How many of us remember to "stage" ourselves?

This is such great advice!  I was always taught to make sure you look your best because you never know who you might see.  Of course Murphy's Law will apply the minute you decide NOT to look your best.  LOL!  I heard that a client in our area mistook their stagers for the cleaning crew...yikes!  Congratulations on your potential new jobs.

This is so true, I have ducked out of stores before when I have spotted a Realtor that I did not want to see me.  But if I had been "staged" I could have taken the opportunity to talk with them.

Hi Gretchen,

Wish you could have posted this on MONDAY!

Tuesday we were at Home Depot, returning a door we bought that opened up on the wrong side. We routinely purchase a large volume of products there several times a week, and have a first name relationship with A LOT of the managers and clerks.

Mom was drafting a couple of guys walking in (not workers) to move the door out of the truck for her, and we blow into the store like a couple of Divas on a mission. We get one manager to go get the right door we needed, and he's on the walkie-talkie, and we order some custom mill-work we needed with another manager, while a third is ringing up the return and the new sale. We are in a big rush. Fifteen minutes later we are cashing out, the new door is loaded, and the line of folks behind us is pissed. The manager says our staging business must be going pretty good, and we agree enthusiastically.

Then looked at ourselves as the line saw us. Mom was wearing paint-stained million-year-old threadbare overalls, and no makeup, and a welder's hat. I had on a doo-rag over pig-tails, an oversized t-shirt, and bike shorts, no makeup, and a about 50 inflamed ant bites on my legs from a landscaping incident. We looked HORRIBLE. I personally looked like I was on crack with all those sores, and needed to make a quick buck in a back alley! Mom didn't even look like a woman. I couldn't help but wonder what the people in line were thinking!

And there we are, with an audience, hearing what we do for a living. We got in the work truck, and I told mom we need to look better everytime we we go somewhere, because we looked like we belonged at a beauty contest for rednecks.

She laughed and pointed out a taco-bell sauce stain on my shirt.

Yesterday, we were back at Home depot, this time, for wooden blinds. I was wearing a starched and pressed shirt, a pair of new jeans, and pumps. Mom had  on a white blouse, cute palazzo jeans, and boots. We had makeup. Our hair was done.

We got out of home depot with sore feet. And, I was sweaty. But at least when those poor folks were backed up in line, when the the manager asked us how the staging business was treating us, didn't wonder what if our staging was as hokey as we looked.

We have agreed we will never look homely again (in public). And when we go to town, we take the newer Jeep Grand Cherokee, not the'96 Ranger pickup with a dent in the tailgate and the fender, unless we absolutely have to!

~Michelle

Gretchen, I think this post will garner a lot of "stories".  Michelle, we all have one similar to yours to tell.  I hate missing an opportunity, but won't speak up if I don't "look" the part of a design professional.  I drive with magnetic signs on my car, so not only myself, but the CAR has to look presentable and attractive.  Oh the pressure!

Great post.

I agree that you should always look presentable.

Mum always wore a lick of lipstick if nothing else just to brighten up her face, so that would be minimum I guess.

I always wear a black fitted Tshirt and either a black pair of pants from the GAP or a black golf skirt (skort?) with black Puma running shoes.

It always looks presentable and people seem to know I mean business when I show up.

I've considered wearing a consistent colour, I seem to remember someone here on AR wearing aqua tshirts and thinking it looked sharp with their khaki shorts or pants. I just couldn't keep them stain free long enough to look presentable. I always seem to have something spilled on me. :)

OMG, I have this vision of Michelle and her mom looking straight out of HeeHaw! I had a very old-fashioned mother, who would DIE before leaving the house without lipstick, panty hose and a skirt. Jeans, she would say, are for farming and camping! She believed that a person should dress up to see the doctor, no matter how sick you were, and traveling meant a traveling suit, NOT a jogging suit! Of course she loosened up as she got older, but some of her craziness stuck, and I rarely leave the house without hair and makeup done. It drives my honey crazy, who always says "Throw on a ballcap and let's take the dogs for a walk!"

Michelle that is hysterical.  If I have to run out with out being done up I wear gym clothes, sneakers and hair in a ponytail. That way if I happen to run into anyone, I can always say I was on my way to work out at the gym!  Of course, I don't actually belong to a gym, but that's another story.

I agree you have to look your best at all times, because my philosophy is you feel the way you dress, those days when you do not feel like putting good pair of clothes on, go against that feeling and wear a nice pair anyway and see how you will change your mood instantly. clothes is girl's best friend.

Shobha

Darn, could that be why I'm in the funks right now?    I didn't get out of my PJs all day.

I started cleaning the house and my office as soon as I got up.  Never did bother to change.

Now, I think I'll go shower and clean up to see if the funks go away

Michelle  - I can so totally identify with what you're describing.

We had a big vacant staging scheduled for today. It didn't help that we also got the remants of tropical storm Fay so it poured all day and the humidity was about 97%. I don't think I've ever had my hair be wringing wet from just the humidity and of course I forgot to bring a clip so it hung down in my face all day. 

I also didn't have the right color pillows for one of the rooms and had to make a stop at Homegoods tonight - drippy hair and all. Fortunately I didn't run into anyone I knew but I also feel much better when I look half-way professional.

Gretchen ~ I agree 100%. People do judge what you do by how you look and who you are. Presentation, right! You just never know who you are going to meet during the course of your day.

Gretchen you bet it was a different impression.  My dentist always does that too...even though my mouth is open and they splatter all over my GOOD clothes, you can beat I wear work clothes there.  Smart girl...

Staging is not just about furniture and accessories!  You are smart to realize it is about life and our appearance too!

Gretchen,

To parapharse Forrest Gump "Staging is as Staging does". Great point and great post!

My partner and I are trying to get into the habit of wearing our name tags whenever we go out in public during the week, which really motivates me to look presentable. It's a real sacrifice, though, to live in Florida and to not wear shorts because I'm wearing my nametag!

This is SO TRUE!!!  I got a lead in the Walmart paint department... You never know where potential clients will be found!  Consumers first impression of our work is us!

I've always been a firm believer in "when you look good, you feel good".  Along the same line is "when you look professional, you feel professional".  Thanks for the great reminder that we are professionals and we should look the part.

...Dawn Taylor, Taylor'd To Sell