Art Print Issues by Barney Davey

Selling Art – Eight Ideas on How to Sell Art

Selling art is a process. Knowing how to sell art effectively is a learned skill.

It’s a glorious thing when a new buyer loves a piece of art and immediately purchases it with little or no effort from the seller. If you have been selling art in the business for any length of time, you know very few sales just jump in your lap.

Here are some useful observations I have picked up that help in selling art. I'm sure many of you are fully aware of these points, but experience tells me the need for such information remains constant.

1.  Attitude:   You don’t have to be humble. In fact, it’s not recommended. However, it's worse to be condescending and arrogant. Attitude will either work for or against your attempts at selling art.

No one likes a no-it-all. Don’t lord your superior art knowledge over others. It’s’ not impressive; it’s annoying.

While you don’t have to be likable, you at least need to be accessible and willing to communicate with potential collectors, gallerists and the media.

When you do talk, keep  your opinions to yourself, especially negative ones about other artists’ work, how unfair the “system” is, or anything else that paints you in a whiny loser light.

 2.  Pricing Issues: When your art is on display at shows, openings, in your studio, or online, it means it is up for sale. Make it easy to find and understand your prices. Whenever possible, have someone available to answer questions about the art and how to buy it. Selling art means being involved in the sales process; that's you or someone who you trust to represent you. Success in selling art doesn't happen on wishful thinking, it happens on intentions and actions.

Be transparent and consistent with your art pricing. You don’t want galleries or other collectors finding out you are selling art at low-ball prices. Never price gouge when you think you have a well-heeled buyer interested in your work. Do the research so your work is priced competitively. When you overprice your work, you lose sales. Price your work too low and you are leaving money on the table.

Effectively selling art requires you learn negotiation skills. A properly prepared negotiator includes a reasonable discount. Understand you will get low price offers and be prepared to haggle a bit. Don’t take offense at an offer for your work that is low. It’s not personal; it is a negotiation tactic. I will take a low offer versus an "I'll think about it" reply every time.

Don't leave a sale on the table because you have no discount to offer. Use the negotiation to get a committment from the buyer. If I can work out this lower price, will you purchase the art today? Pushing back a little shows you have some moxie and are not a pushover.

Don’t let your opinion about various pieces enter into the conversation or into your selling art dialogue. Don’t recommend someone a bargain price on a piece you don’t like. It might be the one they love the most.

To get up-to-date information on pricing giclees, see my new How to Price Art Prints e-book.

3. Information: While handing out brochures, business cards and resumes as candy is discouraged, it is sometimes necessary. When you do provide printed material it nearly always means you have failed to make the sale now.

You can’t live on “Be Back” promises. When you have to give up information, trade it for contact information. Use that contact information it to secure email and snail mail addresses for selling art. Once you have a prospect, you have to work it, or they will lose interest. Have a systematized approach to consistently and persistently follow up with interested buyers.

4.  Presentation: You have one chance to make a favorable impression. When buyers come to your booth, studio, website or gallery, they form an immediate judgment about how things are organized. This is simultaneous to their investigating your available art.

If they find things are disorganized, or art that is not properly displayed, it detracts from you putting your art in the “best light.” Don’t allow distractions from the art buying experience. This includes employees or friends who are goofing off, on a cell phone, and otherwise disengaged from the fact you are selling art.

Have your 15-Second Pitch honed so it rolls out smoothly with enthusiasm! You don’t want to push it, but when asked about yourself, you want to start with something pithy and concise that aptly describes who you are and what you do.

Don’t give anyone your life history. The few who want personal details will pointedly ask for them. The others don’t need or want to know the information in order to make a buying decision. Likewise, keep your religious, political and social views to yourself.

Talk in terms people can understand. Don’t use foreign words when more easily understood English words will suffice. Don’t use acronyms or obscure references to art history, art movements, little known artists or anything else that will confuse your buyers.

Don’t use every opportunity to let others know how smart you. No one wants to be made to feel stupid when it comes to knowing all about art. Keep your lip zipped when tempted to correct misperceptions because it is belittling to the other person and won’t help you get a sale.

5.  Engagement: Talk to as many people as you can when you are at a show or opening. Don’t prejudge any customer on their appearance.

I had a friend who sold pre-owned exotic sports cars. While I was visiting him in the showroom one day a scruffy guy with cutoffs and flip-flops came in to look around.  Two other salespeople let him walk by without even saying hello. My friend left me and introduced himself. It turns out this guy was an eccentric, successful architect. He bought a Ferrari that day and a Maserati a few weeks later.

If you are in the booth, or at a show, don’t look bored or unfriendly. Don’t sit and read the paper or play with your  iPad, cell phone, or doodle. Be aware and ready to be engaged. Don’t send the message that you prefer not to talk with someone. You should also not be too eager, oversell, or get in someone’s face. Engage, explain a bit, and retreat to give the person time to absorb what is on display.

6.  Sales Techniques: Don’t start pitching or closing until you have earned the right to do so. That means you have learned something about the potential collector, whether they are interested in your work, and what their needs and plans for buying art are. That sounds like a tall order, but it can all be ascertained by asking open ended questions with a genuine interest in learning the answer.

Don’t annoy people who don’t want to buy from you. If you have made a sincere, professional attempt to engage and to learn if they are interested, and it turns out they are not, let it go.

Don't offer opinions comparing your work to others, especially unasked. Potential buyers do not wish to listen to your unsolicited notions about how your art is superior to the work of other artists.

7.  Unprofessional Behavior: Respect others. Keep your appointments, be on time. Being late is discourteous and shows a lack of concern for others. They are busy too, probably busier than you.

If you are at a show, or an opening, keep your alcohol intake to none or very little. If you partake in other recreational drugs, don’t be stupid and show up stoned. You may be laughing at this comment, but I’ve seen it happen and it is both disgusting and sad to experience.

Be available for your collectors, your galleries, reps, and media contacts. Publish your contact information on your site, business cards and informational brochures. When you have messages, make sure to respond to them promptly, at least within 24 hours.  

8.   Inappropriate Ill-advised Contact: When you are making contact with potential collectors, galleries, art dealers, or related parties for the first time, make sure you identify yourself. Clearly explain your reason for contacting them, give brief details about yourself and your work, and offer full contact information for prospective follow ups.

