Be an awesome host or hostess: Part 1

December 1st, 2008 by Alyson

The holidays are coming up, and you might be planning an open house or open studio event. Make your guests feel welcome. In this first article, I focus on how to best prepare for the day with a list of thirteen tips.

Preparations

Tell everyone you invite if your event is open to all. If it is, encourage them to bring guests.

Inform your guests ahead of time about directions, mass transit options, and parking. Be specific about any parking fees, off-limits parking, and one-way streets.

Put out a sign or festive holiday flag–especially if your location isn’t easy to identify from the street.

Clear out clutter and anything unnecessary in the space. Even the usual furniture can be removed to make room for more people, but leave a few chairs in case someone comes that can’t stand for an extended period of time.

Jude Silva, The Braid. Netting, nylon, and waxed linen, 96 x 30 inches. ©The Artist

Put your pets away and make sure someone is watching your children. I don’t care how well behaved you think they are, pets and children will steal some of your energy. Focus all of your attention on your guests.

See that the bathrooms are clean and comfortable. Have plenty of toilet paper and clean towels on hand.

Designate a spot for coats and scarves.

Decide on snacks and beverages in advance. If serving alcohol, encourage responsible drinking and have non-alcoholic beverages (other than water) for designated drivers.

Dress nicely and look like the artist, but be comfortable. Wear a name tag if it’s at all possible that someone may show up that you don’t already know.

Your Guests

Make everyone feel welcome at your event. Introduce your guests to other guests, particularly when they arrive alone. Ask friends and family to help you with this.

Remember names as much as possible. When you meet someone, repeat his name out loud: “It’s so nice to meet you, David.” Then repeat the name silently to yourself several times.

Treat everyone the same. Every person that enters is a potential buyer or potential connection.

Assign a friend or family member to interrupt you when they notice that a well-meaning guest is monopolizing your time. You don’t want the other guests to feel ignored or unappreciated.

Handling Sales

Next week, in Part 2, I’ll cover sales (your sales table, sales help, paperwork, etc.).

Additional resources:

1. Newsletter from 2006: Mingle
2. Don’t miss The BIG Book Sale! Get 13 free bonuses with your copy of I’d Rather Be in the Studio! now through December 21.

KNOW THIS———-~> When you invite people to your home or studio, you’re the host(ess).

THINK ABOUT THIS—~> Who is the best host or hostess you know? Why?

DO THIS————~> Be an awesome host or hostess. You don’t have to go to great expense to make people feel welcome in your home or studio. You just have to genuinely care about them.

Share your hosting experiences and tips and listen to the podcast on the Art Biz Blog.

Posted in Art Business Practices, Art Exhibits Venues & Presentation |

Exercise your gratitude muscle

November 24th, 2008 by Alyson

Saying thank you, sincerely and in a meaningful way, should be ingrained in your business practices. In fact, it should be ingrained in your life. Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles, writes:

“When you are in a state of appreciation and gratitude, you are in a state of abundance. You are appreciating what you do have instead of focusing on and complaining about what you don’t have. Your focus is on what you have received, and you always get more of what you focus on.” (page 357)

From a business point of view, showing gratitude is a key component of nurturing relationships. Building an art business is all about forming strong relationships–with other artists, gallery dealers, curators, collectors, and anyone else who might be part of your community. Take a moment to read last week’s newsletter on nurturing community in case you missed it.

Here are four ways to start giving that gratitude muscle a workout.

1. When you thank clerks helping you at the store (or anyone else for that matter), look into their eyes. It’s so easy to stuff your change in your wallet and mumble “Thanks” as you turn and walk away. Make a little extra effort and demonstrate a more sincere response.

Cedar Lee, Golden Leaves. Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches.©The Artist

2. Keep a gratitude journal. It can be separate from or part of your regular journal, but write down each day at least five things you’re grateful for professionally or personally. As you’re writing your gratitudes, really feel them in your heart. Look back over them and consider the role it has in your day or week.

