joeDuring a marketing seminar over three years ago in Chicago, IL, I met Dr. Steve Poppin. We sat next to each other for three days and had ample opportunity to discuss and share our businesses.
Out of the entire 600 people attending, what are the odds that two people, two artists, the only two artists, would be seated together?
I had come out with my Basic Techniques of Oil Painting and Steve was selling his How To Sell Your Art Without Selling Out Course. Steve advised some of the leading artists of our country how to sell their artwork.
We’ve both stayed in touch and now I’ve the pleasure of offering Steve’s course to you, not at the $247.00 price I first paid, nor at the $97.00 price he has for his downloadable version. But at a 50% off price of $48.50. The first 100 orders from our group will enjoy this low price. Quite a few took advantage of this offer yesterday, but there’s plenty of room for you today. To review the information on this course and/or order Learn To Sell My Artwork!
At the conference we were asked to do an exercise. A sales exercise if you will. We were asked previously to list our top 5 goals for the year. Then we were told to get in a huddle with each other….. one of us would list the top 3 obstacles stopping us from achieving our goals. The other would address how to overcome that obstacle.
One of my three obstacles was no money for advertising.
This is what Steve shared with me….
In order to sell more artwork it’s important to step outside the box of conventional wisdom. Having your artwork collecting dust in storage while waiting for a home accomplishes nothing. Get your work out there! I recommend displaying your artwork in high traffic businesses and restaurants.
Businesses and restaurants need to enhance their environments, and need to reach out for customers the same as you do. If your artwork compliments the ambiance of their business, you can allow them to display your art at no charge to them. Why loan out your artwork? So that you can place a small sign or plague in close proximity to the piece of art.
The signage needs to let the customer know where they can buy this piece and where they can contact the artist to preview additional items for sale. Artwork that’s easily displayed on walls or pedestals is a great match for this technique.
The key to making this strategy work is placing easy contact information near the artwork. This should consist only of your name, phone number, and website.
Don’t bother listing your address – no one wants to write to you and you don’t want uninvited company to your studio.
Some restaurants may object to any information on the plaque other than your name. Regardless of the information allowed, it’s very important to educate the staff so that they know the art is for sale. More importantly educate them so that they know where to direct the customer in order to complete the sale. Leave cards with the hostess and wait staff; meet all of the managers of the restaurant and educate them on your art. A security guard in the lobby of the building? Introduce yourself and leave him all of your information.
Once your artwork is in place, keep in touch with the restaurant or business. As the artist make sure that your art doesn’t fade away as part of the décor. When people work in an environment day after day, night after night it becomes very easy for them to ignore their surroundings and your artwork. Your artwork will become memorable once you become a name and a face to them. Every time you make an appearance, you will remind them of your piece.
Enhance this strategy – meet with the staff and employees of the business or restaurant and give them an education on your artwork and offer them a commission or a gift for any sales that come to you as a result of their referral. I guarantee you that your art won’t go unnoticed when you send a commission check. Imagine what will happen when you place the next piece?
When implementing this strategy, look for businesses and restaurants with lots of traffic that match your customer demographic. For instance, don’t approach a fine steakhouse with nautical themed painting; instead take that to a seafood restaurant. Make sense? Match the art to the business.
Sound advice? I can assure you that Steve’s technique is one I take good advantage of. I even have businesses calling me today for free artwork to hang. And if it makes sense I do it. One of my most profitable locations is a barber/beauty salon about 2 miles from the house. Each month is worth several hundred dollars. Guess where I get my bald head trimmed each month?
I have a simple sign, about the size of a business card
Original Oil Paintings
Darrell Crow, Local Artist
Bellingham, MA 508 966-2247
www.darrellcrow.com
Private Showings Available.
Now each establishment requires time during the month to manage, so make sure you don’t overload yourself. Set your goal on the income you want during each month and work to achieve it. If you exceed, than reset the goal.
Right now, my goal is for sales of my paintings to make the housepayment. Once that’s a piece of cake, there’s this Mercedes I’ve got my eye on….. : ). Seriously, set a goal you can achieve, then work to meet it, then increase that goal by adding more high traffic businesses to your suite of sales vehicles.
Steve goes through …
How to Price Your Artwork.
How to sell at craft shows
How to sell to Craft stores and Boutiques
How to sell at art shows
How to sell at Galleries
How to talk at art shows
How to sell in small towns
How to sell when there’s lots of competition
How to network with other artists for sales
The value of limited editions
The value of signing your artwork
And so many more topics.
So go to Learn To Sell My Artwork! and see the very information I used to sell my artwork. I now have my paintings in private collections throughout the United States, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
All over the past few years.
This could soon be your story as well.
Darrell