I recently came to Chicago and have been tweaking my rates due to changes in strategy, demand and location. I finally figured it out, but who knows lol.
Question #1:I've had some guys express suspicion and confusion due to constant site changes and rate structure changes. After I explained the situation they understood… however, some don't ask. Ladies, would you suggest putting the above explanation on the website? I also notice the term 'hooker math'. Would you ladies say a longer excursion would jump a bit in rates vs structure due to the expense of the longer hours? I can't just sit in a regular hotel room for a long appointment, so a suite costs a significant amount more. Question #2:
I hear some say a provider will look like a jack ass if they go up to a certain rate, then knock it down when they realize it may not work. I don't feel this way as that is something many businesses do when supply and demand change. Question #3:
Regarding status: GLS seems to be a nice site. How many guys use GLS as a determining factor for a provider. Providers, I believe, need a minimum of $500/hour, but I think $800/2 hour minimum is also acceptable. I am asking the Chicago ladies and gents this because this is where I run most of my business.
Any answers would be helpful. The occasional sarcasm is definitely welcome as well. Just be ready for a sarcastic response! LOL xoxo, C
-- Modified on 2/14/2014 10:27:45 AM
Please PM if you feel your response isn't appropriate for the public eye. I appreciate your help guys and gals!
1) It is your business so you get to set the rates. I gave up a long time ago to decipher 'hooker math'.
2) If a lady is constantly changing her rates [like every week, month], it means to me her business is struggling. This isn't the stock market. The lady can run her business as she sees fit. If it works for her, so be it.
3) I don't use GLS as a determining factor. Being on GLS does not make anyone special. I use the available resources [TER, Eros, BP, P411, etc] to make a decision on seeing a provider.
Question #1:
I've had some guys express suspicion and confusion due to constant site changes and rate structure changes. After I explained the situation they understood… however, some don't ask.
Ladies, would you suggest putting the above explanation on the website?
I also notice the term 'hooker math'. Would you ladies say a longer excursion would jump a bit in rates vs structure due to the expense of the longer hours? I can't just sit in a regular hotel room for a long appointment, so a suite costs a significant amount more.
Question #2:
I hear some say a provider will look like a jack ass if they go up to a certain rate, then knock it down when they realize it may not work. I don't feel this way as that is something many businesses do when supply and demand change.
Question #3:
Regarding status: GLS seems to be a nice site. How many guys use GLS as a determining factor for a provider. Providers, I believe, need a minimum of $500/hour, but I think $800/2 hour minimum is also acceptable.
I am asking the Chicago ladies and gents this because this is where I run most of my business.
Any answers would be helpful. The occasional sarcasm is definitely welcome as well. Just be ready for a sarcastic response! LOL
xoxo,
C
-- Modified on 2/14/2014 10:27:45 AM
ach provider needs to determine what rate structure gets the right amount of business and type of clientele she desires. Initially you don't know what that is going to be until you test the market a bit. How you handled it sounds reasonable and I don't think you need any explanation on your website as to how and why you decided on your rates. Those willing to pay the cost of admission don't really care how you arrived at your rates.
I do not use GLS to look for providers. My main sites are in line with CTPs
1. I don't think you need to go out of your way to explain your rate structure. Yours appears very fair. Guys will generally be looking to pay an incrementally lower hourly rate for extended dates and you've done exactly that. If guys have questions simply say you're new in town and are tweaking things to find the right balance. Perfectly reasonable.
On your 6-7 hour date, you make it clear that this is a different experience (presidential suite). Have seen some ladies show that type of thing outside of their normal rate structure and add some language around it. Perhaps call it the presidential package or something. But again its clear that this is a different experience and as a result is more expensive.
2. I think once you set your base advertized pricing I wouldn't expect it to drop. Doesn't mean that you can't run specials now and then, but I'd expect the advertized price to only go up if it changes at all. Some of this has to do with setting your target audience I think. A $500/hr girl is not marketing to a guy that sees $300/hr girls.
Now I could be way off base on this one so ladies, feel free to correct me. This is just how I personally view pricing.
