Category Archives: Selling Art

Publicize Your Art in 2012

Blogging, PR, Selling Art,

One of my clients sent me an email to let me know she’s having a retrospective of her art quilts shown at a local gallery. So exciting!  She asked me for a little advice about getting the word out there.  In just a few minutes, we had the makings of a PR campaign set up for her.

I thought I’d share it here… It’s a useful starting point to brainstorm almost any PR campaign.

Step One.  Plan ahead.  What are your personal goals for the exhibit? Number of visitors? Number of sales?  Capturing contact info?  Give yourself a running head start.

Let people know your retrospective is coming with enough time to make space on their calendars to see it.  Will they be able to buy art at the venue?  Get them primed to want to purchase.  If not able to buy, then get them thinking about a commission.  You might even add a page to your website about your commission work.

Step Two.  What exactly do you need to say?

Brainstorm the  things that people need/want to know, and then write your press release (as crisp & clearly as possible) and then use that info again and again, tweaking it to the style of each broadcast method you have.  Make sure to include:

  • Artist name & website
  • Number of pieces in the show
  • Time period of the work
  • 1-sentence synopsis of theme of show
  • Location of show
  • Dates of show
  • Cost/hours/how to see
  • Will their be an opening?  Meet the artist?
  • Pieces available for purchase
  • Any special donation or charity to receive portion of proceeds
  • Commissions available

Step Three.  Now, how will you tell them? Your promo should be:

  • On your blog
  • On your facebook
  • Tweeted on twitter
  • In your emails to friends/family
  • In a promotional email to all of your contacts
  • In your postcards/mailings
  • on the blog for your local SAQA (insert name of your guild or artist group)
  • promoted by national SAQA – Martha’s emails (insert name of your guild or artist group)
  • promoted by your local art groups and/or tourist groups
  • in a press release to your local papers
  • And…? how is this being publicized by the venue? Get involved and take advantage of their expertise

Remember that print pubs usually work ads & editorials 1 to 2 months ahead of publication dates.

The above list may not be all-inclusive, but it’s a great kickstart to any PR campaign.  I hope you have something exciting to publicize in 2012!

When Your Clients Are Doing Great Things…

Blogging, Selling Art,

When your clients are doing great things, you want to brag on them!

Jenny Lyon, Quilt Skipper,and I have been working together for about a year now.  I’ve supported her as she developed her personal brand, her website, and her freemotion quilting teaching career.  She’s a ball of energy and a ton of fun!

So it was NO surprise at all to me when I got this email a few days ago (shared with permission) about her adventures at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach:

From the desk of Jenny Lyon:

Long Beach went fabulously!

Saturday Night Sampler had 26 presenters in a large room, each with a design board behind an 8-foot table, 16 chairs in front. Participants paid $25 and got a booklet with one-pagers from each presenter.  Participants could flow freely throughout the room.

First time through, 8 ladies rushed up to me — their first choice! I had a total of maybe 12 first time through. From then on, all chairs filled plus bystanders.

Questions/comments included:

  • Where is this written-is there a book?
  • Do you do lectures?
  • How can I find out more about this?

Aside from Cyn: And here’s the best part… I’m so proud!

THEY ASKED ME TO TEACH NEXT YEAR-DIRECTLY ASKED-JUST LIKE I WANTED THEM TO!!!

THANK YOU! We started this a year ago, I think, and you have been my rudder, steering me clear of lost or misguided efforts and pointing me in the right direction. Long Beach would not have been this success without your guidance and expertise. It has been tremendously helpful to me to know you would let me know if it’s not that great, or, if it’s something I need to pursue. Marketing/branding-I had no clue! You rock!

To see more about Jenny’s success at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, check out her blog!

Get Off Your Email! and other time-savers 4 u

Blogging, Business Development, Selling Art, , , , , , ,

One of the topics that came up at our latest business development group meeting this week is having so many ambitions and so little time to accomplish them.  Sound familiar?

I jotted down some notes from our discussion to share here.

FIND TWO MORE HOURS IN YOUR WEEK!

Get off your email!

