Introductory call

What is an introductory call?

An introductory call (also called a meet and greet) is the short, no-obligation conversation beforehand where a client and a provider feel whether it clicks, before anything gets booked. It turns on trust and a first impression, on the phone, over chat, or in person. No date has to come out of it.

How an introductory call works

An introductory call looks both ways. You hear how someone sounds and whether you feel safe with him; at the same time he reads whether a date is right for both of you. That mutual read is a safety step for a provider too: the Beyond the Gaze research project at the University of Leicester advises sex workers not to make a booking without first having spoken with the client. For you as a woman, that is exactly what works in your favor. You hear a voice, you ask your questions, and only then do you decide.

Why an introductory call matters

For a lot of women the biggest hurdle isn’t the date itself, but the leap into the unknown before it. An introductory call takes that leap away. You hear someone talk, you notice whether the tone suits you, and you keep the door open to say no after all. As Logic Magazine describes, providers also use a first contact like this to gauge expectations and reliability. A conversation isn’t a guarantee, by the way. It gives an impression, not proof, and you can always let your gut weigh more than a smooth talker.

What I do with it myself

I’m Victor, a gigolo and a psychotherapist. I offer this conversation on purpose, because I don’t want you meeting up with a name on a screen. Usually the doubt disappears the moment you hear a voice. In that conversation you don’t have to promise anything or explain anything you’re not ready to share. It’s there to feel whether it clicks, and sometimes the answer is no, and that’s fine.

Where this fits with me

If you’d like to have a conversation like this with me, the page on the talk beforehand explains how it works: how you get in touch, what we talk about, and how free of obligation it is. You’re not tied to anything, and you decide for yourself whether there’s a next step.

Sources

• Pre-booking screening, number and email checking. Beyond the Gaze, University of Leicester and University of Strathclyde (ESRC). Advises not to make a booking without first having spoken with the client, which makes the talk beforehand a safety step.
• Tools of the Trade. Logic Magazine. Describes how providers use a first contact to gauge expectations, reliability, and rapport before making a date.

Related terms

• Sex work. The wider trade; the introductory call is the phase that comes before a booking.
• Intake. The step that follows once you decide to go ahead, covering wishes, limits, and health.
• Screening. The mutual sizing-up of whether a date is safe and fitting, which often happens in this same conversation.