Hi None,
Selling art can be a real challenge, but the moment of the sale is exhilarating. Your artwork has just been, in a way, validated. The purchaser has said to you, "I think your work is good enough that I'm willing to part with my hard-earned money to acquire it."
For many artists, however, the sales come far too infrequently.
While sales are not the only measure of success for an artist, sales not only validate the work, they allow and encourage you to create more. There are many hurdles that get in the way of sales. The poor economy of the last several years has made the art market more competitive and art buyers more cautious.
Many artists don't get enough exposure for their work, and if buyers can't see your work, they can't buy it. Many of you have taken your marketing and sales into your own hands - showing your work in art festivals, participating in open studios, selling online, or in co-op galleries. You are having an opportunity to interact directly with your buyers.
I believe that having direct interaction with potential buyers can be a great experience and can help you better understand the art business and sales process. It also gives you the opportunity to get direct feedback about your work. Sales can be even sweeter when you are making them yourself, and the buyer will often enjoy the opportunity of dealing directly with the artist.
Unfortunately, many artists (perhaps yourself included) are not well prepared to go from creating art to selling it. Selling is a fine art in itself, and requires skill and practice. Some people are born salesmen, but others have to learn the skill. Even natural salespeople can always stand to sharpen their skills.
For the next several posts, I would like to concentrate on several key areas of the selling process. I hope that by discussing key issues, I can help you become a better salesperson, and I hope the discussion around these posts will allow you to share what you've learned about the sales process or discuss challenges you've faced.
Even if you turn over most of the marketing and selling of your work, understanding the sales process will make you a better partner to your galleries or agents.
I want to begin this series by discussing one of the most common mistakes made in the art sales process.
Giving the Buyer an Easy Way Out