If you work for yourself, no one is paying you to answer emails or write emails.  A lot of us who come from art or writing backgrounds LIKE to write.  Great…!  Take that energy to your blog.  When inspiration hits you and you want to share it with someone, ask yourself:

  • Could this be the seed of a meaningful blog post?
  • Would more than one person I know benefit from this discussion?
  • Could I find an image or two and turn this into a short article that says something about my brand/perceptions on the world?

If so, stop writing that lovely email directed to one or two people, and write a blog post!  If you have the inspiration today, but you aren’t scheduled to post for another 3 days, write it now and use the calendared publication option available in WordPress.com to have it publish in 3 days.

If you had someone specific in mind when you wrote the post, shoot them a quick, friendly email and ask them to read and comment on the blog.

It’s a little bit of a mindshift, but I promise, this practice will help you find at least 2 more hours in your week!

Here are some of the other ways I’ve carved more time for growing my business by reducing my email time:

1.  I only deal with work emails during client business hours, which for me is M-Th, 9-5 pm. I tell my client this up front, when we are talking about working together – no surprises! Then I turn on the “out of office” autoreply at the end of my Thursday workday.  If a client wants to talk to me any other time, I request they call or make an appointment.  I’m happy to take a brief call about something important any day of the week or weekend. This took me a month to create discipline around, but it has been hugely worthwhile because my email is no longer treated as a free help desk for tech assistance.

2.  Keep email responses friendly and brief.  Use the phone for detailed discussions.  Really.  Because no one reads our lengthy emails as carefully as we write them!

3.  Try turning off the auto-receive for incoming email.  I have to manually ask my mail client (Entourage for Mac) to bring my email to my inbox.  This saves the dozens of little email notices that used to drift in all day long from popping up on my screen and distracting me when I’m working for a client on a project.

4.  Respect the time of people on the other end!  Edit an email down to a core message and try to be as clear as possible in what is being offered or asked.

5.  I send a copy of important emails to myself if I need to remember to follow up in a day or two.

6.  Keep the inbox clean!  For me, it works to have a folder for each client.  I can drag all emails pertaining to a client to his/her folder and only look at them when working with that client.  I like how Entourage organizes email by date received.  Once or twice a week, I will make sure that I have no more than 3-5 old emails sitting in my inbox.  If I’ve saved an email to for research or to read a linked article and haven’t read it in a week, then I just discipline myself to delete it anyway.

Some other areas of time-savings our group discussed tactics to manage:

  • Finances, taxes & billing
  • Organizing client-related databases and paperwork
  • Creating and using studio time
  • Online research/blog reading

I’ll hit these in my next couple CYN WORKS blog posts.

BTW, I love having this business development group!  If you have been thinking about creating a support group of people who are in your business and are geographically near you, I highly encourage you do to it NOW. Here’s the link to show you how our group started >>

My productivity and focus has gained momentum just in the three short weeks we’ve been meeting.  And my joy in working as well.

And I know it’s not just me, because Alice Beasley sent this message out to our group last week:  “I just want to thank you all for making something that I dreaded (the marketing aspect of art) into something I now look forward to.“

Update: Business Development Workshop @ New Pieces, Berkeley CA

Business Development, CYN WORKS, Selling Art, , , , , ,

Tuesdays at New Pieces Quilt Store & Gallery in Berkeley, CA

March 2011
This business development group has really focused each of us on week-to-week accountability. My personal ambition within this group is to have a smooth launch of my xoxoquilts.com business.

Because of this group, I have developed an Etsy opening inventory, written a 5-point business plan, set up my marketing strategy, and calendared my goals to reach my May 2011 launch date. It’s certainly keeping me hopping.

It’s really motivating to be around people who are just as focused as you are, yet each person brings a different strength and energy to the group.

Here we are on March 15, 2011. Thank you Mary Risard @ New Pieces for the snapshot!

