remembering a customer's name
Ok dancers...(and custies too!)... in your opinion, and/or experience, how effective is remembering and repeating a customer's name in your sales pitch? I know that there are SO MANY factors in the approach and pitch that affect whether you close the sale or not... but i'm asking what you think about this one. I'm new, almost always begin my approach with learning the customer's name... and then when I go to make my pitch, often have forgotten the name by then. Should I stress? Should I really try to master this? I'm thinking it will help. But I would love to know if you think remembering and repeating the custie's name helps you close your sales. If I find that many of you get a positive response from this technique, then I'm definitely boning up on this and adding this to my bag of hustle skills.
Yeah... i'm working on being uber-hustler. call me crazy. But I love this stuff. It's fun.
Re: remembering a customer's name
I really wish I can remember names! I use pet names most of the time. But.. once in a grrreat while Ill remember a name if i enjoy spending time w him. And honestly Ive noticed, the guys who I do remember the names of.. love it and realize it. I really wish I can remember names!! Im so baddd!! I think that can help you with hustling though. Guys love it when you remember their name. If I could.. I would.. lol!
Re: remembering a customer's name
I must THEE worst person EVER for remembering names... Do what I do, maybe introduce him to your bestie mate in the club (who you know wont run away with him on you at any given chance) and go, "id like to introduce you to my friend Donna, whos great great great (blah blah blah) is from that tiny town your from, Donna this is .......... (-hopfully by this stage they shake hands, and introduce themselves without you needing to, look around pretend your not taking any notice, and he'll say his name to your mate, and Bobs your uncle) ..literally. then give her the nod of thank you, now feck off :)
Re: remembering a customer's name
I'm pretty good at remembering names, and most customers really appreciate it, especially if you can remember their name from one visit to the next. You seem less like a robot, and they feel less like a mark. As to whether it's enough to close a sale, who knows? But I do think it tips the balance.
To help you remember, call them by their names a few times right after they tell you.
You: I'm Lulu, what's your name?
Him: Steve.
You: Well, Steve, are you having a good time?
Him: Sure.
You: Steve, have you been here before?
Etc. Etc.
If you know anyone else by that name, that can help you remember. Sometimes I'll tell them, "Hey, that was my prom date's/mailman's/best friend's" name. That usually goes down well. Just don't tell them they have the same name as your brother, or father (or boyfriend.)
Re: remembering a customer's name
i think if you just use the words "dear" or "doll" it sounds almost as personal as using my name... just my 2 cents worth
Re: remembering a customer's name
Try tying their name to a feature and repeat it a few times. Playing off the example given before, if Steve has on a distinct shirt, comment on it and mention his name. Make a conscious effort to repeat in your head "Steve with the hawaiian print shirt, Steve with the hawaiian print shirt" or whatever has stood out for you.
If you forget, ask for their age and act like you don't believe them. "No way, you can't be 40! You look 33 - let me see some ID". They're flattered and you get to see their name. Everyone's happy :D
Re: remembering a customer's name
"Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."
Dale Carnegie
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Re: remembering a customer's name
Remembering someones name comes in handy when trying to win their trust! I'm not great with names either and have noticed using the techniques listed above do help. Remeber that when you know their name it makes them feel like you really give a darn about them and you're not just looking at them like a wallet!
Good luck! I know i'm going to have a hell of a time with this one too!!
Re: remembering a customer's name
Always remember a customers name in any business. I hate when a dancer calls me honey or sweetie and not my name, well, I guess if I have met them more than once. I am always more likely to tip better when someone makes the effort to know me.
Re: remembering a customer's name
Hell, I have problems trying to remember my own friends' names when I haven't talked to them for a while, so I wouldn't expect every dancer to remember my name, but it would make me feel extra happy if one did.
Re: remembering a customer's name
When they are leaving if I had a good time & made good money then I write them down on some pink index cards I keep in my bad with any info we exchanged like e-mails and such.