3. When responding to an email inquiry that shows interest in your art, begin with “Thank you for your interest in my work.” Many people don’t take the time to write this simple sentence–preferring to jot off a response as swiftly as possible.

4. Write thank-you notes. Yep, notes of the handwritten variety. This, you may know, is one of my favorite business secrets. I learned it from my mother and saw it executed with perfection by the U.S. Senator I worked for. He always keeps a stack of correspondence cards on top of his desk so he can quickly write a note to someone. Your handwritten notes will set you apart from everyone else and go farther than email for helping people remember you.

Taking the time to practice gratitude isn’t a bunch of hooey. It’s a must for everyone trying to build relationships and an art career. Try it. I’ve witnessed the magic of a sincere Thank You over and over again!

( Additional resource: See Action 10 in I’d Rather Be in the Studio! for more about following up with people. )

KNOW THIS———-~> Practicing sincere gratitude opens you up to receiving even more abundance.

THINK ABOUT THIS—~> When is the last time you wrote a thank-you note?

DO THIS————~> Exercise your gratitude muscle. Identify your weak points from the four items above and decide what you will work on. Do you think maybe you could send 5 thank-you notes a week for the next month? Or write your gratitudes in your journal every day for 28 days? Challenge yourself and start right now.

Tell us how you practice sincere gratitude and listen to the podcast on the  Art Biz Blog. For the last few days I’ve been posting about gratitude there and more is coming up.

Have you seen Affirmations for Artists? (Get the YouTube version while you’re there to plug into your blog.)

Posted in Art Business Practices |

Personal note: Thank you

November 24th, 2008 by Alyson

I don’t say it enough: Thank you.

Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter and for reading it when you have time.

Thank you for reading my blog, following me on Twitter, and friending me on Facebook.

Thank you for signing up for my classes, buying my book and CDs, and asking me to help with your personal projects.

I started this business because I wanted to hang out with artists and help them out as much as I could. Little did I know that it would blossom into this amazing community of very cool people. I often list Art Marketing Action newsletter subscribers and individual clients on my gratitude list. I may or may not know you by name, but I am grateful for your presence and for your gifts to the world.

Thanks for hanging out with me!

Posted in Personal Notes |

Nurture your community

November 17th, 2008 by Alyson

When we think about creating, we usually consider it to be a one-way conversation: the creator speaks, writes, paints, sculpts, dances, etc. and we listen, read, or view. But as a former museum educator, I have always believed that the viewer (or consumer) completes every work of art. Each person who views and shares an artwork adds a new layer of meaning to that work. You, as the artist, can decide whether or not the interpretations are valid, but once you put your art out in the world, you have relinquished total control over it.

Just like a blog, your art is the start of a conversation. If you had only an audience, you would talk at the audience, they would listen, and then they would go home. Picture an audience. Everyone is facing one way. They don’t see anyone’s face other than those sitting or standing next to them and that of the performer. Audience members might go home and talk about what they saw or heard or read, but they don’t interact with the creator.

Michael Lynn Adams, Fall in Edna Valley. Oil on canvas, 12 x 16 inches.©The Artist

In contrast, consider community. That word brings to mind a cozy setting where people are connected in some way. They might even know each other. The setting is more organic, with people looking every which way so that you can see many more faces.  You get the warm fuzzies being part of a dynamic community. Your art starts a conversation, community members respond because you’re listening, and you reply to their response.

But the conversation doesn’t end in the community. It spreads. Your community members take the conversation to their blogs and classrooms and coffee shops. In other words, they take them to other communities. Before you know it, your community is bigger than you could have imagined. All because you listened and responded.

( Additional resource: See Actions 12 and 13 in I’d Rather Be in the Studio! for more about sharing your art and building community. )

KNOW THIS———-~> A community is more valuable to you than an audience.

THINK ABOUT THIS—~> What have you done for your community lately?

