Do This!
Artist Marketing Newsletter Focusing on Action Steps

What's Going On: Announcements /Classes
>>>Do This: Learn These Five Lessons
Tip / Find of the Week:  Cool Trick
Artists Respond: What They Have To Say

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WHAT'S GOING ON

: : e-Class:   THE ARTIST'S MARKETING PLAN : :
Begins Monday, May 16
There's good news on the horizon. I will soon be offering a free marketing plan on my newest site: http://www.artbizconnection.com  This is for groups of artists who want to get together and support each other. It is self-guided. For those who would like more personalized help (my comments, corrections, suggestions) with your marketing plan, find out the details at http://www.artbizcoach.com/classes/mktgplan.shtml

: : New Book:   CULTIVATING COLLECTORS : :
No more excuses for not having a mailing list or staying in touch with your buyers and collectors. The long-awaited arrival of the updated version of Effective Newsletters & Mailing Lists is finally here! The new title reflects more the purpose and content of the book. Mailing lists, email, telephone calls, print newsletters, e-newsletters, and following up. They're all in here. http://www.artbizcoach.com/books/cc.shtml

I can't believe how few artists who had previously purchased Effective Newsletters & Mailing Lists have requested their complimentary copy of the new book. I can't run this deal forever. Please request your copy by May 15. http://www.artbizcoach.com/books/ccrequest.shtml

: : Blog : :
There are all kinds of replies to "Prepare for an Emergency" in the blog. Some really good advice on how to keep your art business going in the event of an emergency: http://stanfieldart.typepad.com

A couple of weeks ago I got a call from a neighbor (Tamara) who had seen my ArtBizCoach.com bumper sticker on the back of my car. She is seven months pregnant and was having a hard time finding an artist to help her put the finishing touches on the walls of her baby room. She wanted "butterflies and ladybugs and maybe a few clouds." They would complement the same butterflies and ladybugs she had on a mobile and a receiving blanket. In other words, she already had the pictures. The walls had been painted and were ready to go.

Within a few days, I had given her seven leads (which I had been able to do through my Colorado artists newsletter) and she had selected an artist. Judith Cole had many images on her Web site, which made it very easy for Tamara to review the work at her leisure and fall in love with it. The work was done in one day and Tamara can get back to more important things--like having a baby.

With all of the artists out there, why was it so hard to find someone to help her?

Apparently, Tamara had started her quest with a couple of recommendations from other neighbors who had done similar projects. I'll try to recount the scenario to the best of my recollection, and I will preface this with the fact that Tamara is professional in every way (she runs an executive search business!). She communicates well and I've never had a hard time understanding what she wants or needs.

The first artist lived on the other side of the metro area, but offered to drive up and talk to Tamara about what she wanted. Once she was there, she kept talking about how difficult it was going to be for her to get up here to paint. It's about a 45-minute commute and she had to get the kids off in the morning, then she had to be back by 2:00, yada yada yada. Moreover, she asked Tamara to do a great deal of work (project the images onto the wall, trace them, then take them to Kinko's and enlarge them)! Tamara's thinking to herself, "I'm not an artist, but, really, how hard is it to draw a butterfly?" She was also "uncharmed" by the artist's seeming disinterest in commuting for the mural. When Tamara later called her back to tell her she had found someone else to do the work, the artist seemed shocked and was upset she wasn't given a chance to change her approach.

The second artist met with her and quoted a price that was 80% higher and would take half the time as the project she completed in a home nearby. When asked about the disparity, the artist replied that she "didn't really need the work." Nonetheless, Tamara was getting desperate and decided to go ahead and hire her. She called and e-mailed her for ten days, but the artist never responded.

1. Get a bumper sticker for your art. People read bumper stickers! I had mine made in less than a week at http://www.makestickers.com
2. Make sure you have a Web site and that you update it. If you're looking for commissions, this is the easiest way for most people to review your work.
3. If you can't fit in a job or commission, don't waste the time of the patron.
4. Make it easy on your patron. If you ask them to do half the work, why would they need to hire you in the first place?
5. Communicate openly and professionally. Return your calls and emails, even if it's to say, "no, thank you." It's the only way to build a business and get good referrals.

If you use Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, you can forward this page to a friend by going up to your menu and, under "File," select "Send"  or "Send Page."  Or just copy and paste this URL into a message: http://www.artbizcoach.com/dothis

TIP / FIND OF THE WEEK: Cool Trick  

I just learned this:

If you use Microsoft Office, hold down the Ctrl key and scroll the wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out. It will probably come in handy for those Web sites with tiny fonts (or the ones with giant fonts, which are, to my eyes, even more annoying).

ARTISTS RESPOND 

There are all kinds of replies to "Prepare for an Emergency" in the blog. Some really good advice: http://stanfieldart.typepad.com

In response to the Nigerian art scam, Rita Thornton of Fort Collins, CO, wrote:

"Just had to share this with you since reading your newsletter. I got one of those e-mails back in February from a girl in Canada who wanted to purchase one of my paintings but it needed to be shipped to Nigeria immediately as it was an anniversary gift for her parents and the party was in 8 days and she wanted to surprise them. She bombarded me with e-mails with the urgent need for me to ship immediately and she would send me a cashier's check so this was a big red flag for me. I e-mailed her back and told her how to set up payment with Pay Pal (which is very secure and easy for anyone who is a serious buyer) and as soon as her payment cleared, which with Pay Pal is only a matter of minutes, I would ship it. I never heard from her again. For me, I don't ever feel any urgency to sell my work but I know a lot of artists will jump through hoops for people who express an interest in buying their work. Have to be very careful and take the time to listen to that inner voice that always is there to guide you away from these situations. Thanks for confirming what I already knew. That's always nice."

Copyright © 2005 Alyson B. Stanfield, Stanfield Art Associates. All rights reserved. 

I encourage you to forward all or part of this newsletter as long as you include the above copyright information and this link: http://www.artbizcoach.com . Internet Explorer users can forward this page by selecting "File," then "Send" then "Page by E-mail." 

The Do This! newsletter is sent only to subscribers. You can subscribe using the instructions in the column at left. Instructions for unsubscribing and changing your email address are at the bottom of each issue delivered to your inbox.