Dancer Archive
Thread: Making money as an entertainer
showmercy wrote:
Schardour wrote:
Drygo wrote:
So, tell me. How do you make the big tips if it doesn't involve "flirting?"
I don't think they mean flirting, specifically, but making people feel good about themselves, their profession, their knowledge, etc.
Flirting is obviously a personal choice on how they might go about doing that, but there are other means as well.Of course you don't have to be a wh0re to be social.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Male dancers should not flirt with other male characters.
Here's some REAL advice on how to get tips - front and center. When people run in to see entertainers they usually watch the one closest to them. The entrance way is not always the best spot, but right below the steps is usually good.
It's the little things
Well...I just want to clarify...I am not having a problem with tips at the moment...I mean, I think 50k a gaming session is good. But, I don't understand how people get those 100K-500K figures unless they flirt and are female.
Doesn't matter, really. It's just a pattern I notice. 
Like I said, I don't really flirt. But, if I'm going to be completely honest, I guess I do from time to time, it's not something that is part of my regular schtick. And, even if I don't get positive responses from males, the reactions are always amusing so it's worth it.
Ikewe wrote:
Reachwind,
I'm a bit confused/confounded by your suggestion to not tell other entertainers in the cantina how much you are making. It's been my standard policy to split any tip I make (unless it was for a requested mind buff) with my group.
Well, if you choose to split YOUR earnings with the people in the room with you, that's certainly an option. I'm sure the people that happen to be there with you at the time would like you a lot. Personally, I collect my earnings and keep them in the bank. In fact that's pretty much what everyone does. In the case where I was performing with a band and the band was tipped an amount to be shared, I would certainly not keep the other people's shares if they were sent to me to redistribute.
Ikewe wrote:If I may, I get the impression that Sienn's point is that she has found the cantinas devoid of action or mostly populated by people not interested in interaction so the ability to be a good entertainer was a moot point. She posted else where, if I'm not mistaken, stating that she had chosen a small server and played at less populated times.
Still doesn't matter. My techniques worked the same on Lowca (a sparesly populated server) the same as on Bria (an extremely populated server). Time of day makes no difference either. The key is to find where the combat players are primarily hunting for your time of day, and where they expect to find an entertainer and be there and be friendly.
It may very well be that she is doing all the right things as far as what an entertainer should do, but there are still things that can be done to insure a successful performance above and beyond being friendly. Make sure that you are in a good location is the key step. If you are in a spot where people are going to ignore entertainers (Coronet on just about every server for instance) or in a spot where only the poorest players come to heal (Mos Eisley) you'll be left holding an empty purse at the end of your play session no matter how good you were. Get to a place with a steady flow of combat players who are prone to sit and chat a bit and you'll have yor gold mine... On Bria for instance I used to make my best money in Bestine. There was rarely more than a bot there and plenty of combat folks coming and going at all times of day.
Esharra wrote:I think there are two reasons I get big tips. One, is the performance side.
The second thing to which I attribute my success is community involvement. I've made a point of letting the community know who I am and that I am a performer available for hire. I've acted in RP events and plays, modeled in fashion shows and been auctioned off for charity. These aren't events that are associated with a guild that I'm in or a specific city in which I live. I hear about something going on and I ask how can I get involved. In the past year, they're more likely to approach me first and ask if I will participate. These high profile events are things that I do not get paid to do. However, doing things like this is how others find out that I'm available for hire for parties and weddings. For private events I have a set fee of 50k cr. Not much at all really..it is a token amount. I usually receive tips far beyond that. I never expect it.
Exactly. I have a regular clientele who stop by for social time and a show, even if they don't need healing or a buff. Many of the folks are people I've met while playing in the band or met through being an Master ID. I show up at roleplaying events and parties, whether I'm paid to be there as a performer or not.
When you see folks on your server posting events, PM the host and see if they need paid entertainment. Heck, if they're a young city or a group getting started, I just volunteer to help.
Sure, when dancing in the cantina, I can make zero tips or a ton. I don't do it for the money, I do it because it's fun. It's also good to help encourage the new folks, to try to get them interested in the profession, instead of copying the bot behaviour. If you see that someone is trying to do a good job, you can help them out. Also, you can see are the bots and put on a show next to them. People will actually get to see the difference between a bot and an ATK entertainer.
Well I recently had a schedule change and a lot of spare time on my hands so I took the opportunity to run a few experiments (okay I'm a nerd). I created a new entertainer on 6 servers (total of 15 characters). I created males and females of a variety of species. I stayed in the newbie clothes I chose at character creation unless specifically given clothing by someone but that only happened for 2 characters. I was polite, friendly, and where possible helpful but did not engage in anything that I would consider flirting (someone once told me that /smile with someone targeted was flirting and I don't consider that to be the case so that's the qualifier there). I did not create the "lust'y lady" shaped character nor any suggestive names (although based on what I saw out there quite a few people seem to think that's the way to go) Here's what I found:
Across the board females get tipped more than males regardless of species. Humans and Twi'leks get tipped more with Twi'leks getting tipped the most.
As far as servers and peak vs off-peak times: (peak time was defined by amount of traffic on the server)
High density servers at peak times: average daily tips ranged from 50K to 785K (the highest averages were over the weekend)
High density server at off-peak times: average daily tips ranged from 30K to 200K
Low density servers at peak times: average daily tips ranged from 75K to 1 mil (I thought it interesting that although fewer people entered the cantina they tipped larger amounts)
Low density server at off-peak times: average daily tips ranged from 0 to 100K
I found that on all servers from the hours of approximate 5am Eastern to 9am Eastern most players were astounded to find a live entertainer and seemed genuinely appreciative and engaged in conversation. After that time they didn't seem as concerned about live vs afk until the peak hours in the evenings.
