Customer service seems to be on my mind this week. I had some of the most rotten customer service on two different occasions from the same person--someone I’ve purchased a lot of stuff from and whom I always recommend to others. The experiences left me both sad and angry. Here’s how the week went down. --I purchased something from this person and had trouble with the shopping cart. It was assumed it was my credit card that didn’t go through. When I emailed a screen capture of my credit card statement, I received the product I ordered but not even an apology for the delay and error. --I sent this person a solid lead for newsletter content and while I received a reply, there wasn’t a thank you or a signature included. Hrmph! I will probably order from this person’s site again because there is good stuff there. However, if I find an alternative that provides better service, I’ll jump on it! You really do have to go out of your way to provide kind, friendly, and helpful service. But it sure pays off in the long run. I hope I treat all my customers with the respect and generosity of spirit that I didn’t receive in these two experiences. To your success,

Meet Me in Omaha

Live workshop Saturday, October 6

I take my show to Nebraska for the “I’d Rather Be in the Studio! (But I have to Eat)” workshop. Get an introduction to self-promotion basics and some hands-on practical experience you can put to use right away. If you can’t attend be sure to share this information with any contacts you may have near Omaha.
http://www.artbizcoach.com/workshops
 

Blog Better

Audio recording

Listen in as I discuss “How You Can Promote Yourself and Your Art by Blogging” with blog expert and author Ted Demopoulos. Get a six-page handout and additional recording for just $14.95. http://www.artbizcoach.com/classes/blogging_demop.html
 

Become a member of the Inner Circle community and gain access to monthly one-on-one consultations with me, a group discussion list, weekly audio recordings, a premium newsletter, and much more. It’s all just $10 for the first two months. Read the details and sign up: http://www.artmarketingaction.com

► View all upcoming classes and events.

Believe in Your Art Proposal

A few years ago I attended a panel discussion on public art commissions, which was organized to provide practical information and advice to artists seeking such commissions. The panel was made up of arts administrators and artists who had successfully worked in the public art arena.

The best advice of the evening came from one of the artists: “Be in it to win.” In other words, don’t submit proposals just for the sake of doing so. Submit them because you believe in yourself, believe in your project, and believe that you are the best person for the job.

I thought it was time to revisit this subject and wanted to share with you some of the additional advice that was given that evening by the panelists. Keep these points in mind when you submit any proposal.

► Your visuals are crucial. Poor-quality slides will get you nowhere when the jury is looking at five slides at a time!

► The jurying process is not impartial. As someone on the panel said, “There is nothing fair in life and this is an example.” Juries are but the sum of their parts. Maybe one person is in a bad mood. Maybe the entire jury is recovering from rich food at lunch. Maybe your slides are sandwiched in between ones that are better or worse. “Strange things happen when people are in a room together.”

► At least in Denver, the "percent for the arts" competitions are open to artists of all media and in all locations. “The #1 way to lose a commission is to suck.”

►“Sometimes mediocre artists that are exquisite businesspeople are getting all the commissions.” Presentation skills are paramount.

►Your proposal should not only stand out in the crowd, but should convince the jurors--in the simplest, most concise language--that you can implement it as described.

Find more pointers for your proposals and believing in them on the Art Biz Blog: http://www.artbizblog.com.