Meeting Date
PAVA Meeting Minutes
January 16, 2008, 7:00-8:30 pm
Susan Rollins Gehring, President, presided.
Presentation: Elizabeth Minor, Painter and City of Clearwater Cultural Affairs officer, discussed setting up her website. After much research, she chose ArtSpan.com Jenna Star Friedman spoke about setting up art blog, which is free and easy to do, but doesn't include everything a website does. Also using Paypal to collect payments to avoid web scams. Discussion about how to get traffic to sites, using descriptive phrases, and web scams. Presentation: Kathy Falcon talked about Bruce Baker workshop "Thrive Not Just Survive" which gave tips for how to sell your art. Many good ideas and points for marketing were given, including how to talk to prospective clients, and working a booth. KATHY’S NOTES FOLLOW THESE MINUTES. Dave Ewert spoke about good marketing points such as doing gallery-wrap canvases for photos, and putting "branding" on everything. Presentation: by Candace Ripoli talked about the upcoming Art Parade in St. Pete on March 22 announcing opening of new wing of Fine Art Museum. PAVA is representing the painting "Sea of Grass-Sunset" by Jimmy Ernst. Members need to gather all white clothing to be painted with the image all the way around. Discussion of date for when to do painting of clothes so we have a couple ready to show as examples at our next meeting. Also need to think about something we can teach children at tables in park after parade. Susan Rollins Gehring spoke about Imago fundraiser; we have collected $34,000 at last count and are not done yet; will probably have a presentation event to distribute money to artists at Feb. 1 First Friday at Imago. Meeting adjourned. Kathy Falcon’s notes on Bruce Baker’s Workshop: Thrive not just survive USING LANGUAGE THAT THEY WANT TO HEAR BOOTHS SLIDE REQUIREMENTS
Everything will be digital slides. Pricing. Your art should be the Trophy Not for everyone but it’s my best seller. My granddaughter does this work. Ask -What gallery does she sell at? How long did it take you to make this? This is probably a permission question I love it !! How much is it? Oh its $136.00 sounding like it isn’t worth it. Cust. - I’ll think about it. - You - Allow me to tell you a little more about this piece. So glad you like it. What makes it special ... Everything has a story. With a story-telling them what they want to hear. Final tidbits
Respectfully submitted,
Jenna Star Friedman
It’s cool to make art & express yourself but some artists have trouble marketing or selling their work. Great
Sales have a great marketing machine behind it.
People want BIG art to impress Mrs. Gotrocks!!
Your Art must be Impressive for it to sell. You have phenomenal art but if you don’t know how to sell it, you
will not reach full potential.
Bring people in - greet your customer quickly & w/ meaningful dialogue
Learn to talk abut your artwork /product. Project energy & enthusiasm about your artwork.
Multiple levels (groups) pleasing small groups
See pieces as individuals
The new hot trend for paintings is square and vertical sizes - according to artist surveys.
Use the corners of your booth - large format
Not all about the work - it’s about the lifestyle
Can it work in a contemporary or traditional home (space)
FABULOUS NEW WORK
New Colors - Dark Brown and blue - Look at Trend Magazine or any of the magazines that have the style
work that you produce.
Martha Stewart Colors are good colors for product and your booth.
Be in proportion to your work.
Light & delicate
Or so large that 3 men and a burro couldn’t get it out the door.
Reflect the taste of your customer
Use hands in selling process
When you set up your display or booth doesn’t over crowd - people in general have TOO MUCH STUFF AT
HOME.
Look in mail order catalogs - Sales pitch. Express what product is like MIND TOUCH
Allow people to touch the work - if it is delicate (ceramics) have a piece that the client can pick up and feel the
glaze - put it in their hands.
Take credit cards
Concentrate on what works, & have fun.