In selling art and life, you only get one first impression. Make sure anything you put in writing is first class quality. Poor grammar, misspelled words and incomprehensible ramblings are a effective way to get immediately dropped from consideration. (Post publishing note: see comments below how I was found guilty of not following my own advice.)

Don’t make demands from art critics, journalists, bloggers, gallery owners, dealers or others who can help you. They don’t owe you anything. You need to earn their respect. Making requests to view your art, or to write a piece about it, or confronting them on work with which you disagree makes dismissing you easy. Walk a few steps in their shoes, find out what they need and then show how what you have fits that need.

Selling Art Bonus Point: My good friend and colleague, Jason Horejs, has a new book out. I have just completed reading How to Sell Art: A Systematic Approach to Creating Relationships with Collectors and Closing the Sale. It is loaded with practical advice that anyone who works at selling art can use to improve their results. 

Like his first book,"Starving" to Successful | The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting Into Galleries and Selling More Art, Jason talks from decades of firsthand experience selling art and successfully operating a gallery. If you are serious about learning about selling art more effectively, or finding how to get your work into appropriate galleries, these book are "must read" for you.

Sell Art with the Best - Learn to Offer Big!

How To Sell Art Is a Challenge for Most Visual Artists!

This post on how to sell art more effectively is revised from one I wrote nearly three years ago. It is titled, The Art of the Big Offer.

Most people, let alone artists, are not naturals who know the best way to sell art.  Fortunately, just as you can improve your creating your art, you can improve your ability to sell art.

Because I believe, given how things are these days, the message is more urgent than ever, I'm publishing a revised edition now.

Here Is a Powerful Truth

If you don't ask, you don't get. - Mahatma Gandhi

A Day Job That Helps You Learn Better Ways to Sell Art Is Great!

Just like many artists reading this post, I balance my career where my passion working on my blog, books, and consulting are fit in around my day job. All in all, it's a pretty decent gig.

The pay is decent, and incentives are excellent with benefits as generous as you'll find these days. Short of blogging for a living, I don't mind strapping it on and going to work. My job is challenging. It puts me on a fast learning curve absorbing all manner of things that are both intriguing to me now and destined to be useful to me later.

Benefits Aside, Day Jobs Do Hamper Ambitious Plans

My only irritation is the time I put into the job because I have many other goals. On the other hand, the balancing act helps keep me focused on what is extremely important versus what is appealing. I find myself constantly challenged to stay the course. It can be challenging  not to be distracted by interests and opportunities that will keep me from reaching goals. For example, my new How to Price Digial Art Prints e-book, was delayed well beyond my initial plans for it and other projects designed to help you sell art.

However, the key purpose today is to pass along ideas on how to sell art that are unknown, easy to put off and difficult to accomplish for many of us. I am a seasoned sales and marketing pro. Still, I found relearning this lesson helped my sales and confidence grow in my day job in ways that surprised me.

To Sell More Art, Learn These Valuable Lessons:

1. OFFER BIG

2. Never sell thinking about what is in your wallet

As an artist, you are also an independent business person. Your business success depends on your ability to make art the public wants to buy. It also depends on how you manage your business. A constant factor in your business is negotiation. When you sell art, the better you negotiate, the more money you get to keep. Arguably, handling sales is the most important negotiation you routinely perform.

Consistently Asking for the Big Sale Works!

I'm lucky. I’ve made it a daily exercise to remind myself to offer the biggest possible package to my customers. You will need to find ways to remind yourself. It is my job to make offers to my customers and to make them big. It is their responsibility to determine if the proposal is strong and worth considering.

If they say no, I say okay and move on. I admit it took a some effort to learn to offer a  premium package in every situation. I had to work at getting myself out of the way. Sometimes it just didn't feel right. But, when I overcame my reluctance to ask and set aside my personal feelings and what I thought was understanding, I began to get people who often responded favorably to being offered big. Guess what? My sales have been consistently higher.

Never Get In Your Own Way - Don't Be a Problem to Yourself

I have no qualms about offering big because my company will provide a 100% of unused product refund without question. So a buyer is never stuck with something they don't need. How does that translate to your business? Easy. You need to think about packages you could offer someone. If you are in a retail situation, such as at a show or in your studio, you already know you have an interested buyer. Instead of getting excited about selling one piece of art, why not suggest a suite of images?

Artists Can Make the Art of the Big Offer Work for Them

Let me tell you about my most popular offer! Many of my other collectors love it! Take two 30" x 40" and two 16" x 20" giclees and I'll make you a sweet suite deal. Alternatively, would you prefer to have one large and three smaller images in a package?

Help Your Collector Visualize What They Are Getting. Big Offers Get Big Results

Paint a picture for them here. Mentally put the pieces in their home or office "Together, these images in a grouping will complement each other, and will look spectacular in your home or office. The work is something you are bound to enjoy for years" The point is to let them to think about how hanging a suite of your images will enrich their home and bring them happiness.

Work on Your Big Offer Until It Comes Naturally to You!

If you figure out your offer and practice it until you can make the offer with conviction and confidence, I assure you that you will see a dramatic change in your results if you offer big consistently.

You may be struggling to make the rent, or just working hard to make your second career art business profitable. Either way, it's no sin to be modest and cautious with your own money. That said, you have to leave your own sense of economic well being and not project what is happening in your life onto your collectors. You can’t accurately presume to know the resources or interest of another.

Never Pre-judge What You Think Someone Can Afford to Spend

It is not your job to determine how much they of your art they can afford. To sell art, it is your duty as a smart business person to ask for the order and offer big. If you have a problem with offering big because your are shy, uncomfortable or what have you, here is a bit of tough love:

If you want to sell art to the best of your ability, GET OVER IT! Your attitude is costing you money.

You have to realize you are dealing with intelligent adults who are quite capable of telling you no thank you. However, if you never present the offer, you are guaranteed to not sell art in big orders every time. Most people are not that original in thinking big for themselves. They usually require you to tell them what they want and will respond to creative offers, even big ones.

HINT: After you make the offer, SHUT UP. I don't care how much time passes. Just smile, be relaxed, casual and wait. If you start talking before they respond, you have effectively taken them off the offer. If they change the subject, you should answer the question, and ask if they liked the offer. Get back on track.

So as the immortal Shakespeare adroitly put it, "Screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we'll not fail." In these times especially, you have to leverage all you have to sell art in the quantities you desire. Employ  these basic concepts in your daily business and watch your sales and confidence grow.

