Comments on: Is There More to You Than Being an Artist? How do you see your other interests helping your art business? https://artmarketingnews.com/being-an-artist/ Innovative art marketing advice for visual artists weekly since 2005 Thu, 12 May 2022 22:45:52 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 By: Barney Davey https://artmarketingnews.com/being-an-artist/#comments/37975 https://artmarketingnews.com/?p=28302#comment-37975 In reply to Bela Fidel.

Thanks for your comments and observations. It’s a shame your results are not what you expected. People are all things you said, busy, forgetful, rude and more. It’s hard to put a finger on what is going on. Perhaps you are too unintentionally ingratiating. Perhaps you have had a string of buyers who are out of the norm of predictable behavior. You don’t mention any other contact in the interim months between Send Out cards. If you are not engaging frequently, you may be losing touch despite warm conversations in the buying phase. Chocolates are a nice gesture. It’s a first for me. I would thank you, but I see it every day where folks are clueless or don’t care when it comes to knowing how to be respectful and be kind. When you connect months later if you are “just checking in” and don’t have a legit reason for someone to reply, then some probably don’t feel the need to hit reply and write back. I wonder if you would do better to follow them on social media and engage them that way. My best advice is don’t get discouraged by the bad behavior of others. Don’t make your happiness contngent on the action or non-action of others. Keep hanging in there. If you are not emailing weekly or close to it, try ramping up your content marketing and work on ways to engage with your patrons and top prospects.

]]>
By: Bela Fidel https://artmarketingnews.com/being-an-artist/#comments/37973 https://artmarketingnews.com/?p=28302#comment-37973 When I make a good sale (couple thousand or more dollars) I send the patron a box of chocolates and a Send Out card with a photo of their painting at their house (if I helped hang or if they sent me the photo). I may also send an e-mail thanking them for the purchase, etc. Two or so months later I send either an e-mail asking how they are and how they are enjoying the paintings or I send another Send Out card with a new painting. Out of a few such patrons I heard back from only one, on the first time they received the chocolates. I don’t get an e-mail back, I don’t get a thank you for the card, often I don’t get a thank you for the chocolates.
While I am trying to stay in touch, show appreciation without groveling, stay in their attention, not getting a response is very disappointing and I wonder if I am doing something wrong or just plain useless.

Sometimes patrons and I have a great personal connection, chat for quite a while, etc. I ask for a photo of the painting when it is hung and get a warm promise. When I connect with them a few months later with a gentle, respectful reminder, I get no reply whatsoever. Maybe people are busy. Maybe people are rude. Maybe…maybe…. It is really difficult to know what to do and succeed.

]]>