3. I don't think I've ever gone directly to GLS, but have clicked on links from TER. I think there may be a certain level of status associated with a GLS girl, but being GLS in and of itself doesn't cause me to book. Rather its your personal site and your board presence. Maybe check in with someone like Paloma Montecarlo in Miami. She's pretty high on GLS so maybe she's cracked the code on using it to generate high quality business.
Just my $0.02....good luck 
Many years ago the classic case of marketing and pricing involved a certain favorite name brand scotch. This particular brand (a blend) tastes much like rubbing alcohol. But when the brand raised its price to the top of the market sale increased because the brand marketed itself as a top of the market luxury with an exclusive price. So, it can be the case that marketing yourself with a high price point and saying your are exclusive may drive sales.
Colleges, especially private colleges, all market themselves as elite. There are actually a group of consultants who work with colleges on how to pass out "scholarships" to adjust the college price point to maximize revenue. The rule for small private colleges is this: set the "sticker price" at the highest level you think you can pull off. Harvard, MIT, Yale, etc. are the price leaders here. But then offer "private discounts" in the form of scholarships to fill out a desirable class. Strategy here is "high class" sticker price, but actual prices based on the individual customer's ability to pay. Why leave an empty chair in a class room if a discount will fill the chair.
Wal-Mart ... every day low pricing.
JC Penny -- JC Penny used to offer sales all the time. An item would hit their sales floor and price would go down every week until the item sold. Penny then switched to every day low prices. Their sales plummeted. Penny's now has gone back to put an item on the floor with a high price and cut the price every week until it sells. Folks like to say they got the $50 item for a "bargain" on sale.
How does this work for escorts? I don't know, I haven't done a price model for an escort.
I happen to know a thing or two about marketing and pricing, so with that said here goes:
1. Whether it's you, Microsoft, or any other company, anytime you change pricing structures you're going to cause a certain amount of confusion. That's to be expected and can be mitigated to some degree by advanced notice of the impending change. An explanation, if properly delivered may help keep things calm as well. Too much change, too often and we run the risk of looking like we're still trying to figure out what our model should be. That in turn suggests the current model isn't working out.
2. I have a slightly different view point. I don't see supply/demand as the main issue, but rather quality of the service delivered. IMO, the key point is, is your product "worth" whatever price you advertise based on the expectations of the customer? As you raise the price those expectations rise accordingly. or $200/hr I don't expect much in the way of looks, personality,performance, etc. At $500/hr I expect more. At $800 even more. You get the idea.
3. I never use GLS. Same sites chi mentioned. For me personally, reviews mean a lot.
4. With your reputation I think yo can get away with breaking the rules simply because you're a known provider with reviews that set you apart. I would drop $800 for 2 hours with you no question about it. But, lke I said before my expectations based on that number+reviews would be quite high. If you met or exceeded them, which is quite likely, I would feel like I got a deal
The key here is that we are not all selling the same thing, and if you try to be everything to everyone, you will only succeed in being nothing to anyone. What do you want to sell? How long will your ideal thing that you are personally selling (whatever service or experience you want to be provide) take? What sort of audience would be drawn to your particular service/experience? Where are you presently in your capacity to provide the service/experience?
1) Rates should reflect the experience/service you want to create. Create a fixed point-"I want to entice patrons to see me for X amount of time, and are seeking X." ALL OTHER RATES SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND THIS POINT. (In fact, everything should revolve around this point.) There is a bit of play in how you may want to do this, however.
