Shhh! How to Sell Art with Silence

Artists can discover lots of advice about marketing on this and other art business blogs. When it comes to finding ideas for direct methods to help sell art, not so much. Read on to get an easy-to-learn potent art sales technique.

Attention-Interest-Desire & Action Lead to Sales.

Whereas marketing is the activity that leads to art sales, selling begins when you pose closing questions to a potential buyer. By design, marketing draws attention, grabs interest and creates desire in a potential buyer. Selling moves the process from interest and desire to the final act of buying. 

Surely artists with better sales skills enjoy greater success!

As an artist, you face selling situations all the time. You encounter sales opportunities with collectors, art gallery owners, publishers, dealers, wholesalers, licensors, reps and others whose decision to engage you can boost your career.

No matter what the circumstances, there is always a point when the buyer must make a decision. If you improve your sales skills even moderately, you will move more inventory and get better overall results. Here is a valuable tip you need to know and practice.

The art of knowing when to be silent is golden.

I think this adage, "Whoever speaks first after you ask for the order loses." is too harsh. This is because I do not like to think of my customers as losers. Yet, despite my personal feelings about the language, the point is accurate and well taken. It is an adage because the value of the concept is borne out time and again.

Here is a simple truth. Silence works.

If you only learn one thing about selling, learn to confidently calmly give the price, ask for the order and then to zip your lip. Doing this will close more sales for you in your career. After the price is given and a closing question is asked, ‘The total is $2,900, do you want to ship it or would you like to take it with you?’ SHUT UP. BE STILL. DON'T FIDGET. Above all, do not say another word no matter how long or uncomfortable the silence feels.

SHHH! Learn to quiet yourself and show no signs of anxiety.

Once the price/offer is made, there is nothing more you can say at this point that can help you. Anything you prematurely say to break the silence will turn the momentum. Your act of noise can be used by a waffling buyer as a pivot point to ask more questions or to slide off the sale. Let them make the next move. Although you are not in a contest, it can feel like one when lose sales because you spoke first. 

Learn to close with confidence and then be quiet. Your results will do the talking for you.