Setting Your Sights on Next Goals

For many wine country artists, open studios have just ended, and a sense of relief is in the air. A lot of creative energy, hard work and resourcefulness went into pulling it together, but now it’s over. Artists sold their works, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. But generally, there’s a sense of satisfaction, exhaustion, and calm for artists in the valley.

So what’s next? Pack it up, kick your feet up, and wait for next year? No! It’s time to create your next set of goals. But where to start?

Step 1: Dream. Dream about why you create art and where you want to go with it. Some artists travel the world, paint in exotic places, teach at prestigious universities, or exhibit their works in museums.
Where do you want to go with your art? Don’t be afraid to dream big and think about stretching yourself.

Step 2: Set your short-term goals. This is not a self-actualization exercise or a dissertation, it’s a simple sentence that focuses on what you can realistically attain. Here are some possibilities:
• I want to sell $1,000 worth of my art in galleries or retail shops in the next ___ months.
• I want to create items with my art on them and sell 100 pieces at this year’s holiday show.
• I am going to create more traffic to my web site to generate 20% more sales than last year.
Whatever your goals are, be specific about quantity and timeframe. That way you’ll know when you’ve achieved them.

Step 3: Stay organized and focused on the goals. Write your goals out and keep them in a place where can see them. Remind yourself at least once a day where you’re headed, how far you’ve come, and what your next step is.

Lastly, surround yourself with people who support your goals. They’ll help keep you balanced, remind you of your passion, and assist you in achieving your dreams.

Open Studio Pricing, Negotiating, and Selling

Gearing up for your open studio? Have you considered your pricing and your discount policy? Here are some pointers to help you sell with confidence and enjoy the process of selling your artwork.

o Establish your retail price. Many art buyers are under the mistaken impression that getting art from the artist’s studio means getting a 50% discount. You have your overhead and marketing expenses just as a gallery does, and you are entitled to a profit margin as well, so keep the same retail price the same no matter where you sell your art.

o Be ready to negotiate if someone asks for a discount. Tongue-tied slip-ups that reveal an artist’s insecurities can be taken advantage of, so be ready to state your discount policy. If you don’t have one, create one beforehand. For example, “if you buy more than one piece, I’d be happy to give you a 10% discount on each piece.” Or, “since you bought that piece from me last year, I could extend a 10% discount on a piece this year.” Preparation helps you negotiate with confidence.

o Your lowest price limit should be based on what it costs you in materials and time, the market value based on your research on similar works, and your experience and exposure as an artist. That being said, in an economically challenging time, you may want more than ever before to sell your art and move it out of your studio. Set your prices according to your needs and move on. Don’t let it be an existential crisis; it’s just business, not a reflection of your self worth.

Prepare for negotiating and selling like a professional and you may actually enjoy the act of transferring ownership of your art to someone who likes it enough to pay for it.

Showcase Your Work with Professional Looking Email Newsletters

If you have the names of more than 20 guests, buyers or potential buyers, and you want your artwork to be highlighted in the email with descriptive text, you’re talking about sending an email newsletter.

Instead of sending an email from your personal account, e.g. yahoo, why not consider one of the business email providers such as Constant Contact or Vertical Response? (There are many other providers, just google “email newsletter.”)

Pros:
• Easy to Use Templates: All you do is add text and images.
• Professional Look: Your artwork is highlighted and you can describe the piece or your process. No more file attachments for your readers to download and open.
• Tracking: You can see who opened your email and who clicked through to your web site to see more.

Cons:
• Learning Curve: You will have to spend some time and effort getting to know the online software, setting up your template, and working with your text and images.
• Fees: Each provider varies, but fees start around $15 per month, and increase depending on the number of your subscribers and frequency of email blasts.
• Templates are not Custom: Templates have design limitations.

Need Help? How to balance all the email addresses, writing the email, taking photos, prepping your photos for email, attaching files and sending the email while you are finishing your artwork, framing, and hanging for public exhibition? Contact Wine Country Art Marketing – we can help!

Stay tuned for more info on email lists, tips on photo uploading, and more.

Born to Drive image provided by Nicolas Cann.

How to Use Email to Market your Artwork

Now that you’ve collected some names and emails from visitors to your exhibits, you want to start a dialog with them. Engage them in a conversation about your art, invite them to see your work at exhibits, and entice them to buy.

Step 1: Send a thank you note. Thank them for stopping by your studio, or your exhibit and signing your guest book. Refresh their memory about your work with a short description and include at least one photo of your artwork.

Step 2: Send an update on your works in progress. When you come up with a new idea or are working on a new creation, be sure to let your fans know. Take photos and write a few words about what you’re working on, what inspired your new direction, or maybe what the challenges were in producing this new piece.

Step 3: Send regular email updates, but have some news to share. Examples of news are shows and exhibits, new directions in your work, new collaborations and new alliances. Share your excitement and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the support you’ll get for your work.

For Open Studio Artists:
Now is the time to contact last year’s guests about stopping by your studio this year. For help with sending your email this month, contact Wine Country Art Marketing.

Stay tuned for more info on professional looking email newsletters.