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ElanSubdued -> RE: What do it takes to become a pro domme? (10/21/2010 12:28:22 PM)
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Ebony Amor,
Realistically, based on the few professional dominants I know, to gain a reliable clientele, you must appeal to certain demographics. Given that it's not unusual for pro-domme fees to be in the $200 to $300 per hour range and above, consider the demographics that can afford this on a regular basis.
My understanding is that it's much nicer to have a regular (weekly or monthly) client base than to cater to one-off customers. This makes sense because you're investing all the up-front work (finding out about the client, ensuring your safety, acquiring toys and planning scenes given what you know about the client's tastes, etc.) and for one-offs you must repeat this every time. That's a lot of work and expense and it doesn't necessarily make for reliable revenue. It takes some time to locate and build up regulars, but this is worth the effort.
There are exceptions to every rule, but for the professional dominants I know, their regular clients are wealthy business people. Thus, you'd do well to keep up with local and international events that effect such people. For example, if a major company changes structure, something significant happens in the stock market, or something else of broad, world-wide significance occurs, it's not a bad idea to be aware of these events so you can hold a conversation with your clients. These are likely not the things you'll be discussing during a scene, but outside scenes they'll help entice your clients and give them a feeling you're adding more value to their lives than just BDSM play. This type of breadth in your conversational skills helps establish you as a classy professional as opposed to (dare I say this?) just a whore. :-) Ditto on how you present yourself. Style of dress, organizational skills and punctuality, a sense of humour that is classy instead of vulgar, grace, kindness, and empathy skills... all of these are part of your marketing package.
If you're not certain about a specific kind of play, handling this in a professional way is also important. Don't send the client to someone else and risk losing the client. Instead, find someone else you trust and learn from them, and, if need be, cut your rates and ask your client if he/she minds if another dominant sits in with you. Again, what you're establishing is a sense of professionalism. It's fine to bring in other, qualified people you trust to assist you (as long as your client agrees, of course). As much as possible, once you've worked with a given client and they've become a part of your business, try to maintain and manage your client relationships so that you're the one who is providing service, even if you've contracted the service to someone else and they are dishing out the play. Be present so you've go face-to-face contact with your client and the client comes back to you.
You'll get plenty of "would be" customers who call you names, don't show up, demand too much of your time without paying, cancel at the last minute, etc. I encourage you not to waste time dealing with these. Discard them quickly and move on to working with the customers you're looking to find. Most importantly, if someone is nasty to you, do not publish this on the Internet. Though it's tempting to use the Internet as a "get even" and "stress relief" tool, professionals do not do this. Maintain a professional decorum at all times and save battlefield stories for private conversations at home with your significant other.
Elan.
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