how to sell artwork Archives

Always Make it About the Customer – Artist Business Advice | Liron’s Podcast Episode 85

In this episode we talked about how to become BETTER at SELLING, by thinking about the customer’s “selfish” wants and FIRST, rather than what we think we have to offer.

Marketing Didn’t Come Easy For me

I’d like to emphasize how marketing didn’t come naturally to me initially. It’s something I learned slowly and gradually.

Sales, funny enough, came more naturally. I already had the right mindset when it comes to selling and helping the customer get what they need and want.

But marketing, awakening the imagination of the customer, talking about their pain points and needs… That – I had to learn.

And you can too!

Most People Talk About Their Product

Most people tend to talk about THEIR product. The benefits it offers. What makes it good, and so on…

The problem is – most people don’t care. They only want one thing – to have their “problem” solved.

Ask Questions!

The perfect example is someone coming to my art booth and carefully observing the paintings. They show interest, so it’s fine for me to “jump in”.

But if I simply start talking about the paintings, why they are of good quality bla bla… I don’t address the customer.

Instead, I’d much rather ask questions. That way I’ll know what they want. So I may ask “Are you looking for something in particular?” or “Looking for a gift for someone?” and so on…

That way, even if they go “Nah thanks just browsing” – at least I know not to waste too much energy for the time being.

Find The Common Interest

Once you gained enough info, you can see if there’s what I like to call a “common interest”. You want to sell a painting – they are collecting paintings from around the world / want a gift for an art lover and so on…

Once there’s a common interest – selling is EASY.

And here’s another fun fact – the common interest may be – They’re just looking to have fun and look at art, and you want to share your work with someone. It doesn’t have to end up in a sale.

Online and Offline

The skillset of always thinking about the customer is extremely crucial for both selling online and selling offline.

The main difference is that offline you have more physical feedback, and you have to sort of narrate the customer’s thoughts and test out different ideas. More on that in a future episode.

Conclusion

I hope this gives you some idea of how important it is to first consider the potential client’s wants, needs and pain points.

Let me know your thoughts in a comment below!

Artist Corner – Geremia Cerri

Today we talked about geremia Cerri, a fantastic Italian watercolor painter. I love the authenticity of his work. He paints in the impressionistic style I like the most, but has a very unique “signature” of the end result.

You can check out his work here: Geremia Cerri on Facebook

And here’s where you can find me…

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron

5 Tips for Selling MORE Art at Fairs & Events | Liron’s Podcast Episode 79

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In today’s episode I share with you 5 tips for selling more art at fairs and events.

Here’s a quick summary:

1. Engage with potential customers and be present.

This means standing up, being visible, smiling to people who pass by your booth / table, and basically showing your willingness to interact!

(You’ll be surprised at just how many people don’t do that…)

2. Balance pushy VS laid back.

Both aren’t good strategies. Try being assertive and positive, yet allow customers time to browse and to think.

Someone may be just looking and your stuff for fun, not planning on buying anything. Trying to convince them may not work, and can hurt their experience.

On the other hand, you don’t want to simply wait for someone to tell you “I want to buy this one”. Customers who are interested may need some help and direction.

3. Tell stories and create conversations.

People who take interest in your art WANT you to give them a reason to buy. They want you to tell them more about it (and what artist doesn’t enjoy that??).

Also, ask them about themselves. Figure out what they’re looking for. They’ll appreciate that.

4. Consistent and clear pricing.

You want to make sure your prices make sense to some degree, and that they are easy to understand. Remember – confused customers don’t buy.

5. Accept credit cards and EVERY possible payment method.

This is important. You want to avoid any friction, especially after the customer had already made the decision to buy.

Logistical and avoidable friction is the most tragic one. Don’t lose sales for no reason.

I hope you found these helpful. And with that, let’s go to the Artist Corner!

Artist Corner – Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper was an American realist painter who lived from 1882-1967.

His art was very realistic and accurate on the one hand, yet empty from details on the other.

He seemed to have wanted to express the loneliness of the American life at that time, and has done an excellent job at that, in my opinion.

Be sure to check out his work here: Edward Hopper on Wikipedia

And Here’s where you can find me

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron

Don’t Listen to ANYONE but Yourself! Advice for Ambitious Artists | Liron’s Podcast Episode 77

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In today’s episode we talked about ignoring the noise, and learning who to listen to.

