Becoming a Personal Shopper
Personal shoppers are individuals who help others shop by giving advice and recommendations to them. They are often hired by boutiques and large department stores namely Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, and Debenham’s. Personal shoppers will help clients shop for any items of interest; however for most of the part, their focus is on clothes. A personal shopper will advise the clients of the latest fashion, assist them to pick out an outfit for certain occasions, and also help the clients to determine what fits them best.
A personal shopper also provides other services such as color analysis to find out which colors suit their clients the most. Becoming a personal shopper is not at all not puzzling. You do not need formal education or certificates to become a personal shopper. What you need is a strong acquaintance with the market and the capability to offer the goods needed by your clients at an acceptable price.
Be Knowledgeable
The first and foremost rule towards becoming a personal shopper is to enhance your knowledge of the responsibilities of a personal shopper and the types of customers that they usually have. As mentioned earlier, personal shoppers are employed to purchase any items of their customers’ interests. The items could be casual attires, wedding apparels, jewelries, antiques, and even groceries.
Having an update-to-date information of the marketplace and knowing the latest trends will definitely uplift your performance. There are workshops and courses related to the career which can be found online. Never forget that word-of-mouth is always your best marketing strategy. Strive to do the best for your customers and the word about it will definitely go around.
Be Experienced
When first becoming a personal shopper, it is always better to seek guidance from a tutor who is a personal shopper. You may want to try calling to make a query about employment for an internship. Before attending an interview, make sure that you are well prepared and have sufficient product knowledge to help you with your interview. Your ability to talk about the products confidently is the key to the success of your interview. If you have any job experiences working as a personal shopper or other relevant jobs, do not forget to mention that in your job application. Job references or recommendation letters from your former clients would be helpful as well.
Be Connected
If you are serious about being a successful personal shopper, you should start socializing and making new friends to build a better network to form your client base. Remember to make good use of marketing resources to promote yourself and your services. By becoming a personal shopper, you may find yourself needing business cards to distribute to your clients and also potential clients. You may also want to consider promoting your services online by blogging, creating a personal website, and participating in social networks and Internet forums.
Other than that, you should also set your rates for your services according to your clients’ demands and anticipations. To understand your clients and their expectations, you are encouraged to consult with them before financially leverage your services. Then decide whether to charge by the hour or to offer your clients a packaged deal. In general, freelance personal shoppers can charge per hour rates that range from $60 to $80 and also offer packages that range from $750 to $3500. These rates are also dependent on your experience level as well as your clients’ social standings.