Don’t think negative - CHANGE OR DIE
People are going organic - they go to the farmers market on Saturday mornings
People go to the shows to be entertained. Explain what you were thinking when you created this work. Its like
rows and rows of little stores. Take it off the wall - Grid wall - heavy for heavy works.
Don’t send message of shy & nobody buying - BOO HOO
No art on a fence - Picture frames, nothing really good - Be careful with style of frames.
Know the popular interior design colors - Dwell, Architectural digest magazine interiors.
Men like something but the women will buy it.
You have a great concept create a business name that works with your work.
SALES TIPS
Get them to buy it now - not later on line. Don’t tell customer web or next planned art show until you close sale.
Web sites - The Guild.com & The artful home.com Nancie Dunn Cards. Com
Make sure they know how to work the web
Right brain/ Left brain - Left brain is sales - You need balance
If you are not good at sales - learn how to sell
Just do it
Hire someone
Marry a partner with balance
YOU & YES
When someone comes into your booth or gallery and you say “Can I help you?”
Negative: They say no thank you and leave. What were they doing before? Shopping: now they are looking, lost
sale.
If I could help you with any information about my work. ...
Greet quickly with meaningful dialog
Then back off & wait until they ask a question.
They could say: How long did it take you to make this?
As soon as you get this permission,your mouth should be moving.
How does my work speak to you - People feel that we are so lucky to this work.
Don’t do anything: except dusting, straightening product, pricing, etc. no reading books, no talking on cell
phone, no sitting down
Objection phrase: “Why is this so expensive? Do you have this in a smaller size? Your response: “it is a one of
a kind; my biggest seller.”
Fascinating and detailed story about you r work. How we made it. Benefits of owning your work.
The close: And you would like to take this with you, wouldn’t you. How would you like to pay for this?
I’ll think about it and be back: no sale. You say: Allow me to tell you a little more about it. Give them reason
to buy.
Make sure your booth or gallery has visual energy, sound projection of energy, taste candies or choc. , smell
cinnamon; make it a happy space, touch; four times more likely to sell if they touch it.
SALES: BIG NO-NO’s
Don’t sit down; don’t just stand there; when you stand up you go from passive to active & it puts people off.
Acknowledge the next person:“I’ll be right with you”
Don’t have others bitching about sales in your booth
No reading or talking on cell phone: You turn your booth from public to private space.
DON’T SAY THANK YOU: Just say lets look at this & what it means to you. If don’t have a story,create one.
You can tell catch phrases
Tell what to buy and why
One liner that kills a sale: How are you doing & how are you enjoying the show. Instead: I’m Kathy and this
all my original work I produced as a plein air painter.
Relative in the booth: some shows are $3.00 a minute while working a show.
Body Language of customer
Introvert: Freak them out if you are too loud
Extrovert: will help sales if they gush loudly about how great you work is.
Mouth
Eyes: eye contact
Hands: open handed gestures, DO NOT put hands behind back
Men: rattle keys in pocket, get them engaged, don’t exclude partner and ask what you think.
If a man steps beside you, you’ve got the sale.
The hand to face gestures means they are thinking about buying
Back off, if they are talking with partner,
Sales are about YES!! NOD your head & they will nod back
Clients should be talking about your work instead of your booth. Funky colors, drapery, too many small items
not presented properly as if you were in Cracker Barrel restaurant. Items need proper space between them.
1. Two different kinds of booths: indoor & outdoor
2. Be well illuminated
3. Matchstick blinds are very portable for hanging artwork
Back to the booths - one lady said that her booth broke down into so many parts and it was very frustrating to
get it together. Bruce suggested expoxing some of the parts to simplify putting it up. Where are we wasting
time?
4. Need a floor in the booth. Comfortable - if not floor - it’s not finished. Rice straw flooring.
5. No easels in booths - people have to walk around them and feel uncomfortable about knocking some-
thing over.