Here Is My Big Offer to Help You Sell Art

Buy the second edition of How to Profit from the Art Print Market and I will give you a free copy of my How to Price Digital Fine Art Prints e-book. Click here to learn more.

Limited Edition Prints Versus Open Edition Prints - More Perspectives

When it comes to digital fine art giclee prints, readers who follow this blog know I hold strong opinions about using open editions for marketing them.

There is no single solution on the open vs. limited edition debate.

It's not that I am against tradition. It's more that I believe the arguments for using open editions outweigh those for continuing to use them.

I also am the first to admit there is no 100% solution for all artists. How could there be when there is ample evidence there are many artists who continue to effectively market their fine art giclee prints.

There are believable points and great examples to support both sides of the debate.

In recent days, I have been reminded about how some artists are doing well in open editions while others are profiting from limiting editions. Here is a note from fine art photographer, Jeffrey Stoner. He is a long-time follower, friend and supporter.

"Your writings about limited vs. open edition prints were one of the deciding factors in my choice to go to open prints in 2007.  It was definitely the right decision.

I began a series of Angora Goat images in 2008.  There are now five in the series. The goats are part of a 10-year experiment to control the growth of Canadian blackberry bushes on the open balds.

The balds are treeless mountain tops and the one they are on is at 5800’ along the Appalachian Trail on the Tennessee / North Carolina border.  The goats are brought to the mountain top on the first day of summer and come back down the last day of summer.

 The series took off and the first goat image (Arlo) which I made in 2008 was my best selling image of all time with 9 months. If I had limited the sales of this, and succeeding, goat images I would have lost a lot of income. 

And, Arlo is still a big hit. One gallery owner jokes that Arlo will pay for my retirement. I've included shots of Arlo from 2008 and Nash from 2010.  I’m working on the 2011 edition to the herd." — Jeffrey Stoner

The other side of the coin has compelling rational to it

I had a long chat with Roger Laudy, the CEO and mastermind behind Image Wizards the other day. His company is the premier provider of fine art and fine art photography printed on aluminum. The results for the right images are nothing short of spectacular. Roger listened intently as I laid out my argument for why I believe in open editions:

• I'm an artist advocate and I don't believe artist should have to arbitrarily cap their income by limiting how many copies of their work get sold.
• I believe most collectors will buy open editions as freely as limited, or that the upside on the open will exceed the loss on the limited.
• In an age of digital printing where even lightly informed buyers understand there are no actual limitation to possible number of prints produced, it seems somewhat disingenuous to be selling limited editions.
• I have more the argument, you can read about it in this post, The Double Entendre of the Visual Artist Selling Out Redux, or get more perspective on any of the posts here.

Roger is in touch on a regular basis with some very successful fine artists and fine art photographers. He made the powerful point that his best customers, those who place the most frequent orders, nearly all sell their work in limited editions.

He gave me the example of the fabulous oceanic photographer, Marc Montocchio who has a limited edition print on metal of a live marlin in its natural habitat in the ocean.

This is a one-of-a-kind piece. He is selling a very limited edition run of the image, and stands to make a boodle doing it. You can view the YouTube video on how the image was taken here.

Ultimately, every artist will come to his or her own conclusion

So, I get it. I can look at artists like Ford Smith, Jennifer Vranes, Yuroz and countless more who are profiting in the limited edition market. It proves it is not an open and shut case. My only retort to such overwhelming evidence of success is to question how much money those artists lose by capping their income.

The heirs of Maxfield Parrish and Ansel Adams continue to get royalties from their estates. If these artists had opted for limited editions of their work. The income from those original prints would have long ago dried up.

The open edition print versus limited print debate is ongoing and likely to never be resolved

I'll leave it at that. As always, I know you will come to your own informed decision. Two competing ideas that are both wildly successful are Art That Fits, a company owned by Larson-Juhl, the world's largest supplier of picture frame moulding and supplies. It is notably owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway group. Art buyers can browse its site and order open edition prints in a variey of sizes.

The other is Jen Bekman's 20x200.com site that sells very limited editions. It has enjoyed VC investments in the millions. She is proving the argument for limited edition prints. And, the debate goes on... and on.

P.S. If you live in the U.S., you can order a free sample kit from Image Wizards. International orders pay a small shipping fee to have the samples sent to them.

How to Sell Art, Make Money and Be Happy

If you can learn to sell your art at regularly increasing prices, consistently make more money and be happy with the results that would make a great art career. 

We all know the amount of money we make is not the real reason for our true happiness.

It is natural to conclude if you sell enough art your earnings will make you happy.  Certainly, selling art regularly makes life pleasant. And, undoubtedly, when the stress of worrying about money is relieved, it is easier to be happy. There is just more to it than sitting on a pile of dough. Money can just as easily be the cause of problems.

“Money won’t buy you happiness, but it will help you look for it in lots of places.”

There are many artists who have modest means, modest sales and who enjoy a high happiness quotient. They are the ones who have achieved balance where making art and selling art both provide pleasure.

It is undeniable there is so much more to being happy than being successful in an art career. Health, family, friends, faith spirituality and sense of purpose all contribute. Nevertheless, for visual artists, there is no getting around if your goal is to live a comfortable life based on the fruits of your creative artistic endeavor, then you must be able to effectively sell your artwork.

I have extensively written about how to sell art here. Some of the most popular posts are:

• How to Sell Art: Use the Five "C"s for Success
• How to Sell Art with No Fear
• Shhh! How to Sell Art with Silence
• How to Sell Art Prints - a reader question answered
• Seven Great Ways to Sell More Art

These days, selling art is different than in the past. For sure, the traditional means of getting work to market through galleries, dealers and consumer shows remains a staple for many career artists. However, print-on-demand technology (POD), social media, email marketing, e-commerce, changing consumer buying habits, and other factors have changed the rules and opened the door for artists to directly sell work to their collectors.

New Rules Create New Opportunities

These new rules apply to musicians and authors. My book, How to Profit from the Art Print Market – 2nd Edition, is a result of POD availability in the book market. The similarities in selling a POD book and selling giclees helps me walk the same path as artists who read this blog. I sell direct, and am listed on all the electronic bookseller sites. That compares to an artist selling directly from his or her website and blog and also listing on sites such Zazzle, Fine Art America, ImageKind, Etsy, et cetera.

