“Artist, if it was easy, every body would be famous and prosperous.”

“Artist, if it was easy, every body would be famous and prosperous.”

I talk a lot about selling your Art, using social media, emails, blogs and story telling of your Art, so this post I thought of talking about the one off sale at the Gallery or the art Fair, the local market or even on the street.

As much as Artists do not like to talk about selling and I have heard lots of different reason not to sell, in the end if you are an Artist living off you Art work, eventually you have to sell it?

I know that selling is not a gift, or being a great talker, it is a learned skill and once a few simple tools are learned selling can be fun.

Most people do not want to sell because they are afraid of doing it, feel shy and self conscious, afraid of rejection or just plain believe that their Art will sell itself.

So lets explore just one small area of this skill called selling.

Now every time an Artist and potential buyer get together a sale is made?

Either the Artist sells the potential buyer on buying the Art work or the potential buyer sells the Artist the idea that they are not going to buy the painting.

Did you ever stop to ask yourself, how can a potential buyer win the sale?

Quote from J.E Hall.

“ Every salesperson knows about the “assumptive close.”

At a certain point in the sale the salesperson merely assumes that the sale is made and acts accordingly.

In using the “ assumptive close” the salesperson, takes it for granted, that the potential buyer has already decided to say “ yes.”

Few salespersons realise that the same psychology can be used by the potential buyer on the salesperson.

There is such a thing as the “assumptive no” just as there is an “assumptive yes.”

Artist think back over the last few sales that did not go through and were lost.

Please be honest with yourself?

Did the potential buyer actually come out and clearly say “NO” - or did they say something that you understood for “ NO”?

Potential buyers do not want to say to you,” No, I am not going to buy from you.”

Instead they will say something like, “ Well, I will think it over.”

                                                            “ I can't afford it.”

                                                            “ I will have to talk to my husband/wife about it.”

                                                            “ The colour will not match my sofa or curtains.”

                                                            “ Really I am just looking.”

                                                            “ I only like landscapes.”

                                                            “ My granddaughter paints like you.”

In too many cases the Artist hears these words or something similar and they assume that the potential buyer has said, “ NO, I am not going to buy today.”

Never take the “assumptive no” for an answer.

This is the point where the Artist gives up thinking that they have heard "no”.

In reality this is the point to start selling, it is never “NO” until you hear “NO”.

A lot of Artists say, “that is hard selling, I don't want to do that.”

No it is not hard selling, you are just trying to get a firm “yes” or a firm “no”, not an “assumptive no.”

Artist if you push a little for the sale what is the worst that can happen?

Death? Mutilation? And any number of horrible things?

No, the worst that will happen is you will hear “ NO” and you are no worse off than assuming that they said “no”, but you will be surprised if you push on how many will eventually say "yes."

In Galleries I hear very excuse for buying you can think of, but I never give up until I have heard no at least five times, because I always believe that the piece of Art I am selling someone will bring joy into their lives and is a good investment, I want people to be happy.

Artist never assume you hear “no”, keep the sale going, get past all the excuses, you may be surprised and hear a “yes”.

I do not expect Artists to hard sell, but I do believe that all Artists need to learn some skills about selling, as you are always going to be the best salesperson of your Art.

Remember, people love to buy, they just don't want to be sold.