Our business development group is:

Lauri Clausen
Hip Simplicity
Hip Simplicity’s Wise Earth bags are made in the United States of 100% organic cotton, which is grown and milled in the United States.
www.HipSimplicity.com

Susan Henry
Quilt Artist
www.susanelaine.com
http://susanelainehenry.wordpress.com

Alice Beasley
I’ve been making fabric portraits in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1988
www.alicebeasley.com
http://alicebeasley.wordpress.com

Michele Garvin
Sjelly Bags

Claudia Comay
Fearless Art
Working with fabric since 1994, Ms. Comay is concerned with using fabric in a painterly manner and with depicting form and substance three dimensionally in a minimalist way, thus creating a new lexicon that bridges the world of textiles with the world of fine art and sculpture.
http://claudiacomay.wordpress.com

Cyn Long
xoxo quilts
Xoxo quilts are handmade quilts designed to celebrate love, friends, family, and life occasions.
http://www.xoxoquilts.com

Susan Simon
Artist Corner
artistcorner.co & artistcorner.biz

Julie Banfield
Vestimentos

Selling – Can Camaraderie Help You Sell?

Business Development, Selling Art, , , , ,

If your business plan at the beginning of 2011 was to sell something you make, how is it going?

Selling my quilts has lingered in the back of my mind for about a decade now.  Last year, I decided to get serious about it.  And I ran into the same problem I imagine many other artisans and craftspeople have.  There’s just not enough time in the day!

I realized I couldn’t do it all alone.  I need some help – what people call “economies of scale.”  How could I take one good idea and apply those concepts to everything that needed to be done?

I needed to:

  • Make
  • Promote
  • Network
  • Sell
  • Manage Finances
  • Grow
  • Make Better Work

I needed to connect with people who are on this same journey.  I have a background in business, sales, and marketing.  I like people.  I’m organized.  I understand purchasing psychology.  I can turn on the “focus” button and get stuff done.  But I just don’t have the time to research all of the new opportunities that are out there for the creative entrepreneur – online and offline.

I was kind of stuck on how to resolve this problem until I started teaching at New Pieces Quilt Shop and Gallery in Berkeley, CA.  My class was on blogging – specifically, using WordPress.com to create a robust website, blog, and social media management system.

That class created a new idea.  What if we had a workshop (not a class) where people who were serious about selling got together weekly and shared their knowledge?  Starting tomorrow, we have 8 people who will go on this 4-week journey together.  I’ll facilitate, which I see as being sort of a guide – asking the questions, getting commitments from people for further information, and keeping the group on topic.  We will pool our knowledge and I’m hoping that at the end of March 2011, each of us will come out with some concrete benefits that will boost our art careers.

If you’re in the Bay Area and are interested in being part of this, we could squeeze 2 more people in.  It is, however, a commitment that you’re there to contribute as well as to learn.  details on the art selling workshop >>

If you can’t attend the group, but you are interested in business coaching, why don’t you contact me?  I do one-on-one coaching with artistic professionals.
details on personal business coaching >>

Collecting Art: Maryanna Hoggatt

Blogging, Business Development, Selling Art, , , , ,

Maryanna Hoggatt of Little Wolf blog

A week ago, I wrote a post about making your artwork collectible and posed 13 questions a buyer might ask in deciding to purchase your work.

My premise was, if you are an artist who is blogging, you can use your blog posts as a way to convey the answers to the things buyers are concerned about.  For instance, question no. 10: Is this work collectible?

Perhaps my thoughts were inspired by my recent interactions with the Portland artist Maryanna Hoggatt, who writes the Little Wolf blog.

Maryanna draws… all of the time.  She is an illustrator.  She posts… a lot.  As she says, “This blog is to provide a closer look at my process, including sketches, final works, and inspirations.”

The funny part is, I’ve never seen Maryanna in person.  In fact, I discovered Maryanna and her work when I was working on a quilt of my own, and I needed some inspiration.  I wanted to see how artists interpreted peonies into drawings or paintings.

<<<<I did a google image search and found this image.

It was dark and broody and full of mood.  Totally NOT what I was looking for, but it captured me.  I followed it to its blog – Maryanna’s Little Wolf blog – and have been a faithful follower ever since.

In January 2011, Maryanna had a show of her work at the Eastbank Commerce Center in Portland, OR.