6. Display height - belt buckle to 6” above the head to display.
7. No risers with cloths - Table cloths -
8. Attract attention to your work and not to the booth
9. Reflect the taste of your ultimate consumer
10. Be in proportion to your work
11. Not be overcrowded
12. Be light weight and portable - fit into your automobile or van
13. It must fit into a variety of space dimensions
14. Be well illuminated - Track lighting with halogen lighting best
15. Be electrically safe Three prong cords and plugs
16. Be fire proof
17. Be windproof - dome shape
18. Be lean proof - jewelry cases
19. Accommodate a crowd. Allow space for people
20. Be secure from theft, of goods and cash. A table with a cloth over is NOT secure. Use cardboard or
wood/plywood. Pack up in a safe place
21. Be structurally safe
22. Proper Height 8’ max height
23. Proper Color - Black if you have colorful paintings - no crayon colors
24. Use as much of space as possible
25. Double booth space is worth it; may triple sales with 2D & 3D combo.
Mat does not show
What are you saying?
Multi artist syndrome
They want: FRESH INDIVIDUAL ARTISTIC LOOK
Eye Candy: Theme & focus is the important part
1 Artist per medium: Read Application over & over
Send multiple entries if possible, jury doesn’t care about how made it just the eye candy.
4 to 5 slides that are effective Slides lined up
WAKE THEM UP
Zapplacation: 3 images & a booth shot
They put their curser on the picture and enlarge it to study it
Look at my focus and artist identity
Work & booth shot: make sure some of the work is visible in the booth shot.
Good compelling image. Focal point
Slide services: depends on show, goes thru slides fast some 3 or 5 slides.
Larry Berman will send them for you
State Visual Artist Grant cd’s mailed to her home, Michele
Several sets of slides for each theme
Art Faire source book by Greg Lawler, Apply early
American Craft Magazine for Photos
Booth shots from a professional for a show are better than taking a chance with your own camera.
Over head costs
Quicken. you should figure a 15 to 18% sales fee
Get discount for supplies
Wholesale pricing is lowest you can sell; then double prices
BE PRODUCTIVE
Producing faster than the price.
Sanctuary: It will bring you peace
Price is always printed
LABOR: YOU HAVE TO BE WORKING
TRENDS
Are tools, market forces always changing, food exploitation, niche marketing, limited release, social, economi-
cal, political
Sanctuary, trend for cocooning. Food network, what you do give it a function. (Ceramics)
Two trends or demographics crosses over: garden - bring outside in - 5 to 15 years before trend fizzles out -
colors - illusion - Organic, exercise, food channel, dogs & animals is a 14-17 billion dollar industry.
Oaty Biscotti - animal grade was developed @ $2.50 at horse shows by a lady who at one time used biscotti’s to
give her horses a little treat.
Pet portraits. Green movement - ancient wisdom.
ART BUYERS are a clan. Art is a trophy step up to the line of SELF Promotion.
Relentless self promotion - Paris Hilton - All promotion
Knock off of your work is what some fear the most - We are sensitive to this.
But knock off says you’ve got IT!! Don’t do the turtle therapy
Green nobody wants to pay for green - always changing
Elle Décor the magazine of decorators ask customers Questions
How do you eat an elephant, one bite at a time!! 3-5 years minimum for Trends trunk show at horses, boats,
golf, trophy homes place work in homes. Model homes/interior decorator.
Florida has more artists than any other state in the union.
For a benefit (Charity) can work if you go and get your card out and work it. Don’t give your art away.
One Liners or closing the sale
$500.00 for THAT!! - It’s a one of a kind and its not for everyone.
The story is a valuable part of the sell.
Please tell your friends & here is my card.
Product, price and the story
Lifestyle - Everytime they look at the piece they think of a lifestyle.
Listening to customers tells you what their needs are.
A piece of you
Sanctuary
Appearance and attitude - Starving artist image is over - dress appropriately
Self promote - validate your work - stick with facts
The last ½ hour of show may be the best of show - don’t close up early.