DO THIS————~> Nurture your community. Every week I nurture the ArtBizCoach.com community by writing this newsletter, recording a podcast, posting to the blog (and trying to keep up with the comments!), tweeting on Twitter, signing in to Facebook, responding to emails, sending Thank You notes, and more. And now I’m going to give you a list of ways to nurture your community. Download the list here. I can’t promise you’ll be able to download it forever, so you’d better get it now!

Tell us your thoughts about audience and community and listen to the podcast on the Art Biz Blog.

Have you seen Affirmations for Artists? (Get the YouTube version while you’re there to plug into your blog.)

Posted in Artists in Their Communities, Philanthropy |

Personal note

November 17th, 2008 by Alyson

The weekend before last I attended a two-day conference in Denver entitled Thin Air Summit ’08 (#tas08 on Twitter). I called it the Geek Conference for short. Rooms full of techy people talking about Web 2.0 stuff (social networking, video, podcasting, blogging, etc.) and introducing themselves by their Twitter names. I felt oddly out of place, yet there I was. I guess I was one of them.

Super blogger and Twitter aficionado Amy Gahran presented a session at the Summit on blog writing. One of the first points she made is an excellent one: That you should think of your readers as community rather than an audience. And that is where we begin today’s newsletter.

Ready to get cozy?

Posted in Artist Self-Promotions and Networking |

Use questioning strategies to engage your viewers

November 10th, 2008 by Alyson

Background: A client and I were consulting last week about a gallery talk she had coming up. She wanted help preparing for it because it had turned into something much bigger than she had imagined. And she also had this dilemma: How to respond to questions about her process. Not only was she not quite ready to share her process, she also wanted people to be interested in the work beyond the surface. Everyone seemed focused on the surface and how she got it to look that way. How was she supposed to respond without responding?

Katherine Allen, Chinook. Textile, 58 x 18 inches.©The Artist

I shared with my client a technique we used in museum education: questioning strategies. Questioning strategies can help you engage your viewers on a much deeper level. They teach your viewer how to look at your art and form opinions. When done right, questioning strategies also validate those opinions. Remember that most people don’t know how to look at and talk about art. Using questioning strategies, you can make people feel more comfortable. The more comfortable they are, the more likely they are to spend time with you and your art

To apply the questioning strategies technique, the only rules are that the questions (1) require more than a Yes or No answer and (2) do not have a right or wrong answer. Oh, yes, here’s one more rule: You, as the questioner, must be willing to accept and embrace the opinions in the responses.

I thought questioning strategies would work for my client’s situation because I don’t believe it’s really the surface of her art that people are interested in. I think they are trying to start a conversation about the art, and asking how it’s done is their best entrée. That is what they can physically see. I think asking “How did you do that?” is an invitation for further dialog.

This is how my client and I role-played her situation. Pay close attention to the open-ended questions and keep in mind that the viewer is most often a non-artist.

Viewer: How did you do that?

Artist: I assume you’re talking about the surface. What do you find interesting about the surface?

Viewer: It’s just so different. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Artist: What’s different about it?

Viewer: It’s got texture–different from most paintings. It’s kind of glowing from within.

Artist: How did it make you feel?

Viewer: It feels very earthy, yet it’s mysterious. There’s something very spiritual about it.

Artist: You nailed it! That’s exactly how I want you to feel. It is mysterious. In my talk, you heard about my spiritual experience, and now you’re having one of your own. I want you to hold onto that feeling and explore it even further. The mysterious qualities and any divine connection you sense would disappear if I told you exactly how it was done.

Viewer: But I really want to know how you did it.

Artist: I’m sorry I can’t share that with you. I have to keep some of my secrets to myself, and I prefer that other people have the same experience with my art that you just had. Nothing is a higher compliment.

See how easy that was? You ask open-ended questions (three in this case) to engage the viewer, validate his or her experience regardless of what it is, and find a graceful and truthful way to answer any questions as you would like without upsetting anyone.