For example, I entice patrons to see me for dinner dates, clockfree dates, and travel. I do this by both starting high and ending lower than even most other ladies who are quite a bit below my initial (ie-my 2 hour) price point, and by creating my first "time discount" at my dinner date option. Notice that it only costs a mere Benjamin to jump from 3 hours to 4. The gentlemen and couples I'm seeking are those who identify with the idea of desiring a wholistic experience, rather than a service, and thus would already be attracted to longer engagements. Many (but not all, of course) of the gentlemen posters on this board may consider things like experience vs service and similar items mere meaningless semantics, but I think it's worth pointing out that most of them clearly identify with the idea of "service" (and even within what qualifies as "service" there is disagreement...semantics indeed) In other words, there isn't enough of a mix on this board to establish what are legitimate audience options are even available to a companion. This leads me to what you are selling, and to whom:
2) This should go without saying, but not everyone is in this for the same reason. What do you want to sell, and to whom? If you have not already done so, try making some quiet time to imagine your ideal date. When I say "ideal" I don't mean the pie in the sky winter trip to the Bahamas that may come around every so often, but your ideal every day date, the one that will sustain you both financially and in terms of your personal sense of fulfillment.
There are some important things to consider here. First, release any judgement you might have regarding your preferences; there is no "should" or right/wrong here. One extremely successful lady I know once commented that she HATES any date that involves lots of conversation, and actively encouraged her dinner date seekers to book all future dates as shorter (1-2hr) encounters, all BCD. She knew what she wanted, and what working environment she was most suited for and ran with it, making tons of $$ along the way. A short order cook cannot sustain a 5 star restaurant, and the painstaking detail a 5 star chef is going to make a massive mess of things in a fast paced diner.
Second, after you've really released your judgement, take a moment to consider what your capacity is to fulfill this thing you want to sell, and where your talent is in providing something distinctly different/better from others selling the same thing. It's ok to invest in self improvement to get where you want to go. If your primary interest is 1 hour dates, pick up a copy of the Kama Sutra, take a class on Tantra or dirty talk, or make a sincere investment in killer underthings (actually, I think every lady should be doing that last one). If you want to attract the crowd interested in companionship outside of the bedroom, read the magazines and news feeds they read, follow up on your education, and keep your activities and interests diverse, so that you have a variety of platforms to not just converse about, but to genuinely connect and bond over.
Finally, take some real time to consider the cons of the date structure you might want to pursue and/or what you want to sell. There ARE detractions to every approach, whether it be how people perceive/judge you, how frequent you will pick up dates, the negative side of the type of gentlemen you might attract (every patron has their positives and negatives, just like everything else on this planet , etc.
3) With regards to Marketing, as one lady friend recently said "all roads lead to Rome." Yes, certain ad sites are more or less likely to attract your ideal target audience, and it's worthwhile paying attention to your sites analytics and asking gents where they found you. However, what you need to focus on is your personal "Rome"-ie, your website, blog, ad content and anything else directly under your control. Any ad venue is gong to get you hundreds of click throughs, but that's meaningless if they are stopping at your website/blog/whatever and aren't following through to reach out to YOU. Use your ad content to attract your ideal audience to click through. Your website should then follow up by continuing to appeal to this audience, with the rates/date enticement being in line with what they are looking for in companionship.
See the common thread? Figure out what you want in total detail, and the audience who will be most satisfied with that service/experience/whatever. Then make your site/etc for THEM, rather than for YOU.
Best of luck, hotstuff. Feel free to hit me up via email if you have further questions
1) Rates should reflect the experience/service you want to create. Create a fixed point-"I want to entice patrons to see me for X amount of time, and are seeking X." ALL OTHER RATES SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND THIS POINT. (In fact, everything should revolve around this point.) There is a bit of play in how you may want to do this, however.
For example, I entice patrons to see me for dinner dates, clockfree dates, and travel. I do this by both starting high and ending lower than even most other ladies who are quite a bit below my initial (ie-my 2 hour) price point, and by creating my first "time discount" at my dinner date option. Notice that it only costs a mere Benjamin to jump from 3 hours to 4. The gentlemen and couples I'm seeking are those who identify with the idea of desiring a wholistic experience, rather than a service, and thus would already be attracted to longer engagements. Many (but not all, of course) of the gentlemen posters on this board may consider things like experience vs service and similar items mere meaningless semantics, but I think it's worth pointing out that most of them clearly identify with the idea of "service" (and even within what qualifies as "service" there is disagreement...semantics indeed) In other words, there isn't enough of a mix on this board to establish what are legitimate audience options are even available to a companion. This leads me to what you are selling, and to whom:
2) This should go without saying, but not everyone is in this for the same reason. What do you want to sell, and to whom? If you have not already done so, try making some quiet time to imagine your ideal date. When I say "ideal" I don't mean the pie in the sky winter trip to the Bahamas that may come around every so often, but your ideal every day date, the one that will sustain you both financially and in terms of your personal sense of fulfillment.
