Judy Kincaid recently wrote a great post on her blog: No more Ms. Nice Gal...the kid gloves are coming off!
Tina Parkerhad a great suggestion in her comment on Judy's blog. Tina suggested blogs on how to get started as a stager when you have nothing. So I thought I'd get the ball rolling with this blog.
As a new stager you have to understand the service you are selling is purely subjective. You are selling your talent. Always keep this in mind and when you are making decisions on how to promote yourself ask the question; 'is this a true representation of my work & talent'.
Potential clients will contact you based on the work you display on your website and in your portfolio. They do not ASK if it is your work...why? Because you are showing them your portfolio...why would you misrepresent yourself (lie) to them.
To start your career by misrepresenting yourself...well think how you would feel if someone misrepresented themselves to you when you were paying them good money at a stressful time in your life.
As a new stager as at any point in our career: DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CLIENT'S TRUST OR NAIVETY.
So you have nothing to put in your portfolio but the photos taken from your training? Should you use them for your portfolio? The answer is that depends. Ask yourself the question: 'are they a true representation of your work & talent'? For the most part, likely not.
- Did you select the furnishings, accessories, paint colors etc?
- Did you make the decisions as to where to place the decor?
If you can not say yes to BOTH of these points, then do not use them in your portfolio.
On the subject of 'supplied' portfolios; ask yourself some simple questions.
- Would anyUniversity send it's Literature or Art graduates out in to the world with 'supplied' portfolios? (Absolutely not!)
- Would a College send a Machinist out to the work force with examples of projects done collaboratively as a class? (NOT!)
- Does a writer send a copy of a manuscript written by someone else to publishers - as an example of what their style of writing is? (GUFFAW!)
- Is a training company and it's instructors who tell you to use their 'supplied' photos trying to help you or help themselves? Are they conducting themselves as an institute of higher learning would? (NOT)
But you want to get started in promoting yourself you say! Your eager! You want to work! Then get to work on your portfolio! There is no excuse not to take the time to create a portfolio and even less of an excuse to use photos that are not your own.
Nor is it an excuse to say that it will take too long and you'll be disheartened or your 'belief begins to wane, and frustration sets in'. This is a professional business and we are adults. If you can't financially or emotionally deal with taking the time to create a professional portfolio you are in the wrong industry. Do you know what you will be doing once you have a portfolio up and available? WAITING, GETTING DISCOURAGED, SECOND GUESSING YOURSELF....
Merchandising, staging, no matter what you call it, is a business and it is not going to happen immediately for the vast majority. Just like the ads on TV and in magazines for weight loss programmes with amazing results, when you see comments about a stager who was successful instantly, there should be fine print saying * not typical results!
This is a tough business to be in. You will be up against adversity throughout your career. It is tough getting work when you are starting out, it is tough work...how many told you that?! (BTW, by creating your own portfolio you will learn some extremely useful skills and lessons...more on that later). There is nothing easy about being a Professional Stager. If you think you've found an easy get-rich-quick job think again. Nothing in life is that easy; remember if it seems to good to be true it is? Applies aptly to staging.
So yes, it is tough and you have to be tough and persistent. We have all had times of frustration, disappointment and thoughts of walking away. Those of us who are still here are survivors and deserve to be successful. If you have to make excuses for taking shortcuts...think again, because honey, you'll be exposed either by your own work, a former client, or local stagers trying to prevent 'short-cutters' from destroying consummer's trust in Stagers and Staging in general.
So how to get that all important portfolio:
- get at least 3 before and afters as well as some detail (close up) shots
- 3 most important rooms: kitchen, master bedroom, main bathroom - then add from there
- stage rooms in your own house (this is what most new stagers do)
- tell everyone you know about your new career...you'll be surprised how many offer their home to you
- those that you tell about your new career...will tell others...so you've helped get the word out about yourself as a stager (that's called 2 birds with one stone) you are now steps ahead of your classmates!
- clear a room out to get a 'vacant' before and after then filter out the decor to stage if for sale
- practice taking pictures - AR has tons of advice on how to get great Real Estate photographs
- Carry your camera with you...you never know when you can 'work your magic'...think Home Depot and their kitchen displays...add some decor and voila! great detail shot...and you styled it yourself
Myself, I staged for friends and family as well as a room of my own in order to build my portfolio. Where they moving? No, but they were excited to see the changes I made and extremely happy to have been a part of my success. For this I can't thank them enough.
By creating your own portfolio you will garner so much useful information about yourself, staging and yourself staging! Trust me, without doing this you will be so completely lost, and by doing it...so completely ahead of your classmates who use the 'suplied' portfolio.
Here is a partial list of what I learnt about myself staging by building my portfolio:
- I'm a very quick shopper so I quote 1 hour per room (all bathrooms together are counted as 1 room for myself)
- To stage to the level I feel is required: a room in a starter home requires $300 per room in additional decor.
- I am extremely slow at ironing (much faster with a steamer)
- I realized just how much ironing/steaming is required...wow!
- I realized I need to learn how to install different types of wall plugs
- I learned just how important of a roll lighting plays in my before and afters...I'm still working on this!
- I discovered my camera was not sufficient for my work
- I learned how long it takes to stage a room, multiple rooms and a whole house ON MY OWN - way too long, I'll be hiring an assistant for my vacants now that I can afford to.
- I learned how long it takes to walk through a house for consultations (then add 1 hour if the homeowners are home...they ask lots of questions)
Take a look at the most successful stagers here on AR. What will you find? An enormous amount of talent, advice, support, hand slapping when required (always done with grace and caring by these stagers) and individuality. The only way any one of us can hope to get to that position is to show OUR talent, provide great advice, support and of course individuality.
So get excited at the opportunities provided by creating your portfolio and know that you are on your way to earning the respect of every stager on AR, your potential clients and your own self-respect...you'll be glad you did!
P.S. I know you can do it! So get as excited as I am and show us what YOU can do!!
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