These days, authors like me who have a message and an audience to deliver can totally bypass the traditional book publisher means of getting work to interested buyers. Musicians can create their own CDs, sell them on the road, via Facebook and MySpace and cut out the recording companies.

Sell less art, make more money is totally possible with POD and Web 2.0

The upshot of the convergence of POD technology and Web 2.0 phenomena, such as Facebook, means artists can sell for the same price to far fewer buyers and still make a substantial income from the effort. In my case, I make considerably more on each book sold than I would if I were getting a royalty from a publisher. I can't imagine an offer a publisher could make me to publish this book that would entice me.

Traditional means to get your work to market are the best in certain circumstances

Don’t get me wrong; with the right book and right deal, I would be all over working with a publisher. When it comes to the mass market, they still are the preferred path. But, with the narrow focus of interest my book has, and the relatively paltry royalties publishers can afford to pay, it makes no sense for me to have publisher in the mix.

Working with galleries remains a viable choice for many artists, just not exclusively

It is only in recent time with the advent of above mentioned developments that it is possible for creative people to take their work directly to the buyer. In a series of blog posts last year, artist and blogger extraordinaire, Lori McNee, and I explored whether artists should sell direct, work with galleries, or do some combination of both.

We each came to the conclusion that the best course for most artists was to find the balance and strive to do both. We came to that conclusion independently without debating before we started the series. Here are links to the my posts in the series:

• Visual Artist’s Challenge: Should I Work with Galleries, Go Direct to Collectors or Both?
• More Thoughts on Artists and Galleries Working Together
• The Art of Self-promotion for Visual Artists

Artists should make controlling direct distribution of the their work a top priority

However, the ways things are these days, it is my strongly held conviction that artists should seek to control as much direct distribution of their work as possible. In the end, the artist is only person he or she can fully rely upon to carry their water. And, if you grow your own viable list of interested collectors, you put yourself in strong bargaining positions with galleries and dealer who might want to work with you.

It’s a far different thing to say come into a negotiation being able to say I can help you sell my work versus I hope you have everything you need to sell my work. What a relief it is to know you are not desperate to make the connection. That is a huge byproduct being in control of the distribution of your artwork.

The resources for artists to learn how to sell and make more money are abundant

The good news is besides the wonderful array of tools to help you sell your work, there also is an abundance of help from a stellar lineup of artist advocates who offer a steady stream of great ideas, information and inspiration. Your success is there for you to take and to make. These include:

• Jason Horejs, author of 'Starving to Successful: The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting into Galleries
• Alyson Stanfield, author of I'd Rather Be in the Studio
• Ariane Goodwin, founder and organizer of the long-running smARTist Telesummit
• Tara Reed, author of How to Be a Press Friendly Artist and numerous other helpful books, article and courses on succeeding in the print market
• Tamra Fleming, founder and coordinator of the Creative Souls Telesummit

Of course, these are just a few of the talented and hard working artists advocates. Folks who by and large could make more money working in other fields, but who have chosen to help artists instead. I'm sure there is a happiness quotient at work here, too.

Success Is Personal - So Is Happiness

I believe success is personal. There is no one universal description of it and the same is true of happiness. It is strictly your choice. When you achieve it, which you will if you plan and execute like you truly want it, you will find happiness is the fine residue of the hard work you put in to accomplish your goals.

I wish I could tell you how to be happy, but it is too personal. Your definition is going to be as unique as your personality and your art. You will know it when you have it, and without question, enjoying success in your art career is a big step towards achieving it.

There are a few spots left for the Catch a Star - How to Sell Fine Art Giclee Prints Webinar

You can’t learn how to sell art, make money and be successful by reading a single blog post, but you can get a serious jump on creating success in the giclee print market when you participate in one of my upcoming two-hour Catch a Star - How to Sell Fine Art Giclee Prints - Art Career Webinar. Seating is limited, there are some spots left, act now to reserve yours.

The dates and times are:

•    Tuesday, May 24, 4 – 6 pm (Pacific Daylight Time) 
•    Saturday, May 28, 9 – 11 am (Pacific Daylight Time)

The price is only $24.95 and will include handouts from the presentation, including dozens of resource links to help you research your next moves. My guarantee is I will do my best to help you learn how to sell more art, make more money and will leave the finding happiness to your own making.

Click here to register now!

How to Sell Fine Art Giclee Prints - An Art Career Success Webinar

Art Print Market Expert Barney Davey Presents a Live Art Print Career Webinar Sponsored by Xanadu Gallery

As a visual artist, you can learn to successfully create and sell reproductions of your original artwork as fine art giclee prints on canvas, paper, and other digital art print substrates.

The plentiful benefits for visual artists who create a successful art print market career include:

• Increased awareness for you and your work.
• Getting paid multiple times from the your original artwork.
• Diversifying your price points.
• Broadening your product line.
• Gaining entry to the lucrative licensing field.
• Selling art into the home furnishing, hospitality, corporate and healthcare markets.

Creating Fine Art Collectors with Passion

Happy Valentines Day!

In honor of the day that celebrates joy, love and passion, I offer the following thoughts on incorporating passion into your art business.

Success in steadily selling fine art requires passion!

You have just put the final touches on a piece. Or, perhaps you have just unwrapped an artwork back from the framer.

At that moment, you are pleased and proud knowing the result comes from your creativity and ability. Learning to convey that feeling will catapult your career.

Whether it is a face-to-face or an anonymous e-commerce situation, a key ingredient in your success in selling art is in being able to pass your excitement and passion to your buyers. If you can reproduce in your art collectors just a fleeting bit of excitement and passion, you are well on your way to making a sale... and a fine art career.

Learning by example is the best way to gain knowledge

In a face-to-face meeting, creating excitement is easier because all the senses are involved. One of my heroes who taught me by example how this works was the late Peter La Marche.

While he was not a visual artist per se, he was a visual creative force and designer. He was the founder of La Marche Moulding. For many years, I sold advertising and tradeshow space to him. In addition to him being my loyal long-time advertiser in Decor magazine and exhibitor in the Decor Expo shows, I considered him a friend, mentor, and role model.

It is never too late to make a strong run to create a successful business model

Besides being an astute businessman, Peter was a passionate intuitive creative designer of high-end picture frame moulding. It was inspiring to me that he started a business on a late run that took him to becoming a successful entrepreneur with a multi-million net worth long after many of his contemporaries had retired.

