“Many schools teach using a specific product line, and that can be limiting,” added Mabrey. Barth White used to the Faux Effects product line at his school in Las Vegas, but he no longer advocates one system. He found the company to be an early leader in faux technology, but as the industry has grown, so has the number of products available, as well as his interest in experimenting with a variety of products.

   "You don't do everything with one wrench," said White. "You have several that you use, and you work with the wrench that's best for you and the job at hand." On the flip side, there is benefit to working with one system, said Cat Faust of Faux Effects in Vero Beach, FL, adding that with more than 60 distributors across the country, her company's system is convenient to use and takes some of the guesswork out of decorative painting. Faust said her customers enjoy the comfort level they get from using a proven, easy-to-lean system.

   Dena Fife, wife of well-known painting consultant Lynn Fife is a faux finishing contractor and instructor at Go With the Faux Decorative Painting School in Arlington, TX. She offers a list of questions to ask when comparing prospective schools on her website, www.gofaux.com. Fife said you should find out the type of finishes a school teaches, what kind of handout materials they provide, it they teach a specific product line, and if business guidelines are part of the curriculum.

   Picture perfect: “If you’re an established painting contractor, you have customers already. The second thing you need to do is build you portfolio,” said Dean Sickler, adding that your own home and those of your friends and family are good places to start. “When you’re ready to expand, look at upper middle class residential customers and businesses like dentists, doctors, and restaurants as other good prospects.”

   Mabrey agrees that a good portfolio is a must. “What aggravates me most about some faux finishers is that they carry around three photographs in an envelope and want to make $800 in two hours,” she said. “I can’t stress enough the importance of a good portfolio.” She carries a binder with an 8-by-10 photo of a finished room on one page, with an 8-by-10 sample of the finish on the facing page. She uses larger sample boards to hold up against a wall or place by a curtain or piece of furniture to help visualize the finish.

   “Use your portfolio to tantalize a potential client’s taste buds.” said King. “ You’ve got to show them something that throws them into the I’ve-got-to have-it mode. You also want to blow away your competition.”

   As the decorative painting industry has grown, so too has the sophistication of the client. Fife said now more than ever, clients want to see larger portfolios. While you can’t carry around 2,000 samples, you do need to put together an impressive assortment.

   For each job she does, Fife shoots about two rolls of film. She photographs the room before she starts, during, and after, and incorporates pictures of the best jobs in her portfolio.

   Being a good salesman goes right along with having a good portfolio. The estimate on a napkin won’t cut it with the decorative painting client, and while a professional attitude and image is important for all contractors, it is absolutely essential in this market. You’ve got to take the time to educate a potential client on why they’ll be spending more than they would on a standard painting job.

   “A person who sells faux finishing needs to be articulate and must be able to explain these finishes to his client,” said Sickler. “ You really have to have a vocabulary of faux.”

   Because of the time involved in making sample boards and finalizing the finish to be used, Sickler said you should count on spending twice the time you do in standard painting in making the sale. In fact, he estimates that one out of four days is spent on pursuing jobs and creating sample boards; time he factors into the overall bid. His policy is to give the customer a price before completing the boards. If the price is accepted, he moves forward.

promote your new service. Begin by sending a letter or flier to your existing client list. Mabrey recommends using four-by-six photos of successful jobs as postcards to promote your work. Such a tool offers the visual opportunity to attract a potential client at a fraction of the cost of printing a brochure.

   Fife said simple things like dressing more professionally at your initial client meeting and on the job, and advertising on your truck can help create the image you need to sell your work and build your reputation. "Pitch your local newspaper or city magazine on a faux finish story," said Cat Faust. "It's a great way to showcase your work, promote your expertise, and generate what amounts to free advertising.”

   White learned firsthand that to build a successful decorative painting business, he had to set himself apart from the typical painting contractor, Thinking of yourself as an artist and promoting yourself as one is key to success, he said.

   "Painters are some of the hardest workers and are very knowledgeable people, but they often are thought of as laborers by their clients. People look at you in a different light when you’re a faux finisher,” said White, recalling two very different experiences he had with former customers.

The first was a man he did routine painting for; the other was a faux finishing client. The straight painting customer didn't make eye contact with White when the two were dining in the same restaurant, but on another occasion, the latter saw him from across the room and made a point to bring him over to his table and introduce him to his friends.

   Mabrey finds maintaining a highly professional relationship with faux finish clients helps a painting contractor command the respect he or she deserves. She tells her students to be courteous but not too friendly, and to really listen to them and not try to wow them with your ability and talent. More than once she's found that painting contractors who get too chummy with their customers have a hard time charging them what they’re worth.

   Sickler’s advice to contractors on dealing with clients with clients is “be on time, on time, on time.” In addition, he seconds the suggestion to listen to your customer, and said it’s best to put your ego in you back pocket when you walk through the door.

   "For a lot of people faux finishing is an emotional decision," said Sickler. "You've got to really listen to what they're looking for to meet their needs."

   One of the ways to ensure a successful relationship with your client is to involve an interior designer. In addition to providing invaluable help in color selection and simply appeasing the client, an interior designer can be an excellent source of referrals.

   Faust recommends meeting with interior designers as you would a potential customer to show them your portfolio and what you're capable of doing. She recommends making contact with organizations such as the American Society of Interior Designers to find out who the designers are in your area.

   "What's hot in faux finishes changes as rapidly as teen fashion," said Faust. "That's one area where designers can enhance your projects."

   White agrees that interior designers are a great resource for painting contractors. In fact, he highly recommends using a designer on every job and shrewdly invites them to take his classes at no charge.

   "The interior designer is the builder and you're the mechanic who has the tools to make the design happen," he explained. "By using a designer, the pressure is taken off of me to advise the client on color selection, and if I use a designer, he or she owes me a favor which usually equals more work."

   Continuing investment: Once you've built a steady faux business, another one of Mabrey's get-smart suggestions is to use your regular crew to do the prep work and basecoats, so that your time is focused on the more profitable faux finishing only. She's found teaching business basics like this a welcome part of her workshops.

Sickler has benefited from his association with from his association with PDCA’s Mid-Atlantic Faux and Decorative Artisans Chapter. He’s enjoyed the opportunity to network, attend educational workshops, and meet other professionals who are working to promote the decorative painting field.

   “There’s so much knowledge at convention,” agreed Dean Fife.” New ideas, techniques, and efficiencies are at your fingertips at

PDCA conventions, as well as from groups such as the Stencil. Artisans League. Look to your computer as a resource, since

bulletin boards provide good information, too."