Master's Skills Inventory

Master's Skills Inventory

If you consider that a slave wants a master to look up to and worship, it is a safe bet that the Master needs to be 'on the ball',to be decisive - and at least better than the slave. There is also the option that the slave is so low down (and with such poor self-esteem) that anyone that he is visually attracted to will do -- but don't you want 'staying power'.
Where much of a Master attraction is build on illusion and image, that gets the slave home, your additional skills keep him coming back for more.
This inventory assumes that you have all the SM and sexual skills (or that you can always learn more) this are additional skills.

This is not meant to sound the way it does - You can be great at sex, a sadist can be hot, but a Master has additional skills.

Good Masters are managers, they manage them selves and their slaves.
If you don't have these skills get some Management self-improvement tapes and listen to them on the way to work each day. Your skills should include:

Organisational skills

You are organising the scene, it has to go like clockwork, smooth, nothing goes wrong. Like the ropes are colour-coded on length, the keys are accessible, the everything is maintained and ready for use, all possibilities have been anticipated and planned for (Masters have Answerphones :)
Masters are people that make things happen, they are do'ers, in every day life they are typically very 'assertive' knowing that is more productive, that being a tyrant. They should have a clear vision of where they are going, faith in a plan on how to get there.

Communication skills

This is in both directions.
The slave will do his best for you if you let him, until he get empathic (and a good few of my slave I'm sure could read my mind), he needs CLEAR, non-contradicting instructions, no petty mind games (implies Master is insecure if he has to resort to that). This is to the point of "Get on the bed, naked, face down, legs 2 foot apart, arms to the corner of the bed, with you cock pointing to the bottom of the bed, ready to be tied, and don't move a muscle and shut the fuck up."
Ideally the Master was once a slave himself (or still switches sometimes), this means he has a close empathy with the slaves needs, likewise a Top that switches to bottom (there is a natural hierarchy in life, a alpha/top dog is top to dog slaves but are sub to their Owner) - in my opinion this kind of top knows closely what is happening in the slaves head - and how to make it happen. A Master who never has been sub, does not have this empathy - it might not be needed. You don't have to be a dog psychologist to enjoy playing with a puppy, the puppy will still love you just the same.

Imagination/self inspirational

What a Master does not say to his slave, is "well what do you want me to do to you then ?" The slave is always in for a surprise - "I just don't know what is going to happen next", that is how it should be, the pre-scene negotiation outlines the win-win agreements, both parties get what they want out of it - or no deal. The Sadist will get some 'sick' wank dream, and try and figure out how to make it reality using his slave, the Master knows that if he goes to far the slave might leave him, or risk him running to the cops saying that the Master grossly exceeded his remit, normally the slave has a great time, and loves his Masters sick perverted side as the fountain of wild scenes. The Master appreciates the slave, without which, the dreams never become reality.

Myth: A Master cannot talk other Masters about technique, without having his status devalued.
Myth: A Master cannot listen to his slave for feedback on if he did ok, and guidance on how he can improve things. The slave wants the scene to go on 'forever' but there will be things that were ok at the start that as time goes by are intolerable. I know of one slave or needs symmetrical bondage, if one arm is higher than the other, this is all that he is thinking about during the scene - not what your doing. Likewise if he feels that he can get out of the bondage, you have a S rating of ZERO, so talk to him. You are still his Master, you are in control, you can order him to tell you.

Physical strength and safety awareness

The Master is fully responsible for his slaves safety at all times, when the slave cannot do it for himself bondage etc. You may need to lift the boy if bound, or in a safety circumstance. SM gets REAL, when the slave KNOWS there is fuck all he can do about his predicament, that Master can physically overcome the slave. One Master I know of (6ft6 and built like a 'brick shit house') plays with smaller slaves, that he can hold off the floor with one hand - what change does the slave have -NONE, and that what they like.
A slave might go down the Gym to look good to attract more men, where as a Master needs to go down there as it is one of the tools of his trade.

Inner strength and self confidence

Critical
These 2 are felt by the slave, what a slave does not want is a 'Master' that is only top because he is trying to hide weaknesses, or worst still is stronger than his Master! There are those Masters that feel the need to be 'validated' by having a 'cute-young-thing' on the end of a lead, needing to do this in public (and nothing without an audience).
IMHO a Master does not need an audience, he does what just comes natural, this is what dog and trainers do, if someone sees it then so be it - you don't care a fuck for their opinion.
It is not easy being a Master (well not al the time). Masters cannot walk on water, whatever the slave might think, strange as the slave might think (and this is to go no further that you and me), Masters are only human. A Master needs an Inner unmoveable core, a strength (that the slave feed from), this typically comes with maturity (but not always). There are ways to develop this (lots of tapes can explain it), but if it ain't there, the slave will not be with you for long, unless you don't mind a high turnover in slaves.

Sharpening the saw

As with your professional life, so to in this role, do not let your skills stagnate.
For example just Fisting your slave all the time, gets a little dull, though Masters often tend to have a 'specialism', they should not do just that (ok if you have a high turn over in slaves).
A measure of a Master is the breadth of his talent, learn new things, talk to other Masters and slaves.