Beginning in 1982 at age 56, he built over the next two decades one of the industry's most successful and respected picture frame moulding operations. His designs were admired by framers and artists and frequently copied by competitors. It was very sad news to learn in 2003 he succumbed to throat cancer.

Learning to share your passion with all in your circle, whether in person or online is the key

In the last years of his life, I lived a few miles from Peter's warehouse and showroom. The proximity gave me the opportunity to visit with him on a regular basis. On each visit, I could count on him grabbing me by the elbow and marching me to wall where his latest designs were on display. He would take one down and start talking about the design in a passionate manner that was completely captivating.

Passion and personal attention trump personality

It was this passion, personal attention and total belief in his product that would have Peter's customers at tradeshows waiting patiently to talk with him despie reps being immediately available. In the picture frame patch, he had become both a rock star and a brand name.

Some might say his success was partly due to a cult of personality. I would argue it is a desire to share some time with a passionate creative force. There is nothing to keep you from having the same aura surrounding you and  your work, and on terms that suit your personality.

For brevity's sake, I will save the subject of how to impart passion into selling art online for another blog post. However, I will say if you make passion part of all you do, then it will translate into the bits and bytes just as it does into your work.

Keeping the passion burning despite the circumstances is part what made Peter successful

Being an accomplished woodworker, I admit to a fondness fine Italian mouldings. But, I could have never had the same deep appreciation for the product and the design and thought that goes into such a product without Peter's passion. It poured out of him naturally. His passion was so palpable and real it would have excited a complete novice who had no clue what imported Italian moulding was about.

I was never going to buy a stick of moulding or write a magazine feature about him or his work. That was for others and he knew it. Still, his mission was to make sure everyone in his orb got a chance to understand what went into a design. To see him caress a corner sample with the same reverence as a fine sculpture was positively inspiring. I envy anyone who cares as deeply about what they do and then can translate that into pure enthusiasm.

Paying attention to the details makes a huge difference

Peter was successful by paying attention to all the details surrounding his business. That could make him tempestuous and difficult at times when it came to getting his way with placement in a show or in a magazine. But, when we were at that display board, none of that mattered. He was in his pure element passionately talking about the minute aspects of why this shade, this metallic finish, this flourish or what have you made the piece a work of art on its own merit. It would make you want to buy some even if you didn't have art suitable for the moulding.

You can find numerous articles on the techniques of selling art on the Internet, including a bunch on this blog. They all offer great tips and suggestions for how to approach a customer and close a deal. So, I won't attempt to cover them in this post. You can, however, find links to some of my previous posts on how to sell art below.

It is within you to create your own unique way of parting enthusiasm and passion into selling and promoting your art.

It may not be immediately obvious to you or as natural as it was for Peter La Marche with his moulding, but I guarantee it is there for you to tap on terms compatible with your own personality.

Being passionate one's work comes naturally on a personal level, anyone can learn to effectively demonstrate it on a public level

If public speaking, or just working sales is not your strong suit, then rehearsing what you want to say in such situations until it comes easily to you is a worthy practical goal. Whatever you do, if you imbue your words, actions and marketing activities with passion, you will enjoy greater success.

Capture your passion about your work and convey it in your own style

Whatever you do, let your mind wander back to the moment of finished creation. Find a way to describe how you felt when you stood back to admire the finished piece, impart it to your buyers and your odds of success will dramatically increase. 

Related Posts:

How to Sell Art with No Fear

How to Sell Art: Use the Five "C"s for Success

How to Sell Art Prints - a reader question answered

Seven Great Ways to Sell More Art

Artist's Rep Perspective - a reply to How to Start Your Own Art Publishing Company

My friend Dick Harrison, who was an artist's rep par excellence for decades, replied to the previous How to Start Your Own Art Publishing Company with his savvy insight and sage advice. Many of you many know him from his Sales Tips for Artists  site where he provides a wealth of knowledge.

You can see from the shots of his Florida property he managed to do quite well on his earnings as both a career artist and artist's rep for more than 20 years as he worked towards a well-deserved retirement.

I took the liberty of adding some paragraph headers, I'm sure Dick won't mind. Thanks to him for all his magnificent contributions to artists and for his generosity in sharing his vast knowledge and experience.

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Hello Barney,

Your exchange with "OldeBob" was fascinating and filled with such great advice, it inspired me to take pen in hand and write what follows.  Is there any way you can use this?  I'll probably post on my blog, for the few who follow it, if you think it is worth reading, along with your post - question and answer - assuming it's OK with you to do that. -  Dick

Starting Over in Tough Times

Barney, what an interesting question from a husband and wife team of producing artists!  Your answer, as usual, is worth its weight in gold!  I haven’t been blogging or podcasting regularly because of home responsibilities, but this struck a special chord so I’m adding my “two cents” to your treasure trove of information. 

“What Would I Do If I Were Starting Over In Tough Times?” 

As you know, I’m now long “retired” after more than twenty years selling my own art and acting as an art rep for others, mostly to Interior Designers and Architects.  What follows is not so much a generally applicable “how to” as it is a call for artists to think outside the usual box about his or her particular talent. 

Defining your success is both important and personal

The first step is to decide what “success” actually means to you. If fame, fortune and a worldwide reputation are your “success,” stop reading now.  Almost nothing I say will help, or even make much sense. 

For me, “success” was the necessity to make a living, and exercise what limited creative abilities I possessed WITHOUT being “boss” of an organization and dealing with employees, bankers and demanding clients – as it had been when I started and ran an Advertising agency.  That was challenging and I enjoyed a lot of what I did and had to do as I learned the ropes on my way to “owner.”  But, in a scenario like that, one “owns” the problems as well as the rewards.  Not what I wanted or had the resources to duplicate when I had to start over.

You are never too old to employ dreams and imagination

Therefore, I’m putting myself in Olde Bob’s shoes and IMAGINING what I’d do if I weren’t seventy-nine and also had the added advantage of a talented wife who shared my passion for art and a special interest in painting animals – along with that modest inheritance to get started. 

WARNING! Artists – please don’t take what follows as “your plan” or “the plan.”  Yours will be completely different and this is just meant as a “thought starter.”

We live in a beautiful world – when I was on the road marketing art all over Florida, God’s magnificent creation was a constant pleasure and source of inspiration when I got back to my studio to spend time creating art to sell.  I loved seeing new places and new sights.  My guess is; most artists do, too.

