Damien Black

This seems like something that needs to be adjusted by market. For example, I have watch visiting masseurs stay on "Available Now" for a long time, then look at their prices for my market and see why. You can be new to an area but if you are still priced out of range, locals may just go with the cheaper locals. You should try to be competitive at least to the area that you are in. Sometimes, that may mean going up in price as well to be on par. If I know I can get everything I need from a masseur I hire regularly for $X, it is hard to justify paying a 'new' guy $X for half as much time when both or "Available Now" just to say I've tried them, especially when there's few reviews out there.
 
Which brings me to, if you are traveling, may want to let people know if the hotel you are in has free parking or not. Or even convenient street parking. I always find it interesting that some masseurs get in hotels that are clearly in the $200+ a night range downtown and wonder if they'd be better off maximizing profits by going to a spot just in the suburbs that may be a little cheaper.

Oh Another one...
 
If you have a roommate and are taking incalls, let your customer know went they book. Hearing other unexpected people in the place is odd. I hired one guy and went to his place. Walked in to the front door. Bam. Massage table in the living room. But he lead me to his room. So I figured it was for practice or perhaps extra. Get to his room and on the table there and later during my massage, I hear another person going up and down the stairs.
 
Well after my massage was done, a black curtain was pulled from the living room area so you couldn't see from the stairway and I was led out the backdoor through the kitchen. WKOSIT?
 
I concluded that his roommate was also a masseur. That's fine and dandy. But at least let me know. I am sure the roommate's client found it odd hearing us as we were going down the stairs too as I was having some small talk about asking for water, and as I mentioned, the table was right in the living room. Just not a good look if you are not telling your clients before hand that you are in a shared space. A tleast let me have the option to decide if I'll go with the booking or not or letting me know if the roommate will be there or not or possibly arrive during the session.
 
Another time, I hired a new guy and the appointment was at the same apartment of another guy I hired a few months back. I didn't see the other masseur but, yeah. That was kinda awkward.

That's wouldn't be unfair in my neighborhood, given that the local spas, whose therapists won't do stomach or buttocks, charge that much or more.

Everyone here has really nailed it from both the client and the masseur side. I wish I knew about this forum when I first started, would have saved me a lot of meh experiences.
 
As a masseur/scort my advice would be(sorry for repeats, I feel they are important enough to read again):
 
-DO go with your gut, if you get a bad feeling through a call, imagine the feeling you’ll get when you knock on the door, instinct is usually right and although it only happened once, I had to leave a service halfway into it, and that’s me, and I’m an “anything goes” fetish friendly experience, so imagine the amount of creep it takes to make me walk out the door.
 
-DO get a professional scheduling app(online scheduling if you can) to keep track of appointments, even better if clients can see your schedule and book their own appointments.
 
-DO be open minded. Even if you want to be 100% legit and therapeutic, clients make requests constantly, always consider them and their comfort, I have done strictly therapeutic massages nude because I have clients that are more comfortable not being the only one naked in the room. There is nothing wrong or illegal about 2 adults being nude in a room together, you can relax some and still be a legit professional.
 
-DO NOT take appointments that you can’t keep. When you start out you are fresh meat and you’ll get a sudden influx of appointments, don’t let it go to your head, you are being tested, do well and word will spread.
 
-DO NOT use your phone during appointments! I have an iPhone and I turn on driving mode and set up an auto reply that states I’m in an appt and will get back immediately after, that way people know I’m busy, not ignoring them, and clients don’t have a therapist hovering over his phone.
 
-BIOTONE period. Coconut oil is a good 2nd Incase they prefer oil.
 
Lastly, be fair, charge the standard rate in your area FOR THE SERVICES OFFERED, don’t charge $150 an hour for a therapeutic, at the same time don’t lowball yourself, don’t charge $50 an hour for erotic(or people will think you are either terrible at it or desperate). Price takes practice and fine tuning, you’ll find what is both fair to clients and gets you enough appointments to pay your bills.
 
