HOW TO START AND OPERATE A DATING AND ESCORT AGENCY
Starting and operating a successful Dating
and Escort Service canbring in $40,000 or
more per year for the sharp, aggressive,
imaginative business person.
The secret to success with a business of this
kind is advertising that presents your
services with a "show business" flair - while
still maintaining good taste.
Most successful Escort Services are natural
expansions of businesses begun originally as
Introduction and Dating Services. To get
started, you need an impressive looking
application form.
Research into a number of successful
operations seems to indicate that a four-page
application works well. This should be typeset
with an attractive letterhead or company
masthead on A4 paper, folded in half to give
the impression of a 'personnel file'.
Your best paper colors are either pale blue
or ivory. The better paper stock you can
afford, the more impressive your application
will be, giving a greater aura of credibility
to your business, and thus to prospective
clients.
In addition to the usual questions such as
name, address, telephone number, marital
status, place of employment, hobbies, likes
and dislikes, your application should contain:
A short personality test which can be obtained
with a bit of research at your public library.
For ideas, samples, and even tests you can
use intact, be sure to check some of the
women's magazines.
And don't discount the idea of registering
at an already established business of this
type; or possibly you can see their
application form without actually involving
yourself any further. Or inquire among
friends and acquaintances who have
registered with a dating or escort service.
Near the end of the application, you should
include a short paragraph pointing out the
fact that your organisation, in addition to
bringing people together as a dating
service, also provides an escort service for
out of town visitors and local non-members.
You then pose the question: "Would you be
interested in these kinds of dates, which
would include all expenses, and a minimum
fee of $50 for what usually amounts to a
very delightful time with an interesting
person. Your only obligation ever is to be
your usual charming self and enjoy".
Just before or above the blank for your
applicant's signature, include a legal
disclaimer to any responsibilities or
promises implied and/or not specifically
stated within the application. The building
in which you locate: for this one, you'll
need a store-front office, and it should be
in a better part of the area.
Try to select a site that is upbeat and
attractive without being "jivey" - one that
would appeal to the more conservative or
mature as well as the younger generation.
Many of your clients are going to be mature,
and be reminded, the mature, intelligent
sector of our society is "getting younger"
and more vigorous, "still interested in life"
more than in years past.
In other words, the section where you locate
should reflect a modern attitude, but with
solid values. The reception area of your
office should be large and comfortable, with
as expensive a look as you can manage.
Your receptionist is very important. She
should be attractive, with a vivacious and
outgoing personality. She should be able to
quickly put your prospective clients at ease,
and generally make them feel that belonging
to your group is going to be the beginning of
happier times, fun, and lasting friendships.
You should have at least two expensive
looking picture scrapbooks on the coffee
table in your reception room. These you can
fill with portrait or candid shots of your
members and clients.
These pictures can pose a problem for you
while you are in the beginning stages, so
don't hesitate to gather pictures of various
relatives, friends who are not necessarily
located in your area - or even visit a nearby
college and ask if you can take some photos.
You will need to get a release signed by
each one, and you simply explain that you
are putting together a picture display book
of people in the area for the promotion of
your business, and their names and any other
information will not be publicised or
released.
After your prospective client has filled out
the application, the next step is a personal
interview. Your office should be cosy and
comfortable, but business like, and you should
arrange for uninterrupted time in complete
privacy with each person.
You should use this interview as the basis
of your estimate of the kind of person most
likely to match this client.
Be empathetic with your clients; you are
going to meet people who are tired of the
"dating game" as it is usually played out in
singles bars and unproductive groups they
had joined before.
You might get added help in the interviewing
by writing for advertising material and
brochures from similar services in other
areas, adapting any techniques you like to
your own interviewing process.
Most escort services we looked into publish
a monthly newsletter with tidbits of
information. Who's doing what, job changing,
who's travelling, plus a listing of upcoming
events and activities. Some of these
newsletters feature 'girl and guy of the
month', with lots of pictures, involved in
hobbies at home, and candid shots of
everyday life.
Usually, the escort service itself will
sponsor an "all membership" party about once
every three months to introduce other
members and project a sense of "family" and
belonging.
As we said earlier, advertising is the key
to your success with this project. A small
classified ad, run about for a week in the
"Personal Column" of your area newspaper
should start the ball rolling. Some ideas
for pulling enquiries from men might read
like this:
'Career woman, new to area, seeking dates
with honest, fun loving guys. Call Barbara,
12345'.
or
'Young recent divorcee ready to start dating
again. Call Linda on 12345'.
And for attracting enquiries from women:
'Young business executive wants to meet
eligible ladies. Call Ron at 12345'.
or
'Active and ambitious young man wants to meet
wholesome kind of girl. Call Brian on 12345'.
At the time you have an ad of this type
running, you'll want to have bulletin board
ads and notices everywhere, in a many company
newspapers as you can get into, and wherever
people are most likely to take notice.
This ad should be a straight advertisement
inviting people to "get out of the rate
race" of the singles game by joining your
organisation.
You'll of course emphasize confidentially,
respectability, and the fact you only deal
with people who are really serious about
meeting new friends and forming lasting
relationships.
Your ads soliciting new members should tell
readers you'll help them meet new friends
and enjoy dates with people, especially
matched to their own likes and dislikes.
A sense of fun and excitement should be
conveyed, but at the same time, honesty,
respectability and trust. You cannot use
flashy headlines or pictures of models that
give a connotation of an invitation into the
bedroom. Write your ads from the point of
view of the people you want to sell to -
build from what you believe to be their
special wants, and visualise their thinking.
Put yourself in the place of a prospective
new member, and understand that it takes a
great deal of nerve, we might even call
it courage, to make that move to ask for
help in dating - it is generally easier to
just let things slide along - stay in that
same old "rut" than to ask for help - and
risk disappointment.
You'll have to have a "planned explanation"
when people call in to answer to your ads.
Quickly get the name and phone number, ask a
few questions, and set up an appointment for
him or her to come into your office.
When you are in the interview, be bright,
inviting, but factual and brief, and don't
lose control of the conversation. Best to
have your questions and answers written out
in the order that works best to pull the
prospect into your office, and then follow
it to the letter.
When you're ready to expand with Escort
Services, get the word out to all the likely
places where people wanting these services
will see your ads or hear about you in
friend-to-friend conversation.
Have some interesting posters made up
inviting people to call asking about your
charming escorts for every occasion - dinner
dates, banquets, parties, theatre dates,
dancing and special occasions.
Try to get one of these up on the wall at
the airport, train and bus stations, and in
the better hotel lobbies in your area -
anywhere where travellers are likely to
notice them.
Run a regular ad in your Thursday and Friday
papers, and also in the Yellow Pages. Pass
out business cards to all the car rental
agencies and the restaurants near the travel
centers and to anyone and everyone having
anything to do with convention or tourist
arrangements in your area.
You will have to experiment and test to
determine the right fee to charge for
providing an escort, but with most escort
services, the minimum is $100 plus all
expenses.
This is a business that will provide
pleasure and profit to a person who is
outgoing, fun-loving, gregarious, but who is
sensitive to the needs of others, and enjoys
seeing people 'get a new start', or seeing
more reserved ones 'come out of their
shells'.