Related: See pages 53-67 in I’d Rather Be in the Studio! to find out more about speaking about your art.

KNOW THIS———-~> Questioning strategies can engage and empower your viewers.

THINK ABOUT THIS—~> When could you use questioning strategies?

DO THIS————~> Use questioning strategies to engage your viewers. Here are some to start you off:

What do you see in it?
How did it make you feel?
How does the size affect you? What if it were smaller or larger?
What colors do you see? Look closer. Identify them all.
Do the colors evoke a certain mood?
Does it bring back a memory?
Does it make you think of something else?

Postscript: My client emailed me after her talk. She did indeed use questioning strategies, but she added a twist. Find out what it was, share your questioning techniques, and listen to the podcast on the Art Biz Blog.

Have you seen Affirmations for Artists? (Get the YouTube version while you’re there to plug into your blog.)

Posted in Writing the Artist Statement |

Personal note: don’t give up

November 9th, 2008 by Alyson

Did you affirm last week? Affirm that you’ll be working hard to weather this economy and come out smelling like a rose? If you missed the video in last week’s newsletter, please take a moment to view Affirmations for Artists.

I made the video to encourage all of my students, clients, and subscribers. You just can’t give up.

I have my own way of dealing with the downturn in the economy. It involves rolling up my sleeves and doing some practical marketing that I haven’t had to do in quite some time. I’ve been relying on this newsletter to get the word out. The truth is, I have a new shipment of books that I want to get out. Not just because I’d like the floor space back, but because I want copies of “I’d Rather Be in the Studio!” to be in the hands of artists who need it.

So, along with the current members of my Artist Breakthrough Program, I’m having a breakthrough of my own. I’m promoting my book to art schools because students need this book, and many teachers aren’t teaching this information. If you know of an art school that needs the book or anyone else who might carry it, please email me. I’d love to follow up with you.

Posted in Artist Self-Promotions and Networking, Personal Notes |

Affirm who you will be in this economy

November 3rd, 2008 by Alyson

Frightened by the latest headlines predicting dire times ahead? You’re not alone. I’ve received lots of requests to address the economic situation, and I’ve been mulling it over. I’ve been torn since I’m certainly not an expert on the economy. Heck, no one appears to know what the economy is going to do next! And if they say they do, they’re often proven wrong within 24 hours.

I’m also not an expert on the art market during recessions. When looking back at what the BIG art market has done during previous times of recession, I’ve read that the art market usually lags about a year behind the financial markets. But these are numbers from auction houses and big art fairs. Those numbers don’t really apply to most of my readers, so I caution not to read too much into them.

How can I possibly be of any help if I’m not an economic expert?

The best ways to help, I decided, is to (1) lead by example and (2) continue to encourage you as I always have. The first–leading by example–is something I always try to do. People say they hire me because I’m so good at marketing myself and my services and products. I don’t intend to let up now. In fact, I intend to do more.  The second is a given. Encouragement is what I hope I do in my newsletter, blog, classes, consulting, books, and workshops. I mostly offer how-to tips and advice, but there is an underlying message of encouragement in each. You can do this! Others have done this before you, others have lived to tell about it, and you, too, can learn to promote your art–even in an economic downturn.

What I do know is that some people will still buy art. Sure, many people have lost a lot of their wealth in the market, but many of them will regain a lot of it. There will always be people who buy art. And, if I’m reading the calendar correctly, the holidays are just around the corner. It’s gift-buying season!

You need to decide and affirm who you will be in this economy. Will you devour the negative forecasts and give up? Will you pretend nothing is wrong? Will you lie low until the storm has passed? Or will you buck up and affirm that you are going to weather the storm and come out stronger than ever?  I vote for the latter.

You can’t pretend that things aren’t different. They are. But you have it in your power to decide how you will show up.

Since it’s after Halloween, I’ve got a treat for you! I’ve made a video for you. Check out Affirmations for Artists. You can get the YouTube version there, too. Drink it in.