In February 2011, she posted on her blog that she would be giving away one of her illustrations from the show.  BINGO – the light went on for me.  She was making her work collectible.  She was working in a series.  She was creating desire.  She was making a commitment to her fanbase.  Way cool!  Of course, I commented on her blog in hopes of winning and getting to see her work close-up.

And I won!

Righ away, Maryanna sent me a nice note to let me know the package was on its way.  Everything about her delivery reinforced her commitment to her craft.  Look at the careful wrapping.  Even my lady at my mailbox commented, “Oh, yes, look, it’s as if it was delivered to you personally by the pony express!”

The care in the packaging… The attention to detail in the addressing.

The protective packaging materials…

The letter/invoice that provides provenance… the wish/suggestion to have the illustration professionally framed.

I’m thrilled to add this to my growing collection of work from up and coming artists.  Maryanna, I’m so glad I virtually met you!

The illustration is lovely and will be framed and cherished!

Artist Jedi Mindtrick: Think Like a Buyer

Business Development, Selling Art, , ,

One of the reasons I – as an artist – love to attend the reception at galleries for my work is that I get to meet collectors and THINK LIKE A BUYER.
Artists love to wax on about inspiration and process.  It’s a lovely way to spend a life.   I do it too.

But when someone is thinking about buying art, they tend to be looking through a much more practical lens.  When I talk to people at receptions, openings, and shows, I get an earful about how they want to live with the art.

In fact, a gallery is sort of a hospital for art.  It’s the physical space or building that symbolizes the transition from your bringing the artwork into existence to a buyer adopting/purchasing it and taking it into the real world to live.

You could apply this metaphor to an online gallery as well… whether it’s the one on your own blog or website or the store gallery you create through Etsy.

Assuming that a buyer does feel an attraction to your work – color, size, subject matter, technique,  materials, and pricepoint – then he or she has to think about how to live with this work.

Questions arise like:

    1. How will I hang or display this art?
    2. Will I need to create wall space by moving out something I already own?
    3. Will I need a special cabinet?
    4. What about lighting?
    5. What else could I purchase for the same price?
    6. If I’m buying this art online, will it be easy to order and ship?
    7. What is the quality of the workmanship?
    8. What is the likely longevity of this item – due to materials, workmanship or style/trends?
    9. What happens if I buy this work and wish to return it?
    10. Is this work collectible?  Is there a resale market?
    11. What makes this work unique?
    12. Am I buying this as a decorative piece for my home or am I investing in owning a piece of work from this artist?
    13. How will I keep up with the reputation and career of this artist?

      While clearly not an all-inclusive list, these questions do provide a jumping point for you to think about how to position your work.  Think about how you might present answers to these questions on your website, in your printed materials, and even in the way you speak to potential buyers in the gallery or in your studio.

      If you live in the Bay Area and want to join a 4-week workshop on developing a sales strategy for your art, think about joining our group.  We’ll be meeting at New Pieces in Berkeley in March 2011.

      Social Media Gets Facetime: Etsy, Craft Fair & xoxo quilts!

      Business Development, CYN WORKS, Selling Art, , ,

      I had a crazy, fun, busy, crazy weekend!  Lots of stuff was going on in San Francisco’s East Bay that relates to seeing art, selling art, and talking about art!

      Social Media Breakfast East Bay @ Westside Cafe in Berkeley

      Friday morning, I attended the Social Media Breakfast of the East Bay, which was hosted by Lithium @ the Westside Bakery Cafe, 2570 9th St, Berkeley.  The food alone was enough reason to go!  The baked goods were hearty and full of tasty, natural ingredients, and there was tons of fresh fruit like pineapples, kiwis, and berries.

      We were invited to make announcements, so I piped up about the Etsy sale happening in the neighborhood.  When I checked in on facebook, I was reminded that every time you go out of the house, you might be part of someone else’s photo op!  In my two grey sweaters and puffy vest with my serious face, I just don’t hold a candle against the friendly appeal of hep guy in the beret!  Shel Israel spoke on the future social media, and the conversation veered into internet privacy.  Hmmm…

      If you get a chance to catch the breakfast when Katy Keim from Lithium speaks, go!  She closed the meeting with remarks about what happens NOW, now that everyone is using social media, what’s the next part of the dialog between commerce and social?

