Getting Client

Any personal shopping service's client list depends, in large measure, on the variety of shopping and consultation offered. As pointed out earlier in this booklet, some personal shoppers also serve as wardrobe consultants, giving advice as well as selecting clothing items to show the client. Wardrobe consulting could be a profitable feature for a personal shopping service if the market has the potential clientele.

Generally, if you are located in a market of less than 100,000 people, there will not be much demand for wardrobe consulting. That's why most personal shopping services are located in, or near a relatively large population base with an abundance of working people, and a variety of stores. The services offered in such a market can be varied to cater to specific client needs.

If shopping for personal clothing is your forte, your client list will most likely be comprised of women. Many of these women will be making a transition into professional life and are in need of a business wardrobe. Your ability to consult with these clients -- to advise them and select an appropriate wardrobe will go a long way in determining your success as a personal shopper and consultant. If you do the job well, the chances of adding men to this particular client list will increase. In many cases, men are becoming more open to the idea of getting help in selecting their "professional" attire.

Some of your personal clothing shopping will be done for parents who need help getting their children ready to go back to school. You may also get women who are soon to be married and need assistance in selecting gowns for the wedding. Some people, planning exotic vacations, may require your help in choosing a special "vacation" ensemble.

In most cases, the previously mentioned clients are limited to large markets. If your market area is moderate to small, depending on "wardrobe" clients as a major source of your income is probably a mistake. You should rely on more generalized shopping. Personal gift-shopping is a good way to realize profits in any market.

When you are shopping for gifts, most of your clients will be men. Many of these will be husbands who know what they want to get their wives but don't have the time to shop for themselves or have little, if any, idea where to shop. It'll be up to you to track down these items, usually in a limited amount of time.

Other clients on your gift shopping client list will include executives who need to get gifts for their clients and employees.

In most cases, these clients will also be men. As a rule, it seems that men prefer to have someone else shop for gifts rather than spend the time themselves going from store to store. So a personal shopper can usually count on men as a good source of clientele for this type of service.

Your client list will also include some elderly people, or physically disabled people who aren't able to do their own shopping. These people are most generally interested in a grocery shopping service. This type of client, while not a major source of your income, will be a steady source.

One major source of income for many personal shopping services is the corporate client. This type of client may take a great deal of time and effort to land, but the results will make it worthwhile. That's because corporate clients normally make large volume purchases, and if they are pleased with your service will be a source of repeat business.

There's no doubt you'll have to work hard to get corporate clients. It requires a rather comprehensive study of your market in order to be familiar with all the potential clients, followed up by an impressive and convincing sales presentation. But if you can convince many of the businesses in your market that you can save them money, time and hassle by doing their necessary gift shopping for them, you'll have a valuable client list with a high profit potential. So you should be determined and persistent when pursuing these clients.

In the most basic of terms, a personal shopping service's clientele depends on the types of services offered as well as the market's need. The client list will include busy professionals --both women and men, corporate clients with business gift needs, and senior citizens who are unable to do much shopping for themselves. Your market will dictate which segment of potential clients you should rely on. You'll need to know the kinds of people in your market area and what they need in a personal shopping service. Your service should cater to those needs.