I just want to say, MFC frustrates the fuck out of me. I keep my profile only to accept offline tips from Streamate members who know how to find me there or provide contact info SM won't allow me to announce. I don't even bother with the link in my ACF profile because you will *not* find me on cam there.
But that's where I started. I always thought camming was about SEX SEX SEX PUSSY FUCK SEX, so that's how I treated it. For some reason, no one wanted to contribute to countdowns, ask for flashes, take me private, whatever. And most of the guys were completely quiet. In my analysis, what made MFC so tricky was that the guys can all see who's in the room, so they know what the likelihood of making your countdown is. That's my suspicion, but damned if I'll go back any time soon to confirm it.
I joined Streamate, and now I have people hanging out in my room all night, chatting it up, insisting on Gold Shows where we don't even get me naked, or taking me Exclusive just to chat and keep my clothes on. I get guys taking me exclusive just to watch me smoke a cigarette, FFS. For some reason, I can "get the room going" in an environment that really isn't even built for it. I don't know why, but this is what I do when the privates aren't coming in and I need tips:
1) I play guitar and sing. If you play ANY musical instrument, even poorly, someone's going to feel inclined to toss some "spare change" in your "tip jar" as they would at the local coffee shop. I regularly learn new songs for my high tipping regulars. I can easily get $20G in tips from playing one three minute song. After four songs, that's not bad money for keeping my clothes on, and it gets guys interested. Some guys will take me PVT to watch me play naked, or they'll tip extra for me to play topless in free chat. Even if all you can play is the recorder from 2nd grade, or some PlaySkool keyboard with the colored keys, freakin' try it. Sometimes I make up songs for people, too.
2) Related, if/when I step off cam to refill my drink or whatever, I sing out loud about what I am doing. Guys in the room will know I'm still there, still trying to entertain, even when taking care of something else. I prefer singing to talking because If I don't know what to say, I can just make sounds with a melody and go "Shoo be doo bop ba Pizza! Bee Bee Da Shoop Shoop Gettin' some water!"
3) Like others have said, just TALK. Don't worry about what comes out of your mouth, just say something. What I like about SM over MFC is that the guys can't see all the other guys in the room, so they have no idea when I'm really just talking to myself. Find a couple of entertaining, go-to stories from your life that you can just recite so you have something interesting already in discussion when someone pops in. My favorite one is about the time a hillbilly broke into my motel room and offered me $50 to have sex with him and then I got him fired (with a description like that, you'd like to stick around and hear the rest, right?). That way, a bit of your personality comes through and people stay and go "wow!" "lol!" "I'll never get on your bad side!"
4) Speak a foreign language if you know one, and even if you're bad at it. This can be tricky, as it can confuse some guys, but they know I'm really American, and I don't worry about scaring the others, as it's rare I do it anyway. My highest tipper is from Norway, so he likes that I can speak to him in his language, even if poorly (they are practically the same), and I can use it as an excuse for a Gold Show. I offer to read from a book in Swedish and some guys go for it. I can only say a few sentences of French, but French guys love it. I can only curse in Dutch, but Dutch guys love it. I can only say "I love you" in Bulgarian, but Bulgarian guys love it. Sense a pattern? I can usually tell from a guy's user name and the time of day what his native tongue is. All you need are a few phrases.
I can sing some ABBA in Swedish, which is great for a laugh and I get a few pity tips. It's not a lot of money, but then the conversation can turn into "so.... um.... pvt?" which is our goal.
I've been on stages since I could walk, so entertainment comes to me pretty naturally. However, when I've been asked how to get over stage fright (and I've trained a few wedding DJs and Karaoke hosts), I just tell people not to worry about sounding or looking stupid. Do whatever you can to move, be animated, be engaging, be goofy, be sexy, be whatever it is that YOU are, and do NOT worry about what anyone thinks of it. That not-giving-of-shits is what makes a person both vulnerable and endearing, which gets people curious about the person in front of them, which gets them to stay and get to know you, and hopefully give you lots of money. :thumbleft:
Also, turn off your phone. Just turn it off. You're camming, you're at WORK, no one wants a customer service employee looking at their phone while at work. If I can see my server's phone just in her pocket, I get concerned. If I saw a cam girl on her phone, I'd be gone in a heartbeat.
Anyway, those are my thoughts, from me, THOT.