In preparation for the launch of the new website, I asked for feedback from trusted friends. One of them, a male provider, suggested that I not reference a specific number of weekly or monthly dates to clarify what I mean by “low volume provider.” Specific numbers, he said, would be a turn-off to potential suitors.
My resistance to his suggestion stemmed from a conversation I’d seen in a TER discussion board a few days earlier in which a number of hobbyists rather skeptically–although quite understandably–guessed that the phrase “low volume provider” is largely a marketing tactic used by companions to appeal to the gentleman’s desire for some sort of exclusivity. In reality, “low volume” is a completely relative term and, without an objective definition, is perhaps not being employed so disengenuously.
I choose to see 3 or fewer gentleman per month. Perhaps that doesn’t meet someone else’s definition of “low volume provider,” but I know that my business approach would be different if I were simply trying to maximize income. As I believe is the case for most things in life, finding a comfortable balance between all the facets of one’s life is an individual endeavor. For some providers, that balance might include multiple dates per day or per week, and God bless ’em for it! That approach doesn’t work for me because I’ve chosen to allocate my time and energy into other endeavors; there’s nothing “better than” or “worse than” in that choice.
So why does it matter to you that I call myself a low volume provider? Because there are practical implications that impact how I operate, and therefore how I screen and otherwise interact with potential suitors. For instance, because I don’t do this full time, I have fewer windows for appointments. That means I’m less likely to be able to accomodate last-minute booking requests, and that weekends are often booked well into the future. I’d say that is important expectation-management information!
I countered my friend’s suggestion: Instead of including “my number” on the front page of the site, how about if I write up a blog to explain what “low volume provider” means to me and why it’s important? Obviously he agreed, because here we are.
