Who Is a Personal Shopper?

From young mothers, jet-setting corporate executives and working couples there are several people out there who have little or no time to take care of their personal shopping needs. As a personal shopper, you assist such individuals with a level of individualised attention and service to meet their need.

Generally, a personal shopper helps a customer / client put together an entire season's wardrobe based on his or her needs, budget or style. However, you could also specialise in shopping for gifts or clothing, food, furniture, jewellery, toys, or anything else a client wants.

This could also include shopping for wealthy people who want to furnish their homes, corporate houses who'd like to give the perfect gift to their important clients or even senior citizens who find it difficult to get around.

What It Takes

Being a personal shopper is all about knowing what your client wants, what's available and what's the budget like. While no formal education is required to be a personal shopper, it is a good idea to have a sound knowledge of fashion, trends and products.

Since personal shopping is all about inter-personal interaction, it is important that you are presentable yourself. Patience and tact are important as are effective communication skills. As clients rely on a personal shopper's judgement, the ability to build relationships and trust with clients also makes a difference.

Carry on Shopping

Most personal shoppers begin as sales associates / executives at department stores. Think Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) in 'Friends'. A good idea is to keep a track of your personal sales figures and bring it to the notice of management. Written testimonials from regular customers are also a great idea to give you a head start.

It doesn't take much to go solo. Begin by becoming a personal shopper for relatives, friends, neighbours and ex-colleagues. Target those who are upwardly mobile, have the spending power and are need that extra something to give them a career boost.

Once you have your clients, do your research! As a personal shopper, you need to know who wants what and who has what to offer. Keep a tab on trends, take notes and build a library. Remember, you have to constantly innovate to keep your clients happy!

Last but definitely not the least, spread the word. Pick up the phone, send an e-mail or just get talking! Unless people know you have a service to offer, they are not going to hire you.

Show Me the Money

Personal shoppers work on a commission basis, be it with department stores or upscale speciality stores. As a personal shopper you can charge 10-15 per cent of your client's budget. You can also take an equal commission from stores where you regularly make purchases for your clients.

If you are a personal shopper who has some social standing, you can charge as much as 25 per cent of your client's budget. However, it then goes without saying that your client too should be of a certain social standing / image for whom nothing less than the best will do.

(With inputs from: Chhaya Momaya, Image Consultant)