I made some disturbing discoveries about attitudes from fellow entertainers during these experiments. I met quite a few.. not so friendly... "divas" who clearly view any other entertainer as competition rather than a fellow entertainer. Some were amazingly rude and I found myself wondering what part of what they were doing could possibly be considered fun. It was as though a bunch of PvP "leets" had put away the weapons and donned revealing skirts (and some top just above pasties) in an effort to "pwn" the cantinas.
I found most assistance offered to a new player seeking information about busy hunting spots or high traffic cantinas came from combat players rather than entertainers. These areas varied greatly from server to server but did not vary with time of day.
The highest tip I received came from a player who offered me advice on how to create a macro so I could gain xp round the clock. When I told him I wasn't there to "grind" but rather simply relax and have fun he tipped me. Later he sent a tell asking if I would come to a player city cantina where there was a PvP battle going on and tipped me again.
After this I'll definitely be sticking to the smaller servers. I found the player base there to be a lot friendlier and much less "high school clique".
Sienn
Drygo wrote:It's always been a pet peeve of mine when other entertainers imply that I'm not doing something right if I don't make much in tips, mostly during the bot era, so I know how the original poster feels.
I've also noticed Chii made the statement about questionable conversation. Yes, that certainly happens. I don't do it, but I know some do. And, I'm sure it gives you tips. And, then there are other people that say they never do that, which I believe. But, then others go on to say that one shouldn't get rated X, but at the same time advocate flirting.
I don't flirt.
Is it necessary to flirt to make the big bucks? If so, I wouldn't call this profession dancing, I'd call it...
well you know what I'd call it.
So, tell me. How do you make the big tips if it doesn't involve "flirting?"
You kind of have to define what flirting is really. When I say flirting I am referring to the art of the compliment and the focus of attention on another person. The idea of showing someone that you are truely appreciating conversation with them and that you care that they are another person with feelings and desires. I am not talking about /licking them or /kissing them or cyber sex in any form. I'm sorry but if you perform without interacting with your crowd and flirting with the individuals there (and by flirting I mean directing your attention, conversation and making them feel that you care about them) you may as well be AFK to them.
Here is a typical exchange I made with Sal'tee while playing (a character that was by no means a cyber sex magnent). First of all I'd pick a member of the audience I thought I might have a chance of interacting with (in Sal'tee's case I almost always looked for unaccompanied female characters as that was his RP). Next I'd start off by /welcome or /greet followed by a more personal "Hello ___." I'd quickly take a look through their profile and read their bio (you can learn a lot about a person from their badges and the the story/info they written in their bio). After finding something interesting I'd craft the conversation around that. Sal'tee being something of a gentleman would always act in a very proper manner with all the ladies. A gentle kiss on the hand or a bow as needed. I would always make a proper good bye to the guests I entertained as well. A quick summary of the conversation or an acknowledgement of their feats (based on what i saw in the bio) as part of my closing conversation. It was never a tip that showed me I was successful it was the acknowledgement that I had broken the ice and this person felt better from having interacted with Sal'tee and would definately seek him out the next time a trip to the cantina was needed.
So basically what I am saying here is... If you aren't interacting with people and flirting with them (establishing a personal connection to them) you really aren't doing something right (that is if you truly are interested in making real money).
Sienn wrote:After this I'll definitely be sticking to the smaller servers. I found the player base there to be a lot friendlier and much less "high school clique".
Wow, that's an amazing experiment. Props to you, as it would have tried my patience.
I also agree with you, which is why I enjoy playing on Kettemoor way more than playing on Gorath. I can't leave my 2 yr old toon, her guild and city, but I sure do enjoy all the time I play on Kette more than the time I play on Gorath.
Oh it definitely tried my patience at times 
But once I get in that sort of "let's see what happens" groove it's nearly impossible for me to stop. I become Rainman waiting for The People's Court....
Sienn
ok Tarqunais plug here... small serv and rather frendly one at that.
As a male IRL and IG dancer back in the old days i got most of my income from other dancers for the intersting 3am Ent group topics i am well known for. Also i do flirt with woman toons and am nice to everyone. Im scure inough in my sexual orentation to not care if the girl im flirting with is a 50 year old guy. Also perfom in a troupe like Solor Flair on our server helps as being part increses the rep and you get alot of paying perfomances. Now that im remastering for i think the 6th time 
every time i leave it i always come back . The interaction is what makes the game for me and well DoM helps to 
Different entertainment styles are recieved differently by patrons, which while it seems obvious is often a fact that is overlooked. My entertainment style is playful, I gently tease my patrons, use humor, and flirt with them in a very playful manner. Now, I don't keep track of my tips, but I am sure my income is different from someone who is more serious and suggestivewith their flirting. Does that really matter to me? Not at all. Everyone has their own style I do believe that money can be made from entertaining,however, not everyone finds that the money they make isenough for them. They can change their style of entertainment to make more money, but in my opion it's better to enjoy the game the way you want to play, even if that means being a few credits shorter than someone else.So tips are not really my main concern, just as long as I am having fun. I make my money from crafting.