      SF Etsy Team Sale in Berkeley

      After the breakfast, I hit up the SF Etsy Valentine’s Sale at 10th and Gilman.  I was really curious to see the people of the Etsy shops IRL.  I guess the same thing I love about the Etsy vibe is the same thing that tweaks at my marketing heart.  It’s supergrass roots, so sometimes it’s just gonna be very home-garage-sale looking.  The signs anyway.  They’re intriguing because they’re made by hand.  Yet, they don’t really prepare you for the $3500 price tag on some of the art.  It’s a branding mishmash, and sometimes in the spirit of spontaneity, you just have to go with it, I think.

      I ran into my friend from the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild who sews under the name KTseams, and I just missed her modeling one of the vintage dresses… darn!  Thank goodness, the seller took photos>>

      Valentine’s Craft Sale & Flea Market @ Oxford School, Berkeley

      Still in this crazy weekend… made it over to the fundraiser for the Oxford School.  I went to pick up some homemade sweets for the Saturday night reception.  Plus, I wanted to drop by and see Stacey Sharman, whose Peppermint Pinwheel quilts, I just covet.  The surprise of the flea market-style sale?  Fat quarters priced at 50 cents, and even as I was picking out all the stripes and graphic prints, the nice lady dropped the price to 25 cents per quarter.  Well, you know, I had to get $3.25 worth!  Steal!

      xoxoquilts.com >> Show @ Creative Framing & Gallery, Oakland

      Saturday night was the reception for the Group “Sweets” show @ Creative Framing & Gallery.  My Spinning quilts were featured on one wall, and my Bodega Bird looked great with some of the sculptured birds in the group showing.  I met lots of artists, their friends, and local business people from the Woodminster neighborhood.  Heather Piazza, owner, is a special lady.  For more/bigger photos, check out the post on my xoxoquilts.com blog>>

      Who Is Going to Buy What You Are Selling?

      Business Development, Selling Art, ,

      It’s time for one of those “share my key learnings of the last 18 months” blog posts.

      For those of you who may just be getting to know me, let me give you the quicklook at me… where I’m coming from… and how I’m like you.

      1. I am an artist.  It is in my heart to make art.  Would die without it.  Really… shrivel up and turn to dust.  My quilts —>  CynsArtQuilts and xoxo quilts.
      2. My artistic interests — language, design, storytelling, influencing how people think — led me to many years in the business world (resorts & real estate) where I held titles in sales & marketing & training.
      3. Now…  I have a one-person business, which technically makes me an entrepreneur.  The part of my business where I help other people with their branding and marketing is CYN WORKS… represented online by the blog you’re reading right now.

      Okay, so that’s me.  And here’s the number one thing I know about art or business or anything else that’s putting a roof over your head and food on your table.  You HAVE to find people who want what you’re selling.

      or, perhaps the emphasis should be…

      YOU have to find people who want what you’re selling.

      So how do you do that???

      I think about this a lot.  So do many business coaches.  I’ve been following Alyson B. Stanfield ever since I heard her speak at the 2009 Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA Conference in Athens, Ohio, supporting her book “I’d Rather Be in the Studio.”

      Alyson just started an online class called Cultivate Art Collectors (Cyn translation: “find people who want what you’re selling“).

      Here are some highlights:

      • Expand your mailing list
      • Carve out time to update your list
      • Maintain data for your contacts
      • Decide how you will use your contact list
      • Make your fans feel special
      • Follow up with tips and leads
      • Prioritize a People I Want to Meet list

      Which got me to thinking… what other things does she recommend to her large client list?  A few days ago, she posted that she has over 10K followers.  So what do they need from her?  I checked her 2011 class schedule, and what do you know?  Dealing with money, getting organized, and promoting your art.

      Smart lady!

      So what do YOU need to do to find people who are buying what you’re selling?  Should we talk?

      Cultivate Art Collectors Online Class from Alyson B. Stanfield and Art Biz Coach.