Following in the path of successful enterepreneurs is a time-honored tradition

My START OVER aim would be to find a modestly priced, comfortable, used motor home or drag behind, with enough space in it to live and work on my art.  The most successful and happy art entrepreneur I ever met built a marvelous art publishing business by traveling the USA from tiny Guemes Island WA, reachable only by ferryboat.  Ria Foster, founder of IIA, Island International Artists, now retired, still travels to beautiful spots in her motor home to create wonderful jewelry in venues she came to love.  More than a quarter century later IIA lives on and thrives today as the best etching publisher in the country.

Olde Bob has already found an art niche.  People all over the world love animals.  Galleries and Interior Designers use animal images consistently to decorate homes and businesses – and those buyers are everywhere!

Artists have great tools to help them sell their work today

The Internet, social media and websites are great ways to sell art and you should use them all.  Print-on-demand allows an artist to reproduce any image in virtually any size on almost any substrate – but once produced, the image must be sold to someone if the artist doesn’t want to starve in a garret until fame and fortune stumble on to his work. 

Take it from me – and Ria Foster – there is no better way to sell art than to show up on a buyer’s doorstep with a beautiful piece of art they can touch and, perhaps think: “I can sell that!”  When that happens, whether it is a pack of greeting cards or a carefully painted original animal portrait, you’ve made a sale!  This is a key piece of information every artist should remember – or have tattooed on the back of his hand if he has a poor memory.  You can’t sell it if you don’t show it.

You cannot beat the personal touch

Add to that your ability to say:  “I have even nicer ones in the motor home parked outside your door.  Can you take a couple of minutes to step inside for a cup of tea while I show you more?”  Bonus – you’ll get to know buyers personally, find out their likes and dislikes, and YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED and welcomed back on your next trip through.  I sold art to many of my Interior Design clients, over and over, for more than a dozen years.

Olde Bob - you already know your images should sell as self-produced cards and there are even more gift shops than Interior Designers – their studios and shops often located almost side-by-side in most affluent areas. 

But Bob – don’t get hung up worrying about Archival Inks and permanence for items as ephemeral as greeting cards.  They have about a forty-five second life span and then are tossed or tucked away because of the sentiment, never to be seen again.  Unless you have a name and collector base – have established a “brand” valued for possible appreciation, Interior Designers aren’t looking for permanence either.  They’d just as soon have their clients redecorate every five years – out with the old – in with the new.

If your art measures 8” x 10” the ever advancing Print On Demand processes can blow it up to whatever size your client wants.  Using your original as the sales sample you can offer any size required, but don’t you try to print it yourself.  There are printing pros galore with the equipment and know how to do it for you.  As you sit beside the lake outside of town, enjoying the sunset, just figure out how to price the piece so you can make a profit.

There are riches in niches

 Be open to niche markets within your niche.  I have a sister-in-law who knits wonderful things using super soft Alpaca yarn.  Because of her I became aware of the growing number of Alpaca farmers and breeders.  Some of those beautiful, gentle, animals sell for $100,000 plus and their yarn is a high-ticket item.  Often the yarn is sold with information or a photo of the animal that produced it.  If you owned a $100,000 animal, wouldn’t you be open to a nice hand-painted portrait to make that animal even more special?  With your wheels, all you need is a list of Alpaca farms to visit as you travel to sell to the regular trade – or to Art Fairs where you set up to show and sell your work, if that is something you like to do.  If you can’t sell an Alpaca portrait, perhaps the breeder would be open to allowing you to order and sell their special yarn on commission to high-end shops.

And, speaking of commissions, Olde Bob, I’ll bet you know other artists whose work you admire who would be glad to have you take their work with you as you visit buyers they’ll never see.  Do that and you are an Artists’ Rep, deserving a nice commission, as I was.

Some years I sold $20,000 - $30,000 worth of my own work and earned commissions from other artists that let me build a lovely house and studio with a half-acre pond where I had the fun of raising swans and water lilies. (Which isn’t a good combination because I soon learned swans eat water lilies.)  The point is: I was open to and always looking for a new idea, as – as anyone should be  - when STARTING OVER IN TOUGH TIMES!

Related Posts

Dick Harrison's "Sales Tips for Artists" New Website

Business Advice for Artists in Today's Economy

 

10 Questions about EBSQ Art ~ the Online Community for Self-representing Visual Artists

Having always been a strong supporter of visual artists being independent as possible, I became an instant fan of EBSQ Art upon learning about it years ago.

In Internet time, ideas, companies and online communities come and go in the blink of an eye. If you think back about how much has changed since 2000, EBSQ Art's longevity is simply amazing. It truly is a testament to its ability to evolve and add value to its members.

I recently had the opportunity to pose ten questions to Amie Gillingham, the site's CEO and guiding force behind its great success story. If you are an visual artist and not already part of this vibrant valuable community, I urge you to consider joining.

1.            What is EBSQ Art and where did it get the name?

EBSQ is an online artist community geared towards artists who sell or otherwise promote their work directly to the public. A lot of people wonder the heck what our acronym could possibly stand for. But actually, our name is a derivation of e-Basquiats which was what our earliest members were dubbed when they were selling on eBay at the turn of the century. EBSQ as a keyword became their calling card. Our artistic sensibilities have greatly expanded since our founding in 2000, but the name stuck.

2.            What is the mix of art available on your site?

Our site leans heavily toward traditional fine art, but we also have a nice smattering of digital artists, photographers, jewelers, glass artists, and all manner of artisans. You'll find everything from realism to contemporary cubism to fantasy and steampunk to Pysanky eggs!

3.            Creating and selling art is an obvious part of the community. How well are your members doing using the site to get their work to market?

EBSQ isn't a traditional e-commerce site. We're actually more of a hub for an artist's total online marketing strategy. We do allow members to make items available for sale either by providing contact information for the buyer or by using their preferred payment gateway on individual items, but we don't have a site-wide payment system in place. So a lot of our metrics come from what our customers have reported to us.

Back in November 2010, we upgraded a lot of our site code and our Certificate of Authenticity systems was temporarily unavailable. We were actually surprised by how many artists were coming to us, desperate for COAs because they had a backlog of sold artwork to ship to their customers. While we're quite sorry folks had to wait for us to get this feature back online, it was gratifying to know that both the service was so much in demand and how many artists were doing better sale-wise than they were the year before. Folks that are just starting out might have a rough time of it at first, but artists that have hung in there during the recession are seeing at least a small rebound in sales above and beyond the expected uptick during the holiday season.