There are some important things to consider here. First, release any judgement you might have regarding your preferences; there is no "should" or right/wrong here. One extremely successful lady I know once commented that she HATES any date that involves lots of conversation, and actively encouraged her dinner date seekers to book all future dates as shorter (1-2hr) encounters, all BCD. She knew what she wanted, and what working environment she was most suited for and ran with it, making tons of $$ along the way. A short order cook cannot sustain a 5 star restaurant, and the painstaking detail a 5 star chef is going to make a massive mess of things in a fast paced diner.
Second, after you've really released your judgement, take a moment to consider what your capacity is to fulfill this thing you want to sell, and where your talent is in providing something distinctly different/better from others selling the same thing. It's ok to invest in self improvement to get where you want to go. If your primary interest is 1 hour dates, pick up a copy of the Kama Sutra, take a class on Tantra or dirty talk, or make a sincere investment in killer underthings (actually, I think every lady should be doing that last one). If you want to attract the crowd interested in companionship outside of the bedroom, read the magazines and news feeds they read, follow up on your education, and keep your activities and interests diverse, so that you have a variety of platforms to not just converse about, but to genuinely connect and bond over.
Finally, take some real time to consider the cons of the date structure you might want to pursue and/or what you want to sell. There ARE detractions to every approach, whether it be how people perceive/judge you, how frequent you will pick up dates, the negative side of the type of gentlemen you might attract (every patron has their positives and negatives, just like everything else on this planet , etc.
3) With regards to Marketing, as one lady friend recently said "all roads lead to Rome." Yes, certain ad sites are more or less likely to attract your ideal target audience, and it's worthwhile paying attention to your sites analytics and asking gents where they found you. However, what you need to focus on is your personal "Rome"-ie, your website, blog, ad content and anything else directly under your control. Any ad venue is gong to get you hundreds of click throughs, but that's meaningless if they are stopping at your website/blog/whatever and aren't following through to reach out to YOU. Use your ad content to attract your ideal audience to click through. Your website should then follow up by continuing to appeal to this audience, with the rates/date enticement being in line with what they are looking for in companionship.
See the common thread? Figure out what you want in total detail, and the audience who will be most satisfied with that service/experience/whatever. Then make your site/etc for THEM, rather than for YOU.
Best of luck, hotstuff. Feel free to hit me up via email if you have further questions!
+1 to that. Eve's the smartest one around in any of the boards!
Kiss me,
Kate
Simply do what feels right for you...there is no template here and there will be lots of tweaking to get to where you want to be. Change is good...in a consistent manner until you fine tune it to where you are comfortable and what is working. Seasons change, rates change, we change. The key is to keep your targeted market in sight...if you do, they will find you, trust me. Imo..a 'venue' is not always the answer but you never know unless you try. What works for one girl may not for another. Just do what feels right to you no matter how many people question it. For you're the only one it has to work for and live with...there is no right or wrong here. The gentlemen who truly want to see you won't question one thing...and that's what works and what I strive for and it seems to be working, at least for me.
And you're my girl...of course I'm still here. Thank you for the sweet words. Hopefully see you soon
which I am grateful for.
Ladies in this business know a lot about marketing due to much experience - as their entire career depends on it. They're the boss, the assistant, the entertainer, the skilled, the marketing department, the customer service department, the complaint department, the stat department, and the fiscal department. Did I mention IT? LOL.
Proud of the gals, and also thankful for the guys, (consumers,) who participated in this little survey.
Hope it helped some.
Intent was to get my questions answered, but I love how you Chi people are so helpful. It's sweet.
xoxo
C