Discovery Questions

Stripping & Sales Series

In sales, a discovery question is a question that qualifies your lead. Good discovery questions are designed to get you the answers that you need without sounding salesy. Great sales people can have a conversation with someone and qualify them without the lead realizing what is happening. Great sales people create an environment where the lead feels comfortable enough to open up about why they are there, what they are looking for, and their budget.

In the club, people are expecting a sales pitch that is a hard sell, very salesy and/or sexual. If that is you, and it works, that’s great. If you want to have better conversations and sell higher priced rooms with no chargebacks, keep reading.

You want to know why a customer is there, what they are looking for, and their budget- for the night, and for you specifically. The customer wants to know if they will have a good time with you, if the benefits outweigh the cost, and what the cost is, without being blindsided at the end. Great sales people find a way to qualify their leads while providing value up front.

Qualifying Your Leads

Why Did They Come In?

You could ask your qualifying questions directly, and at least for the reason why they are in the club, it’s a smart idea to ask up front. Special occasions like bachelor(ette) parties, birthdays, divorce parties, and wakes (yes, seriously), are all celebrations that require a slightly different approach. Bachelor parties tend to need more time to warm up, bachelorette parties usually come in ready to get dances and spend on stage, etc.. Knowing your audience is key to delivering a spectacular and unforgettable experience that will leave the customers happy and your wallet full.

Some people will give a vague answer, or an answer that is not really about them. We’ve all heard some variation of, “I’m here for my friend.” Some people will tell you that they’re here to drink beer or just watch for free or to find services that are not on the menu. The people who give you these types of answers should be given the closing lines quickly, without any more conversation. They are less likely to buy, and you shouldn’t waste time trying to convert them. I would suggest putting friendly people who are “there for their friends” on the bottom of the list to revisit if there are no more people to approach.

What Are They Looking For?

The question of why they are there and what they are looking for may seem similar enough to be the same, but there is a significant difference. The question of why they are there is the conscious reason they walked into the club that day. What they are looking for once they get there has both a conscious and subconscious answer.

The white guy looking for a Latina who speaks little English wants to live out his passport bro fantasies. The white guy looking for an Asian girl wants to feel dominant and strong. The married guy looking to get a VIP with the young dancer is either a predator or wants to feel young again. As a petite Asian-Latina who looked younger than her age for most of her career, I feel that I can speak on these stereotypes because I was rejected a lot for not looking stereotypically any race, and then they were fascinated by me when they found out my mix.

The guy who seeks out an intellectual conversation (or is pleasantly surprised by one) probably needs more emotional connection and intellectual stimulation in his life. Some men want to talk politics, religion, or race with a stripper. Many of my customers were these types of men. The point here is to figure out the unspoken needs of the customer. Some are needs that can be met. Some cannot. Qualify your leads accordingly, i.e. abandon anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable.

If you don’t know your main demographic and what they are looking for, spend a month of shifts (30 shifts) writing post-shift notes. Who spent money on you? Why did they come in the club? What did they say they are looking for and what were their unspoken needs?

What is Their Budget?

The budget discovery is tricky sometimes, but once you get the hang of it, so easy. There are many ways to qualify someone’s budget, including just asking. Before you ask directly, I would suggest setting up some questions that get to the point without making them feel like you’re putting them on the spot. The only time you should ask about their budget directly is when you’re deciding between two options, or figuring out the cash vs credit card situation.

In convention or tourist heavy places, the question of why they are in town is answered easily when you ask if they are celebrating anything special. Naturally, the answer is just that they are in town and decided to come in and see what this club is all about. If the convention or trade show is catering to a specific industry, learn a little about that industry and their income before going to work. That way, if they voluntarily tell you their job and title, you can store that knowledge away for later use while not breaking the flow of conversation to ask them what that means. You could also play the Bimbo and be confused about what their jobs is, then giggle and say it doesn’t matter, you just want to have fun. Whatever works for your aesthetic and personality.

In places with more locals, asking them what they do on their days off is a good indicator of how they live their lives. Some people blow their whole check in the club, some have expensive hobbies they put most of their money into, and some have enough money to have expensive hobbies they only sort of like, and money to blow at the club without blinking an eye.

Some people have a large budget for some dancers and not for others. Always close, because you never know what they will spend on you. If you know that another dancer is more their type, and you are comfortable working with that dancer, you could sell a VIP and then offer to bring girls in for a dance, and if they like them, you can keep them and do another room.

This tactic is advanced and only works if you tip the staff, are transparent with the customer about what is going on, and most importantly, you position yourself as the expert. You must be able to read the customer so well that they are impressed, have a good relationship with the staff, and have some sort of status in the club that would lend credibility to you calling other dancers in for a room.

Qualifying Questions

Are you for anything special/a special occasion? > To whom should I direct my energy?

Do you come to clubs often? What was your best experience? > Is there an experience that I should emulate or a negative one that I should be aware of that might make you a hesitant buyer?

Where are you from? What do you do for work or fun? (depending on conversation and city) > How much disposable income do you have and where does the strip club budget fit?

Good luck babes, and happy hustling!