Here’s a summary of the episode, as well as the links mentioned.

What Selling at Fairs Taught Me

First I talk about how I came to think of this topic.

When I just started selling my art at the local fair, several artists made discouraging remarks about selling paintings there.

I then came to realize this happened all throughout my career. People seem to wonder whether there’s money in art, and be quite cynical towards the topic.

The Underlying Limiting Belief

These people basically communicate their own shortcomings and limiting beliefs (unless done maliciously).

They feel insecure about selling their art.

I have a lot of empathy for artists, but I have a strong aversion to the forcing of your own limiting beliefs upon others.

I think it’s important NOT to do that.

Which is why I also don’t think there are many people you should listen to.

Who Should Your Listen To?

I would say two things:

1. People who are actually succeeding at what you want to do.

These are great, and also perhaps more generally people who are positive and have a clear aim and vision for their future.

2. The market.

By the market I mean the whole sum of your potential customers. The average of all of them. Could be millions of people.

The market’s response to you will always speak the truth. If you aren’t successful as many paintings as you’d like – the market is telling you something.

Maybe your art isn’t good enough. Maybe it’s too expensive. Maybe it’s too CHEAP. Maybe it doesn’t fit the venue in which you try and sell it.

The good thing about the “market” is that it really is the average. It may be contentious, but I do believe this is one of the cleanest feedbacks you can get.

If a product fails, there’s a reason for it.

And that feedback is actually very valuable! It will help you sell more works, if you choose to listen to it.

Conclusion

So this is it for this one!

It takes time to learn who to listen to, so be open but stay on your path and believe in your own vision (another topic I have to cover in an upcoming episode.

And now, let us move into the Artist Corner!

Artist Corner – Alex Ross

Today I talked about Alex Ross, an American comic book writer and artist.

He worked with both Marvel and DC, and what really attracted me to his work is the one done in watercolor!

It’s fascinating for me to see watercolor used in a way I’m less used to. You can watch a REALLY AWESOME video of his here: Alex Ross Video

And check out his website here: Alex Ross’s Website

And Here’s where you can find me

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron

How to Sell Your Artwork | Liron’s Podcast 74

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Want to learn how to sell artwork?

I’m starting to sell mine at a local art fair here in Tel Aviv, in the Nachalat Binyamin street.

This is an art fair for hand-crafted art only, so no prints or machine made items. It’s backed by the city’s municipality and has been active for more than 30 years, if I’m not mistaken.

My first time there will be this Friday (17/05/2019), and I’m very excited to get started!

Why I Joined The Fair

I submitted my work for the fair for two main reasons.

1. I wanted to experience selling my artwork, face to face.
2. I wanted to start “getting” rid of the tons of paintings I have here (;

Selling Artwork Mistakes

Today I want to the fair (active every Tuesday and Friday) to do my homework and perhaps gain some insights.

I got to see many of the cliches of artists who aren’t good salespeople. I noticed two main issues:

1. Too pushy – Some booths I simply stopped by and started taking a look. The artist would immediately start talking about their art. This is nice to hear, had I asked a question. But I didn’t.

I’d much rather the salesperson to ask ME how my day is, or just do light chit chat.

I didn’t ask about the type of wood used in the artworks, and frankly didn’t care haha. Not to be mean – but I’m honestly less interested in the particular type of crafts this salesperson had. I’m sure there are many others who would though.

2. Too laid back – this was probably the most common theme of the fair. I’ve seen so many artists simply sitting behind their table, waiting for a client to drop by and make the sale for them.

I don’t think you should jump people who pass by, but some presence needs to be made. I’ve seen several booths (that actually had beautiful artworks in them) that no one stopped by, simply because the salesperson was very passive.

Selling Artwork – What I Hope to Get

What I hope to get out of this is to improve my sales skills. I want to become a better salesperson, especially face to face.

I will definitely keep you updated on how it goes.

Artist Corner – Daniel Marshall

Today I talked about Daniel Marshall, an American watercolor painter and tattoo artist!

I became familiar with his work thanks to one of my followers on YouTube, directing me to check it out.

If you love the same artists as me, you’ll probably immediately notice how Dan’s work very closely-resembles the work of Joseph Zbukvic.

I may be wrong about this, but I believe he also studied under him, at some point.

I recommend you check out his website and artworks here: Daniel Marshall

And Here’s where you can find me

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron