Having worked on the art market and with artists for a few years now, I've come to one simple conclusion as to what it takes to sell your art. I know this might sound a bit simplistic for some of you, but who said business had to be complicated? Or maybe we, as artists and entrepreneurs, just like to overcomplicate things?
The truth is, you really don't have to feel overwhelmed by sales or feel "salesy" for that matter. Because you all know it and have it in you to thrive, I (not only me, but most sales experts out there) believe that you just need to trust yourself enough to step out of your comfort zone and step into a world of infinite possibilities for you and your art.
Simply put, you can't live out your purpose if you aren't selling and that's why sales is a critical skill for artists to develop. And this skill is one that can, and should, be developed with ease.
But before I share with you the three things, I believe you need to do to grow your sales, I just want to remind you of something I've shared with you in the past: People buy from people they know, like and trust.
So whether you want to sell to a team of designers or to art collectors directly, or you simply want to sell to an art gallery the idea to represent you, here's how YOU can do it.
1. MAKE SURE YOUR AUDIENCE KNOWS YOU
Visibility is a huge part of selling your art. If nobody knows you exist, if you don't have an audience, then nobody will buy from you. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a huge following to do well in business, you just need to have the right following. That's why pinpointing who you want to target is key. Once you've identified who these people are, go out and find them through networking, offline and online. Being visible in the online world, means being present, engaging and showing up consistently... much more often than you think!
2. GET YOUR FANS TO LIKE YOU
Once people start knowing who you are, how do you get them to like you? Well, most probably, it will be through a little something I like to call storytelling. How can you tell a story about who you are, what you do and why you do it? Use your existing channels such as social media, email marketing and live events to share your story and engage with your fan base and collectors.
3: BUILD A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON TRUST
That's a big one, because no one will buy from someone they don't trust, right? So how do you build that trust? You can start by being authentic and honest in everything that you share and communicate with your fans. Respect for your collectors is essential because they can smell a phony from miles away.
Ok, so you're already genuine and honest, what else can you do? Reassure your collectors that they are making the right decision when investing in you by sharing with them your credentials, press clippings and interviews, images of past shows and events as well as testimonials from past buyers. Show them that you know what you're doing and that they'll be getting great value and potential by buying from you.
Some people wonder why I give so much of my knowledge for free to my community and through my blogs.
Now that you've found out my secret recipe, you know why I do it... Because I know that the more I give, the more you get to know, like and trust me.
As always, I'd love to hear from you! What have you done (or will do) to get people to know, like and trust you as a credible and talented artist?
Want to learn how to sell your art without feeling like a sell out? Learn more here.