Your professional organizer certification is only the first step in a highly dynamic and rewarding career. Once your training is complete, it’s time to find clients, and part of that process is deciding which type of clients you want to work for! If you have always been drawn to large, luxurious homes (and love the challenge of having high expectations placed upon you), perhaps you should consider working for high-end clients. After all, they will spend more money on professional organizing projects and you’ll benefit as a result!
So how do you go about finding these clients? It’s going to take some ground work, but understanding your own brand and stepping up your services are great ways to start. Read on for our guide!
Build your brand
Before you start looking for any type of client, you need to first understand exactly who they are and their needs. A great first step is to actually build a customer profile that includes items such as age, sex, location, income and family size, as this will help you formulate a game plan to find high-end clients. You’ll be able to get into the minds of this customer group as a result, and see your professional organizing services from their point of view!
You can be sure that this type of client will be very attentive to details such as your website, social media presence, and even your designer portfolio. They are going to have a sharp eye to pick up on the level of quality you’ve provided in the past, and as they can spend a good sum of money on professional organizing services, they’re going to be particular about who they hire.
First impressions are everything
What does this all mean for you? Well, in short, you’ll need to make an impeccable first impression. Understanding a high-end client’s thought process is an important step, as you can tailor your professional image to exactly what they’re looking for. Take as much time as necessary to build a beautiful website that showcases your previous work and provides potential clients with some information about who you are. You want to show that your professional organizing services are the best that money can buy, and although this sounds challenging to do, it is possible with a website and overall social media presence that illustrates your capabilities and your best work.
Pro tip: If you’re looking for high-end clients, don’t be afraid to increase your rates! It may be intimidating to boost your fees slightly, but keep in mind that higher-end clients won’t take you as seriously if your services are on the cheaper side. Do your research into a typical professional organizer salary, and then consider the specific level of quality that you can offer. You may be surprised at what you discover, and the fees you can charge as a result!
Know why you’re needed
It’s no surprise that professional organizers play a hugely valuable role in the lives of their clients. By eliminating chaos and stress from the home, your clients can enjoy a living space that is happy and balanced, which will improve their lives immensely. Keep this in mind as you begin to look for professional organizer jobs – you want to show potential, high-end clients that you are professionally trained and can be flexible, creative, and understanding of their needs while providing service that is extremely high-level.
High-end clients, as mentioned earlier, love details, so you want to make sure that you provide a very thorough job and go above and beyond your clients’ expectations. They’re coming to you to improve their homes and lives, after all, and every detail counts.
Start searching
As with any job search, you’re most likely to start by using a search engine. While this may be effective when you want to attract regular clients, you’ll need to branch out slightly in order to discover high-end clients. Here are some avenues you’ll want to spend some time exploring:
- LinkedIn: A professional networking site such as LinkedIn may not seem like the most obvious place to find potential employers, but it’s actually a great choice. Not only is it geared towards corporations and business owners, it is also used regularly by individuals looking to hire various roles. They may look at profiles on a private setting so you won’t be alerted, and in some cases they may even reach out to you directly regarding your experience. An excellent way to be prepared for this is to make sure your LinkedIn profile is immaculate. Fill out all of your experience, accomplishments, and contact information, and attach as many photos of your work as possible. You want potential clients to be interested in you within seconds, so a fabulous LinkedIn profile is an opportunity to make a very strong first impression. Also, spend time going through job postings on the networking site, as you never know what might be posted by a corporation or individual.
- Facebook: While Facebook may be where you go to socialize and share funny photos, it’s also an excellent way to look for, and attract, high-end professional organizing clients. One area you’ll want to focus on is Facebook groups – seek out groups that target high-end clients, and carve out time each day to regularly contribute to discussions and connect with other members. In order to ensure that you’re communicating with clients who are higher-end, watch to see if they are commenting on posts as though they are an expert, and if their profile picture looks like a professional headshot. These are good indicators of business owners or other established professionals, but to be sure, spend some time checking out their website to find out more about them. It pays to take initiative and be aggressive when seeking out high-end clients!
- Network: While the two channels above are social networking sites (and they are undoubtedly important!), never underestimate the power of networking face-to-face. Do your research into conferences, trade shows and other events that high-end clients would frequent, and come prepared with your business card, designer portfolio, and confidence! Allowing potential clients to meet and get to know you in person is important, and can result in connections that could land you a professional organizer job!