We do see a shift in where our artists are making items available for sale beyond our website. EBSQ traffic has moved from being largely at eBay to largely at Etsy. Imagekind and CafePress have fallen out of favour and Zazzle has become the POD vendor of choice. And a lot of members are marketing their work directly on their blogs and Facebook pages. Our goal is to provide as much support as we can for our artists, regardless of their venue of choice.

4.            Besides having an established online venue to showcase their work, what other benefits do artists enjoy with their participation?

EBSQ has a lot of the tools you'd expect from an art site in this day and age: bulk uploads, unlimited portfolios, Google Analytics-powered stats, social sharing tools, and the like. One rather unique feature is our digital Certificate of Authenticity. Artists have the option to print or email our COAs to buyers, who are then able to "lock" their COA. They can even transfer COAs if the work is resold and the provenance of the work travels with it.

Our community is the biggest unexpected benefit cited by our members. Not every member makes it to our forums, but those that do tend to stick around and get a lot more out of their membership than those that don't. Especially in a down economy, it's helpful to stay immersed in an artistic environment.

Another benefit unique to EBSQ is our extensive exhibition schedule. Currently, we run 3 exhibits every month. This year includes several juried exhibits as well as our annual benefit for the Susan G Komen Foundation. Shows are a great way to get involved, challenge yourself, and get your work seen. You can check out our 2011 exhibition calendar here:

http://blog.ebsqart.com/2011/01/05/announcing-our-2011-exhibition-schedule/

5.            Do your members volunteer to help keep the site functioning? Are they compensated for their efforts, or is it pro bono for the good of the site?

Our site is a mixture of paid staff and volunteer members. Our handful of volunteers serve as topic hosts/moderators on our forums where they're already active participants and were already acting as unofficial community leaders. In some cases, we've had members serve as bloggers in exchange for membership. We think the knowledge and skill they bring to our blog is a huge asset and we're lucky to have them!

6.            How has online marketing changed since EBSQ Art was launched?

Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, YouTube, and blogging going mainstream have completely changed the rules of the game. Five years ago, these were optional venues an artist could use to gain a massive edge over the competition. Now, they're practically a requirement in the self-representing artist market if you want to stay in the game.

7.            How well do artists selling digital fine art reproductions do on the market?

I've found that artists who are well-established and sell their originals at a higher price point do MUCH better in the print market. When you can't afford or otherwise lost out on a sought-after original, the reproduction becomes more desirable.

That said, artists who actively and aggressively market their reproductions do much better than artists who simply post work for sale at sites like Imagekind and RedBubble and wait for something to happen. But more about that later!

8.            It has been a rocky road for many artists in the recent past, what is your vision or how do you feel about what will happen next?

I truly don't have a clue what the future holds. And that's kind of exciting! But I do know that artists who stay the course and keep creating and actively marketing their work through the bad times will have a leg up on those who packed in their dreams until it's no longer a rainy day. Carpe diem

9.            What advice do you give to artists for getting the most from their participation with EBSQ Art?

While this advice is true for EBSQ, I believe it also holds true for most, if not all, online venues, including personal websites. Don't post and pray. Be active. Participate and update regularly. Engage with your peers and potential customers. And above all, don't stop creating and posting new work.

Looking at stats for individual members, those that see the most traffic are active. They enter shows regularly. They're chatty on the forums. They're constantly on the front page because they're always creating and adding new work. When we added Google Analytics to our toolbox for artists, members were stunned to see how much of their traffic was a direct result of their activity, particularly show entries.

I've had artists leave EBSQ, complaining that the site didn't "work" for them. But more often than not, when I look at their portfolios, I see a lot of self-sabotage. In many cases, the artist uploaded a handful of pieces on their first day, didn't bother to give them titles, dates, or statements, didn't enter any shows, didn't even fully complete their profile, and never engaged with the site in any way. Of course they're not going to see success! It would be foolish to think otherwise. I don't care how amazing your artwork is. Post. And. Pray. Doesn't. Work. Period.

10.          What is your elevator speech for why artists should join EBSQ Art?

EBSQ is an online community for artists who want to take control of their own art careers. We're a hub where you can house your full portfolio, link to all of your online venues, easily establish the provenance of your work with our Digital Certificate of Authenticity tools, and connect with a global art community. We've been here for a decade, we've stayed small and kept a passionate focus on serving our community, and we still answer our own email. Our mantra remains the same since our founding in 2000: Support Living Artists!

-Amie Gillingham
CEO, EBSQ
web: http://www.ebsqart.com
blog: http://blog.ebsqart.com
twitter: http://twitter.com/ebsq
Get out of the vacuum and express yourself!

Pre-order & Save - How to Profit from the Art Print Market - 2nd Edition

 

Your How to Sell More Art Resource Is Bigger & Better! Pre-order Now & Save $15.00.

I am pleased to announce the new Second Edition of How to Profit from the Art Print Market is available at a special pre-order price. Your copy will ship in early December. You will only pay $24.95, plus shipping, instead of the $39.95 retail price.

If you have been looking for new ideas or new ways on how to get into the print market or how to sell giclees, get this book. It has four chapters added, a third more content, more resources and has undergone a total rewrite to update all existing material.

You will find this new edition completely rewritten with an abundance of new content and innovative ways on how to sell giclees and digital fine art print reproductions. The pertinent information, new chapters, and timely advice are geared to help you boost your art career and generate fine art print reproduction and giclee sales in today's changed marketplace. 

BONUS! The Resources section has been vastly expanded and is sure to a source you will return many times to locate new business and marketing companies, products and services. 

A minor investment to increase your art marketing knowledge today will make a major improvement in your art career tomorrow!

Order now! Early orders will ship in early December in time for the holidays!

The First Edition was initially published in June 2005. It is hard to fathom the amount of change the art print market has undergone in the ensuing years. Despite the changes, I've been humbled to see the book remain a bestseller on the Amazon.com "Business of Art" category since it first hit the charts in the 4th quarter of 2005. It is a testament to the basic core value of its information. I believe this second edition improves on the knowledge imparted in the original version.

A need to follow up on changes sparked the creation of Art Print Issues. Part of the original motivation for this Art Print Issues blog was to help my readers stay abreast of changes within the industry, and to alert them to new opportunities. As I waited and waited for changes to slow down and the right time to publish a second edition, the blog evolved into as much a business advice for visual artists medium as it did report on the ever changing nature of the art print market.

