How To Sell Cosmetics & Other Beauty Products Part Time
For those who have a love of makeup, skin care and hair care, part-time beauty sales are a great way to make extra cash doing what you like. Part-time beauty sales afford the opportunity to not only sell great products, but also meet new people. As an added bonus, many manufacturers and stores offer a nominal discount on employee purchases. Part-time beauty sales are a sweet deal, and can become a rewarding part of your life.
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Things You'll Need
- Resume
- Beginner knowledge of desired product type or area
- Car or transportation
- Fashionable wardrobe (may require black clothing for uniforms)
Instructions
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Select a specific area of beauty to specialize in, whether it be makeup, hair care, skin care or other variety of product. For example, the Sephora chain of beauty stores carries fragrance, cosmetics and well-being (skin and body care) products, with specialists for each discipline. It's best to know which beauty category speaks to you before seeking employment of any sort, since your new employer will likely require focus on one area.
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Do some reading and research on the best brands available in your specialty area. Take some time to visit upscale department stores to browse their counters, and visit the local library. Books such as Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron's "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" are invaluable resources for information about skin care and makeup.
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Cultivate a fashionable, but professional, appearance. This is another area where research pays off. Clients scrutinize cosmetics salespeople thoroughly before approaching, and an outdated or sloppy look can make or break a potential sale. It's imperative that your makeup and clothing are up to date, and that your appearance is one that inspires others.
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Tailor your resume to suit the desired place of employment. For skin-care product sales, highlight retail selling experience, along with any other pertinent beauty skills. Even though you're only going for part-time work, possible employers will want to see that you can sell and advise clients knowledgeably.
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Clear out evenings. For part-time store work, many hours are at night. Full-timers get the bulk of the daytime shifts, since they spend the most time building up a client base and often work on commission only. Be ready to give up some weekend time as well.
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Look into Avon, Mary Kay or Arbonne for the most flexible part-time sales opportunities. Use the Internet to browse the different sites for their mission statements and product lines. These options are terrific for busy career women, moms and students who may have problems working with a retail schedule. However, these options also require an upfront investment; be ready to pay for at least some supplies before starting in earnest.
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Tips & Warnings
It's usually best to seek part-time beauty work in smaller stores and salons, working your way up to the department stores. Department-store sales are very competitive, and part-timers can find it frustrating to build enough of a client base to make the job worthwhile. For makeup jobs, build a "mini-portfolio". Fill a small photo book with well-lit pictures that illustrate faces you've worked on. This makes a great impression on possible employers and shows what you're capable of doing.
Resources
- Photo Credit 2009 the tony santos / Creative Commons
