After delivering the Workshop, we adjourned to the bar for a
well-earned glass of Champagne. As I
ordered the drinks, I noticed that the girl sat at the bar next to me had two
mobile ‘phones in front of her – so in order to make conversation I said – “those
two make you look like a drug dealer…”
She looked at me, smiled and said – “different commodity,
same process…”
I must have looked confused; “I’m a hooker-booker. This ‘phone
is for inbound requests and this one is outgoing bookings…”
This somewhat bizarre conversation got me thinking – not about that – but about the 1964 book
“The Act of Creation” by Arthur
Koestler, in which the principle of Bisociation which “means to join unrelated,
often conflicting, information in a new way” was first established.
In other words – can we improve a product or process by embellishing
it with the attributes of another seemingly random, unrelated one..?
So what can the Hooker-Booker teach us about Business…?
1. Sell what Clients want – Hooker –Booking records go back to the 18th Century BC. Mesopotamians recognised through the Code of Hammurabi that women, including prostitutes, should have rights of inheritance.
The reason that the industry has been around for so long is simply that clients want what is on offer – there is a demand for the services and therefore regardless of legislation, religion or attitudes, it continues to thrive.
- Are your products and services really in demand...?
- Do clients want what you are offerinh...?
- How good would your product have to be that you didn’t need to sell it, you had to ration it…?
2. Be Attractive – It pays to be attractive. Remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not the mirror; you need to be attractive to your clients. They may see what you don’t, so you need to know what they are looking for and what makes your proposition attractive to them.
Sisters Louise and Martine Fokkens had been working as prostitutes in Amsterdam up until they retired at the age of 70 – with Louise stating that her arthritis meant that certain positions were simply not possible any more.
Someone found these two ladies to be an attractive proposition; between them they had sex with around 350,000 men. It is one thing providing a service that is in demand, but you still have to be able to attract clients to you in order to be in business.
- How attractive is your business…?
- Do you get noticed amongst all the others that are to you…
- Are you good to do business with, what is your vision and passion…?
3. Have a Niche
– in the sex industry there are too many “niches” otherwise known as fetishes to
list here. It is clear that clients have a range of interests, and the successful
Hooker-Bookers are able to satisfy them by being specific about what they offer.
- Dendrophilia - someone having a sexual interest in trees.
- Plushophilia - sexual interest in teddy bears.
- Agalmatophilia - sexual desire for mannequins and statues.
- Mechanophilia – sexual attraction to cars.
- What is your Unique Sales Proposition – what makes you special...?
- Are you catering for a defined niche, or range of niches...?
- Does your marketing promote the niche you excel in...?
4. Positioning – the rules of engagement. Before any services, of the Teddy Bear or otherwise nature are provided, it is really important to establish the boundaries; what is allowed, what is not allowed and how the pricing for services is worked out.
In his 1965 publication “Apprenticeships in Prostitution” James H Bryan describes the experiences of 33 call girls entering the business in Los Angeles. The induction training instructed regarding interpersonal behaviour with customers, pitches and sales techniques and how to obtain the maximum fee; the development of an “adequate clientele”
In business we rarely have such Apprenticeships, we tend to simply copy what others do and hope for the best, whereas in reality a structured and systemised approach to working with clients would be hugely beneficial.
- Do you know exactly what your clients expectations are…?
- Is your business systemised such that you and the client know exactly what service to be delivered, and as important what is not…?
- Do your team know what each client wants, are they trained in customer service as well as the technical work they do on behalf of the client…?
How healthy is your business…?
As the health of people can be checked with a few easy measurements; blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart rate etc. so can a business. Keeping your business healthy through regular checks on the Key Performance Indicators will ensure that you can keep servicing your clients and not be issued with a white card.
- What are the key numbers in your business…?
- Have you set targets and objectives for each of them with your team…?
- Do you measure and review them, and the causes of them on a regular basis…?
When I look at any business I always look in the stock room – these can be physical materials and products stored work in progress, or sales ledger debts. None of us are in the banking business; we are not in the business of loaning money to our clients, if they want money they should talk to their friendly local bank manager - good luck with that...
- Do your measure your debtor days and keep them under control…?
- Is your collection method systemised and understood by your team…?
- Do your terms and conditions give you the strength to collect your money…?
Avoid this situation with great terms and conditions, be clear about late payments and consequences and most of all – be prepared to enforce them. A client is not a client unless they pay you...
7. The Customer Comes First – no pun intended. In 2009 Sasha Grey starred as a high class call girl in the movie The Girlfriend Experience, set in the days leading up to the 2008 Presidential Election.
So many businesses forget that it is not simply the product or service that is important – it is the context in which it is delivered that makes the difference. We are all in the customer service business, and we need to recognise that relationship and client experience are key factors in building our reputations and client base – being technically competent is not good enough anymore.
- Do you have a customer service charter…?
- How many unsolicited testimonials do you receive...?
- What is the experience of working with you like…?
8. Repeat Business is Good – safety in numbers. In the USA the murder rate for a prostitute is 204 for every 100,000, making it the most dangerous job in the world. In the 1990’s Melissa Farley and Howard Barkan conducted a study of 130 San Francisco based prostitutes.
Safety lies within the predictable, and as much as “regular Johns” are preferred by working girls and guys – so too should we look to keep our regular clients and build long term profitable relationships with them.
- Do you have a customer care program…?
- Do you reward loyalty in your customers and employees…?
- How do you build long term relationships with clients…?
9. Exit Strategy – paid to leave. When Charlie Sheen was interviewed about why a man like him would pay for sex, we replied “I don’t pay them for sex I pay them to leave...”
The walk of shame is almost a rite of passage for college students the world over, a stark reminder of the short attraction spans that lust confuses for us.
In Felix Dennis’s excellent book How to get Rich, he suggests that if it Floats, Flies, Feeds or Fornicates – it should be rented not purchased. In business we should take the same approach; getting into business is easy, but getting out is complex.
As Steven Covey stated in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Start with the End in Mind. Have an Exit Strategy so you can capitalise on your investment and walk away with your dignity intact.
- Do you have a detailed exit strategy…?
- Is your business “sale ready”…?
- Who will take over from you when you decide to live in Monaco…?
For more information on how David
can help you in your business drop him a personal email to davidholland@resultsrulesok.com
or check out our website at