Some nights will be fantastic at the club. The lights will be bright; everything will happen in just the right moment. But some nights you might find that nothing goes right. You just feel out of sync. You could be sabotaging your own efforts, and not even know it. So here is for the new year, a list of 11 things that may be preventing you from making money as an exotic dancer!

Lacking Self Confidence – The dancers that immediately become the center of attention in the room all have one thing in common. They exude self confidence. Don’t think for a moment that you can’t do the same thing. Just put aside your fear for a moment and realize that you are performer and the show must go on.

Like I always say, fake it till you make it in this business. Act with confidence and it will show! It will change the dynamic of your whole night. Even if you run across a customer who is rude, just brush it off and move on to the next guy.

Not Talking To Every Customer That Comes In – I see it all night from up here in the DJ booth. A room full of guys staring at their phones, because all the dancers don’t want to take a moment to sit at their table, introduce themselves, and be the good hostesses that they were hired to be. Dancing is more than just being on stage, you are also a personality and entertainment for the customers. So don’t sit around looking at your phone when you could be meeting who could be your next regular customer.

At least introduce yourself to everyone in the room, one by one, without any obligation. That way when you come back to close the sale they will already be familiar with you. Even if the room is dead, and there are only a few guys, it only takes one customer to make your whole night. You’ll make more on stage too when you have introduced yourself to everyone.

Being Late To Stage – The DJ calls your name but you pretend that you didn’t hear him. This is not professional. The whole room is waiting for the next dancer, yet she is nowhere to be found. It’s simple – listen for your name on standby and the next set is all yours on the stage. Make it a grand entrance by inviting your customer to stage so you are guaranteed to be tipped while you are up there. If you had followed the advice of rule #2, you will have a room full of customers who will want to see you dance. Coming In Late – Just because you don’t have a schedule don’t assume that you can be lazy. I often see is dancers who come in at 11:30 at night, hit the floor by 12 and wonder why it’s so dead or why they didn’t make much money. Instead, make the most of your night and work a whole shift, instead. Your money will be more steady and reliable if you put the hours in to work. Grab those dayshift leftovers and keep them spending in the club all night!

When you walk into the club so late, its hard to get into the vibe and really know whats going on. Some clubs offer incentive to arrive before night shift so arriving early can cost you less in house fees. Clubs are short staffed at the start of night shift when during that time there are after work and happy hour customers ready to spend their money.

Drinking Too Much – Even if it sounds fun drinking too much is sure to ruin your night. Yes, you are at a party and you are the center of attention, the life of the party. But, you are still at work, and there are a lot of things to keep track of. You don’t want to lose your money or have your purse stolen. Don’t let drinking distract you from making money. Every night I see that the dancers who make the most aren’t the ones who spend their time drinking or trying to score their next free shot at the bar from a customer.

You don’t want to be taken advantage of, either. Guys want to buy you drinks so they can get as far as they can. Save the party for when you are not at work. And, I’ve known many dancers (and some bartenders) throughout the years that ended up with a very expensive DUI on their record after drinking all night. Don’t be a victim, be a victor.

Getting Caught Up In Drama – Nothing is going to cut into your money more than getting caught up in the drama that some other women bring the club. Yes, everyone has issues, but you don’t have to waste your time getting caught up in it. Time is money and the more time you waste dealing with other people’s problems, the less time you have to make money.

Some people are just troublemakers and they want everyone to be miserable right along with them. Jealous dancers will try to psyche you out with over the top compliments in the dressing room. They are really just insults in disguise. You don’t have to be cold-hearted, but realize that the drama is not worth your time and effort.

Counting Your Money Before The Night Is Over – You made bank on stage. You just did 12 vip dances in a row! Great work! but your night is not over yet. Do yourself a favor and put your money away. Count it at the and of the night instead. Whether you did good or bad so far, If you count your money in the middle of your shift, you’ll lose motivation to go all the way.

Wait until the end of the night when you can have a final total. You’ll feel so much better in the end if you just wait until your shift is over.

Wearing The Same Outfit Every Night – Clubs get frequent customers, and they see you in the same outfit every night. It doesn’t make you look familiar – instead it makes you look cheap. Wearing the same outfit every night makes you look like you don’t take care of yourself.

You don’t need a closet full of dancer clothes. Just put together some complimentary basics that you can rotate throughout the week. Dancing is the only job where you can dress like a fantasy girl! So live it up and don’t wear the same old thong every night.

Forgetting To Ask For a Dance – You are at a table having fun with a group. Maybe you are sitting next to a hot guy. Whatever the situation, time slips away and before you know it, you have spent two hours talking to someone and haven’t made a cent. You are selling your time and company as a dancer, so take advantage of it.

Customers would love to have you talking to them all night for free, but if you do that you will go home broke. You can’t pay your bills on good conversation. They can get the same thing in a regular bar – but you are working in a strip club, it’s your job to ask customers for dances. set yourself a time limit of at least 3-4 songs with each customer before you ask, so you can see if they are interested.

Taking A Customer Home – You got interested in a customer and thought it would be a good idea to take him home. Well, some customers make it their life’s mission to hook up with strippers. Sometimes they find it easy to prey on strippers, thinking they have attachment issues and just ‘need a good man’ to take care of them. Sometimes they just want to get laid. This is not a customer. Instead they are a predator. They are a distraction on your way to success.

The ideal customer keeps coming back to see you in the club. Once they are outside of the club with you, there’s no money, there’s no structure to your time spent together and they will do whatever it takes to get what they want. Do yourself and your club a favor and keep it in the club.

Not Treating Stripping Like a Job – This is the most important point! For some dancers, dancing is just a job. Nothing more and nothing less. For other dancers, it can become a career path. You will notice that the dancers who treat their job like a job are often the ones who are always in VIP, always making sales and always hustling.

Exotic dancing is a job but some dancers just treat it like a party spot. If you’ve been wondering why you aren’t making money consider that it’s worth it to re-frame your state of mind when you come to work. Treat exotic dancing like a job and it will pay off in time with persistence.

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