KNOW THIS———-~> Things are different.

THINK ABOUT THIS—~> Who will you BE in this different economic environment?

DO THIS————~> Affirm that you will show strength and determination. Affirm that you will tune out negative thoughts (especially your own) and tune in to positive messages that nurture you. Affirm that you are an artist and that artists keep making art regardless of the world around them. Affirm that you will do more, not less. And don’t forget to check out Affirmations for Artists.

Tell us about the fear that motivates you and listen to the podcast on the Art Biz Blog.

Posted in Art Inspiration and Motivation |

Personal note: Look for good omens

November 3rd, 2008 by Alyson

The sky is falling!
Or at least you’d think it is if you listen to news–especially television. We’re in for hard times, we’re fighting two wars, and things just don’t look good.

Wait. Stop! Things aren’t that bad if you think of everything you have. I am truly grateful each and every day for the roof over my head, our beautiful home and neighborhood, a loving (and fun!) husband, friends, family, good health, freedom, YOU, and much more. I take time at night to write out my list of gratitudes. And I look at the list in the morning. I have more than probably 95% of the earth’s population. Life is very good. I am blessed.

Me and my new car, Margot

Still, last week when I was going to pick up my new car that had been on order since July (before the sky
started falling), I had a pang of guilt. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this. Maybe it’s not the best time to take on new car payments. And then I stopped myself. Not only did I need some kind of new car (the old Beetle was 10 years old and truly not feeling so well), but I worked hard for it. And I’m putting money back into the economy–helping the energy flow and all of that good stuff.

After picking up the new car, I took my husband out to dinner and we found a parking place in the front row. It was the place closest to the door. This was surely a good omen. Things are just getting better.

Look for your own good omens this week, and write them down when you notice them. You’ll be surprised.

Posted in Artist Self-Promotions and Networking |

Spook yourself into action

October 27th, 2008 by Alyson

Halloween is as good a time as any to spook yourself into action. While I usually try to be reassuring and supportive with these newsletters, I’m here to scare you this week. Boo!

What if a collector calls for a commission? Are you ready with your pricing and conditions? Can you say “No, Thank You” if it’s not something you’re interested in? Can you under-promise and over-deliver? See articles on art pricing.

What if a venue has an opening for your work next month? Is it photographed? Is it framed? Is your mailing list in shape? You sure want to spend your time on last-minute promotions rather than inputting names into a database! See Promote Your Exhibit.

What if you sold something? Do you have your sales tax license? Are your Thank You notes ready to go? Do you have a computerized inventory list where you can input the collector’s information?
See software for your database.

What if someone unexpectedly asked you about your art? Are you ready to talk about it? Do you carry a portable portfolio (or pictures on your iPod or cell phone)? Can you hand them a business card? Will you go home and send a It’s Nice to Meet You note? Will you ask if they would like to be on your mailing list?
See The Relatively Pain-Free Artist Statement.

What if you experienced loss due to smoke, fire, theft, or water damage? Are you well covered by your insurance? You probably need home and business insurance in order to be completely covered–even if your business is in your home. See info to help you prepare for an emergency.

Boo!

Don’t be haunted by fears of having to be both artist and businessperson. As the title of the book says, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” The real fear shouldn’t be in the doing; it should be in the NOT doing. What’s the worst that could happen if you took action in one of these areas? What’s the worst that could happen if you decide not to take action? Which will be easier for you to live with?

KNOW THIS———-~> Fear can be a good motivator if you don’t dwell in it.

THINK ABOUT THIS—~> Which scenario above will spook you into action?

DO THIS————~> Spook yourself into action. What questions scare you the most? Think of how good it will feel for you to conquer the fear. Really: Think about it. How will your life be better? How will tackling the fear help you sleep better at night?

Tell us about the fear that motivates you and listen to the podcast on the Art Biz Blog.

Posted in Art Inspiration and Motivation |