It’s all about the regulars. They are loyal, they deserve more, go with a regular over a new guy if you have to pick one, and I ALWAYS give my regulars free upgrades. Over deliver consistently.
 
Sorry it’s so long, TLDR Don’t get cocky, treat your regulars with the respect they deserve, be creative and be ready for some situations you didn’t prepare for.

Everyone here has really nailed it from both the client and the masseur side. I wish I knew about this forum when I first started, would have saved me a lot of meh experiences.
 
As a masseur/scort my advice would be(sorry for repeats, I feel they are important enough to read again):
 
-DO go with your gut, if you get a bad feeling through a call, imagine the feeling you’ll get when you knock on the door, instinct is usually right and although it only happened once, I had to leave a service halfway into it, and that’s me, and I’m an “anything goes” fetish friendly experience, so imagine the amount of creep it takes to make me walk out the door.
 
-DO get a professional scheduling app(online scheduling if you can) to keep track of appointments, even better if clients can see your schedule and book their own appointments.
 
-DO be open minded. Even if you want to be 100% legit and therapeutic, clients make requests constantly, always consider them and their comfort, I have done strictly therapeutic massages nude because I have clients that are more comfortable not being the only one naked in the room. There is nothing wrong or illegal about 2 adults being nude in a room together, you can relax some and still be a legit professional.
 
-DO NOT take appointments that you can’t keep. When you start out you are fresh meat and you’ll get a sudden influx of appointments, don’t let it go to your head, you are being tested, do well and word will spread.
 
-DO NOT use your phone during appointments! I have an iPhone and I turn on driving mode and set up an auto reply that states I’m in an appt and will get back immediately after, that way people know I’m busy, not ignoring them, and clients don’t have a therapist hovering over his phone.
 
-BIOTONE period. Coconut oil is a good 2nd Incase they prefer oil.
 
Lastly, be fair, charge the standard rate in your area FOR THE SERVICES OFFERED, don’t charge $150 an hour for a therapeutic, at the same time don’t lowball yourself, don’t charge $50 an hour for erotic(or people will think you are either terrible at it or desperate). Price takes practice and fine tuning, you’ll find what is both fair to clients and gets you enough appointments to pay your bills.
 
It’s all about the regulars. They are loyal, they deserve more, go with a regular over a new guy if you have to pick one, and I ALWAYS give my regulars free upgrades. Over deliver consistently.
 
Sorry it’s so long, TLDR Don’t get cocky, treat your regulars with the respect they deserve, be creative and be ready for some situations you didn’t prepare for.

Tons of great tips here...
 
Some masseurs doesn’t know this. As a client your face is down and you have no idea what’s going on inside the room. (Even if you know it’s just the two of you) So try to minimize or if possible have at least one hand always in contact with your client throughout the duration of the massage. It gives a client a sense of security during the massage session.
 
Hope this helps...

Always express gratitude for tips.
Can be a quick text right after the session.

This is a very important one!
And never feel obligated to do something you don’t feel comfortable or goes beyond your own boundaries.

It is okay to turn down a client if you do not get a good feeling from your initial contact.

I'm also in the school of "don't haggle" as a client.
 
If its for more than one hour, I will try to tell them what I want so they can set an informed rate... I'll say yes or no.
 
There are no absolutes when trying to interpret emotional reactions. On some level, if the interaction proceeds:

"My rate is $350."
"Sorry, I won't pay that."
"Well, I can do $300."
"No thanks"
"How about $250?".......

Now we're in used car sales territory. He didnt set his rate at $350.... he took a shot. Maybe it can go even lower. Or maybe he's really desperate, what am I getting into?
 
So, I politely decline if the rate is unacceptable to me, and avoid negotiations and all of the imagined reactions and reasons that go with them.
 
Plus, when purchasing mark-downs, there's always the possibility it's an irregular.

I will rarely negotiate. If a guy offers to drop his price, I'm going to wonder if it means a corresponding drop in service.

Age discrimination is done way more to bottoms then tops. It's a fact that older tops have a much longer career then older bottoms.
 