Re: remembering a customer's name
Saying "dear" or "doll" sounds canned. It sounds like you say it without taking the time to care and that creates a really big barrier in the rapport process. A better idea to remember the names though is visualize it first. When he says his name, visualize you are writing the name right on his forehead. Imagine you had a big, fat magic marker and you are writing his name on his forehead. This way it takes thought into something more visual and will probably start helping you remember more. To take that to the next level though, stop saying to yourself that you are "bad with names". Your brain receives this program from yourself so much it has no other way to way to operate OTHER than to be bad with names. I used to be like this too, until I started a positive program instead. Now, I say, "I'm very good with names, and although I don't remember the name now, I know it will come to me in a second!" Low and behold, the name pops in my head just seconds later. Start thinking in the right direction and things will get easier for you. It's NLP 101.
As for long term remembering, Chrissy is on the right track. A good thing to do is take their business card and write down dome simple information on the back that is pertinent to who they are. If they like Chinese food, write it down. If they like Piano music, write it down. This way, if he comes in the club and drops his name, go back and look at your notes. When you return, you'll sound like this guys' hero when you ask if he's been to any good Chinese restaraunts lately?
Re: remembering a customer's name
Honestly, "honey" or "sweetie" or even "hey you" has never bothered me unless the intonation of the dancer's voice makes it sound canned. Considering the number of men you gals entertain on a nightly basis, I've never considered it fair to expect a dancer to know my name, esspecially after not seeing her for several weeks. However, it will definitely impress me if you can master this.
IMO, its simply more important for a dancer whom I've done significant business with in the past to recognize me upon sight and remember what a good chunk of change I dropped on her last trip. Repeat that a few times, and remembering my name should be pretty easy. If you think knowing my name is important, ask for a business card, write it down, or if without paper and pen, type it into your cell phone or organizer.
Re: remembering a customer's name
Just yesterday I was in a club and had several PDs with different girls. The one girl that kept coming by and saying " Hi 'name', are you doing OK?" received most of my money.
Obviously using my name worked on me.
Re: remembering a customer's name
Doesn't really matter to me the first time, but it's nice to be remembered later on... unless I don't remember them, that has been embarassing on occasion, but they were professionals so it didn't cause a problem.
Re: remembering a customer's name
I have occasionally defaulted to Jose. I always ask their names, but then I forget because there are so many in a night and I'm terrible with names. A few times I've chanced a guess on Jose and I've always been right - for some reason, this club gets LOTS of Joses every night.
I've also noticed that the guys named Jose have a tendency to be more polite than everyone else. Don't know why. It isn't an ethnic thing because they're almost all Hispanic; it's just the Joses!
Re: remembering a customer's name
I don't mind if a dancer uses honey, sweetie, etc. by default. But a dancer who addresses me by name is almost a sure bet to sell me some dances. I would also think that using a customer's name would induce better behavior on his part though I don't have any facts to back that up. I find that the more a customer feels he's safe behind his anonymity, the more he tries to push the envelope because he can get away with it.
Re: remembering a customer's name
Just wanted to give an update... I made it a point to remember the names of the guys I was trying to sell last night... and I really think it made a difference. It boosted MY confidence as a salesperson which I think helped me sell dances more easily. That, and it seemed to bring the customers I was talking to into a more "intimate" experience in spite of the noise, lights and distractions that make it hard to concentrate on the conversation and experience for both dancer and customer. They seemed to look away less often when I was using their name periodically throughout the conversation, which means more focus on ME, and easier for me to gear the experience toward a dance from ME.
As was suggested, I repeated the person's name back to them when I met them.
me: Hi, my name is Lydia. What's your name? (I usually shake their hand to establish physical contact)
custie: John
me: John, it's nice to meet you.
I swear, repeating the name immediately helped me a lot, because with all the noise, distractions, and my own fatigue, it helps to say it back right away, and again in another question or two as i'm getting to know more about them.
Thanks for all of your helpful comments!! I hope this is a help to all. It certainly was to me. Definitely a permanent part of my bag of hustler tricks now!!! ;)