Sell your paintings.

It has been a busy week with my son and hopefully everything will be back to normal tomorrow. I have watched my son at work and I thought I would share a few principles that I have discerned in the sales process that we can include in our Art businesses.

Principles to always use when you are selling.

1. Always be honest and transparent.

I feel this is so important as your good name and standing in the industry is far more important than stooping to lies and exaggeration to clinch the sale. The gain in money is never worth the lose in integrity, you can always get another sale but once your integrity is lost it is extremely hard to get back.

The lose of a sale is far less important than the lose of your good standing.

2. No sale is worth compromise.

One deal does not pay for your whole life, as important as a sale is, you will survive without it.

Do not compromise your principles.

Know how you want to proceed in the sale, no discount is no discount, or if you give discount of 5% do not go lower, no sale is worth the compromise, because it can become a rush to the bottom no win for you there.

Set your standards and do not move from them.

No sale is worth the compromise of your set standards.

There is always another sale.

3. Know your product.

Be able to show your painting with confidence, know all about it.

What paint you used and the quality of the paint, the canvas, the varnish, know as much as you can about the painting. You might never have to tell all you know but you must know all you can.

Also story tell your painting and make it interesting and catchy. People want to become part of the painting and love it, so you better love it and express that if you want them to love it also. Your collector lives with the painting longer than you do.

The story about the painting is so very important. Why you painted it, what were you feeling, how you understand the painting and message if any that is in it.

Again it is about knowing all you can even if you don’t have to say it all, it is better to know to much and never use it than know so little and stumble over your words and look foolish.

Write out your stories of each painting and learn them like scripts so when asked you know what to say.

Lastly always be ready to walk away from the sale if you feel compromised or abused, no sale is worth that and there is always another sale.

Present your painting clearly and concisely and be clear and transparent and think about the next sale.

4. Connection leads to the next sale.

Get names and emails always, if they have no card then get them to write it in a book. Have your Artists pack with you, with your name, email, phone number and studio address.

A photo of yourself and a page of thumb nails of your paintings.

Connecting with strangers builds relationships which leads to sales.