It's kind of sad really as the bottoms work their whole lives to please their tops only cast out much too soon for something younger. Maybe because they think it's tighter.

@Damien Black , I love your avatar picture - do you have a link to an ad?

My clients usually just throw their clothes off as quickly as possible like MichBoyBlake’s experience, and so I follow suit. But I am now definitely going to consider adding an undressing ritual for sensual. Sounds like a great way to heat things up.
 
If I started one I’d probably do away with the shirts first then go for a strong embrace. Maybe then while still embracing the pants start unbuttoning and slide down. Depending on the client maybe take the underwear off with teeth, or something like that haha.

My clients usually just throw their clothes off as quickly as possible like MichBoyBlake’s experience, and so I follow suit. But I am now definitely going to consider adding an undressing ritual for sensual. Sounds like a great way to heat things up.
 
If I started one I’d probably do away with the shirts first then go for a strong embrace. Maybe then while still embracing the pants start unbuttoning and slide down. Depending on the client maybe take the underwear off with teeth, or something like that haha.

In an earlier post @Drod1474 mentioned an undressing ritual. https://www.companyofmen.org/threads/411-on-mark-good-touch-from-austin-visiting-san-diego.132954/#post-1478538
 
For me, an undressing experience would be very sensual. Undressing each other would complement the massage experience and take it to a more intimate level. I’ve never experienced it.
 
I would like to know if anyone one else have had an undressing ritual / experience. And how was it.

I've had straight therapists that were great.

Ooo this will be a good one.
 
 
 
Generally I claim the straight end of the spectrum as far as therapeutic massages go, for my legit massages if I’m “straight” it helps make it less confusing what people are getting if that makes sense? Expectations match reality. It’s a therapeutic massage so my orientation isn’t a dealbreaker and since I massage 99% men, it draws the line at therapeutic *unless* during the course of the massage we get talking and they let me know certain things they would like, and we can change the course of the massage.
 
If I’m giving a sensual/erotic massage, or providing companionship, then I can show my true colors and let people know I love the person inside, not the body parts. I don’t really stand by a label so idk if it’s bi or pans, but I like men and women depending on the personalities, I just like to make people happy, and whoever the client is I enjoy it, and if I’m into it they usually enjoy it more. I just say I’m bi if they ask so they know everything is on the table for more.
 
Idk how other masseurs separate clients, but that’s one method I use to keep legit and play separated.

Ooo this will be a good one.
 
 
 
Generally I claim the straight end of the spectrum as far as therapeutic massages go, for my legit massages if I’m “straight” it helps make it less confusing what people are getting if that makes sense? Expectations match reality. It’s a therapeutic massage so my orientation isn’t a dealbreaker and since I massage 99% men, it draws the line at therapeutic *unless* during the course of the massage we get talking and they let me know certain things they would like, and we can change the course of the massage.
 
If I’m giving a sensual/erotic massage, or providing companionship, then I can show my true colors and let people know I love the person inside, not the body parts. I don’t really stand by a label so idk if it’s bi or pans, but I like men and women depending on the personalities, I just like to make people happy, and whoever the client is I enjoy it, and if I’m into it they usually enjoy it more. I just say I’m bi if they ask so they know everything is on the table for more.
 
Idk how other masseurs separate clients, but that’s one method I use to keep legit and play separated.

I've never thought of this as a fetish, but that describes me perfectly. I always linked it in my mind with being somewhat on the sub side of things (to use another fetish/kink as an example). Part of why I enjoy escorting is because I genuinely like making others feel good, especially folks who are considered "less than" because they're not conventionally attractive, able bodied, or whatever.

For a guaranteed legit massage, ask if they are licensed or certified, you can even get the license number and look up if it’s valid and what styles they are trained in. Usually the guys asking $250+ for an hour massage will give you a glorified back rub, and it’s more about the extra elements. If the price is more reasonable it’s probably only a therapeutic massage, but that means it’s probably a decent one. Harder to find are the people that do both