through a phone book all the listings were in black text, then the phone company began letting people for an extra charge to use large boldface print, and eventually color so advertisers could make their listing stand out from the others. Dancers can do much the same in their choice of attire. I can recall a few occasions that I've been drawn to a particular girl just because she had a colorful outfit on. Are there a lot of gals at your club in drab black and white dresses? A little red can do wonders.
One thing that I will say about slow nights is that they are more attuned to dancer regulars who despise the weekend crowds, so there's a good chance that the "I'm waiting for so-and-so" line may be the truth. Nonetheless, feel free to go up and say hi (please be sure to say your stage name). If he invites you to sit down, give him the standard five minutes and pop the question. Even if he declines, tell him to have a nice evening and to see you at the rail if he has a change of heart. Your efforts might just pay off later, even if later is on a future visit.
Last but not least, sometimes timing is everything. Approach too early and the guy will want to weigh his options first, approach too late and you might get beat to the punch. But always, always throw your hat in the ring. Much like the lottery, you can't win if you don't play.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DancerWealth
I don't buy it when a customer says he has "appointments" with other dancers. I never do. If they didn't close the deal then, it didn't happen. The same thing goes for you. Assume it's a BS answer and close the deal faster and do it right there. Don't take no for an answer.
I have to disagree. Whatever the reason (or validity of said reason), if he's said firmly that he doesn't want a dance, getting persistent with him is more than likely to backfire, particularly in an environment where he knows that he has scads of other options available.
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
I agree with you Lizette, I don't think gentle persuasion is "stealing" and I don't think you are doing anything wrong. There are several customers that I am #3 or #4 on their list, and they usually buy a few dances from me before taking their fav to VIP. Likewise it doesn't bother me if my customers get dances on the floor if I'm not ready yet. If you snooze, you lose.
My philosophy is that if that #3 or #4 girl is able to steal "my" customer's attention AWAY from me, then more power to her. She must have been able to offer him something that I was not. It sucks when that "something" is higher contact, but that just tells me that this particular customer wasn't really MINE. Likewise, if someone elses regular decides that he wants to take me to VIP instead, then that tells me that his former #1 wasn't doing her job properly.
Look at all the real world examples of gentle persuasion. Every single day I have door hangers on my house from the cable, satellite and phone companies that want my business. A walk past the cell phone cart in the mall isn't exactly "gentle" persuasion, but Verizon is quick to offer all the reasons they are better than Cingular. Coke doesn't say Pepsi "stole" their drinkers with cool commercials with P Diddy.
DW will discuss this in more detail, but find something that makes you more special than everyone else. Personally, I do "topless neck massages" instead of "lapdances" If you've ever had a massage from a trained professional, you know how sensory stimulating they can be. Granted, you'll have your share of rejection from the customers which your talent doesn't appeal to. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "That was a dance? All you did was sit on my lap topless and rub my neck?" from the guy who wanted a full grinding lapdance, but oh well.
The key is to find your niche market and then go from there.
Now back to your current situation, if that customer is paying you for your time/buying dances/tipping you then I don't see a reason for you to stop hanging out with him as a "floaterl" and continue to persuade him on how you can show him a better time than #1.
However, if he doesn't take care of you for your time, then move on. You are just re-enforcing the idea in his head that he doesn't have to pay you. Moreover, it shows that #1 is doing her job and he is her loyal customer. That seemed to be the case with Tina. The other girl just didn't "get it" and her actions reflected poor etiquette.
Re: when there are too many dancers per customer?
Quote:
If you have to daily work in conditions where the number of dancers exceed the customers, and your club has more twentysomething customers hanging out than older ones, your earnings will never be more than hit and miss, no matter how good a salesperson you are.
This is what I'm getting the distinct impression is starting to happen at my home club. It's frustrating as I want to stay now due to a major problem I had with the club being over-come/solved.
Thanks for posting this post. Even tho' I have attended the seminar and am moderator... I always am learning and re-learning.... esp. re-learning. ;D
This is a really good thread and really relevant right now for me (and alot of other dancers that I know..)