The value of lessons learned in the past five years are included in this edition. The waiting provided perspective and much of the insights I've gained over the past 5+ years since the first edition are packed into this second edition. I trust when you read it you will find the advice, information and inspiration more than just worth your time and money, but rather a rich repository of practical advice on how to sell art, especially giclees and digital fine art reproductions.

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Raise Funds for Your Arts Organization, Your Company, or Yourself!

Join my affiliate marketing group to use the 2nd Edition of How to Profit from the Art Print Market to make passive income. You can learn more about raising funds here. It will be an easy passive money raiser for your visual arts group!

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Seven Great Ways to Sell More Art

Every artist I know wants to sell more art. It is a natural thing. Besides the necessary financial gain, it is a prime method of validating one's art career. Sure, even though Van Gogh was a failure in his lifetime, things turned out pretty good for him in the long run. However, most of us want and need the income now. Here are seven ways to help you sell more art now.

1.    Target your buyers.

It is difficult to be successful if you do not know who your best prospective buyers are and where to find them. If you are in a niche, for instance equine art, it is easier than if you paint landscapes. But, either way, you need to have an appreciation of who is most likely to buy your art.

You need to understand:

• Core demographics about your buyers. Are they men or women, or both? What are their ages? What is their income range?
• Do they shop locally, or are they spread out geographically?
• What are their buying habits? Do you get a lot of repeat buyers?
• Are they price-sensitive? Do they buy giclees, originals or open editions?

If your art is such that it appeals to a broad demographic, you will find 20% of your potential buyers generate 80% of your revenue. When you are able to discover who those 20% are, you can tailor your marketing efforts to them.

2.    Be where your buyers are.

Duh! If you are trying to find buyers buy advertising in pricey art magazines like Art News when your buyers are reading Country Woman, you have a problem. This point follows up the one above. Know who your buyer is, where they go and then be there with them.

3.    Understand your competition.

The more you know about your competition, the smarter a marketer you will be. I do not advocate directly copying what someone else is doing, but I do condone “creative borrowing.” It is something we all do. Look at any art movement and you will find a bunch of work by various artists all taking influence from each other.

You can learn from your competitors and use the information to be more insightful about the marketplace overall. When you include these insights into your own marketing, you strengthen your plan. Moreover, when you understand what your competitors are doing, you can use the knowledge to position yourself uniquely against them.

4.    Create stand out marketing – utilize your swipe file.

You cannot bore someone into buying your art. Before you can get them to consider it, you have to get their attention. The best way to do that is be creative and inventive when it comes to preparing your marketing materials.  This is where watching what marketers in other industries are doing can be a huge help to you.

You should have both a paper and digital swipe file. A swipe file is a place to put file away anything you see that is remarkable to you. If you find an ad in a magazine, or an article that moves or inspires you, tear it out and put it in swipe file folder. If you find a website that does likewise, use Internet Explorer to “Save As” under the File menu link to make a .mht complete Web archive file.

5.    Make irresistible offers.

I am not in favor of cut prices to get sales. That is a long term way to kill your business.  You can, however, find unique ways to make value-added offers:

• Bundle prices for a group of images.
• Free shipping for a sale over a certain price.
• Satisfaction Guaranteed offer. Live with it 30 days and return it for full-price.
• Free hanging service for local buyers.
• Free art consultation – if a business doesn’t have a corporate art buyer working with them, offer your services.

The ways you can add value to a sale without sacrificing your price are endless. It just depends on how creative you want to be. Your swipe file should help you here as well.

6.    Diversify your marketing.

It is more important today than ever for artists to be in charge of their own marketing. In the end, the only person who will care if you make sales is you. If you realize you have to trust and rely on yourself and accept that responsibility, you are better for it.

Spread around what you are doing.

• Keep looking for more galleries.
• Start a blog and post frequently.
• Get into the licensing market.
• Look for design centers to place your art.
• Get your own website running.
• Start a Facebook page.
• Join groups on LinkedIn.
• Get involved in local Meetup Groups in your area.

7.    Offer big and more than once.

Offer big. No one has ever been hurt because they assumed a sale and made an offer for a very large sale. On the other hand, many a blind pig has found an acorn because they kept looking. In other words, there are buyers out there who are open-to-buy and who have budgets well beyond the meager funds in your savings account.

If you sell based on your personal perception of how much money is in your wallet at the moment of the sale, you are losing money nearly every time. You cannot presume to know what a buyer’s ability or budget is. You can presume they are fully capable of telling you no if they cannot or do not want to accept your offer.

How big is too big? Beyond being ridiculous, there is no offer too big. What is wrong with saying, “I can make you three groupings of three pieces each.” Go on to explain the design virtues of groupings of three, or how great the Feng Shui value in such groupings can improve a home or office, or whatever makes sense for you and that buyer at the moment.

Spend some time to think about constructing at least two separate offers such as the above example and work on them so you are comfortable with the notion and equally comfortable with presenting them. Then practice so when you make such an offer that they come out naturally and comfortably.

I promise you these two things.

• If you regularly make big offers you will find buyers who accept them and you will be so tickled pink it happened the hardest part will be for you to remain calm while you process the sale. (Send me a note when it happens because I guarantee it will.)
• If you never make big offers, you will never enjoy the benefits and income that come from doing so. Or, as the now famous Wayne Gretzky saying goes, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!”

Remember, no does not always mean no. It often means, I need more information, or I am not yet convinced. Keep the converation going and ask again, or probe for more details on the decision, or what the buyer is looking for. At the least, get both an email and a snail mail address, note which works were of interest and communicate with them regularly. It is not uncommon in many galleries for buyers to take a year or longer before they make a purchase.

Put these ideas into action and it is certain you will make more money and sell more art.

 Bonus point.

 Be humbled and thankful for your blessings. Regardless of your current position, it never hurts to be grateful for the blessings you have. You are blessed with talent and creativity to make art. You are blessed to afford to be able to make art. You are blessed to have time to read blog posts like this one.

 Despite a world around us that much of is plunged in darkness, we find ourselves living in the greatest abundance ever known to mankind. We should not take this abundance for granted. Nor should we allow ourselves to fall under that spell of those who spread divisiveness, lies and hatred.  Peace out.