The emotional side of art prices

We often struggle to come-up with a price for our work. This post is not there to give an answer, but more to reflect on the emotional landscape that surrounds us. Understanding where we stand is a good starting point to look at pricing in a more objective way.

In the foreword to the book “The Price is Wrong: Understanding What Makes a Price Seem Fair and the True Cost of Unfair Pricing " by Sarah Maxwell, Jon Luther wrote:

“What Sarah makes clear is that a fair price matters because fairness is the emotional part of economic decision making. Without an emotional base, we cannot make decisions. We have no way to determine what is good, what is bad; what is right, what is wrong. We base these determinations on our personal expectations as well as on the rules of society, rules that we all know intuitively.”

Regarding the general perception of art pricing, signals are confusing:

• When the press talks about art pricing, it is in general to report record-breaking price following the auction of a masterpiece. The price bears no connection with the initial price of the work. The monetary value may or may not be rational in the same way the stock market fluctuations are difficult to understand.

• Another strong myth that surrounds pricing is the myth of the broke talented artist. Everyone knows that Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime (“The Red Vineyard”, sold for 400 Francs). Some people still think that artists should not expect to make a leaving out of their art.
  
  

The price of art is more than cost. A work of art is the unique expression of the artist’s personality and the value of a work of art resides in the pleasure and inspiration it gives to its owner. How do you price emotions like “pleasure” and “inspiration”?

From the collector’s perspective (and this is true for any consumer), the first reaction to price is always emotional. Our perception of a work of art is altered by its price. If we see a price and believe it is too low, we think that there must be something wrong with the work and its artistic value. If we see a big price tag, we will infer that there must be some artistic qualities to the work (even if we don’t understand why).

From the artist’s standpoint, emotions can catch us in several ways when it comes to pricing our works:

• Under pricing by lack of confidence. This becomes obvious when you ask an artist about his costs and discover that these are not covered by the price asked.

• Under pricing because we don’t like a particular work. If it is a question of quality and you think the piece of art is not up to your standard, should it ever leave your studio? If it is a matter of taste, why discount it when other people may like the piece?

• Pricing too high: art is so personal that we get emotional and price too high a piece of work that we like (in the hope that it will not sell).

• Pricing too high: Pricing high to flatter your ego will not do you any good in the long term. What happens to the same ego if you never sell anything?
  

This article raises more questions than it brings answers. Pricing is art more than science. However, there are tools and guides that you can use to make your journey through pricing easier. I will cover these in later posts.

Art pricing Art sale Art marketing

What do you put at the back of your painting?

Why should you bother putting anything at the back of your painting as it will be out of sight when your work is hung? Think again.

Imagine that you sold a painting to someone you don’t know. The painting features in good place in their living room because they love it. Years later, some of their friends compliment your buyer about their taste and really would like to buy a painting by the same artist (you). Your collector goes to the painting, tries to decipher the signature, but is not sure about the name. There is no contact details, no address… You just lost a sale.

Currently, I use the following process:

• For oil painting on canvas: I stick a label at the top of the frame with the indication of then title of the painting, the medium, my name and the address of my website.



• For watercolours: At the back of the watercolour itself, I write the type of paper used, the dimensions of the work, the title as well as other relevant information (like the location of the subject). This is not visible, but in case the watercolour is transferred to another frame, the information will follow. I then stick a label on the backing of the frame with the indication of then title of the painting, the medium, my name and the address of my website (same as for oil paintings). In addition, I try to also stick my business card.
  
  

One thing to consider is that the work may be separated from its frame for all sorts of reason. It is therefore good practice, if you put information on the frame, to also put some information at the back of the work itself or on the stretcher for an oil painting or an acrylic painting.


What other artists do

Richard McKinley wrote a very interesting entry on Keeping Records of Your Paintings. A photo of the back of one of his pastel paintings shows what he puts on the back of each work: the code he uses in his inventory, title, medium, his name and copyright symbol. He also adds a printed artist statement and glass care information when he is using specialty glazing.

Shirley Williams, on her blog, described her process for cataloguing her work in her article How I Catalogue my Paintings . She signs the backs of the paintings with her copyright year. She also attach a label with her name, the painting name, ID #, Media, Dimensions and Copyright.

I would be interested to hear about your own practice. Please share with other readers what you put at the back of your work by using the “Comments” section at the end of this post.

Label Painting label Framing Labelling art Art marketing Art sales Richard McKinley Shirley Williams

10 Reasons to keep an inventory of your art works (Part 2)

In 10 Reasons to keep an inventory of your art works (Part 1), I discussed why you should keep an inventory of your works. Let’s see now what information can be recorded.

What information goes into your inventory?

How much information you put in your inventory is up to you. My rule of thumb is: the more, the better.

• A reference number: not mandatory, but may be convenient if, for instance, you what to link the entry to a separate library of photographs of your
  
• Title of the work
  
  
• Dimensions of the work. I may indicate the dimensions in inches or centimetres or both (it depends whether I buy the support in France or in England).



• Date of completion. Personally, I use the month and the year and, if the work has been created over a long period of time, I would register it at the end with the indication of both the starting month and the end month.



• Medium: watercolour, oil painting, graphite, etc.



• Support: canvas, board, watercolour paper… Personally, I indicate the details of the support used in the comment section. This is important as, if I like the effect I can achieve with a particular paper, I want to know exactly what sort and brand it is. Same thing for a canvas I am using for oil painting. A typical example would be: “Winsor & Newton Artists’ Quality Stretched Cotton Canvas – Triple coated Acid free sizing” (I make sure I keep the label of the canvas until I transfer the information into the inventory)



• Material used. This is important in particular if you use unusual material or techniques. But even if you use traditional technique, some information may be useful if the work needs restoration of repair (for instance the type of varnish you use on your oil painting)



• Price (if the work is for sale): I indicate is the price is for the work with or without the frame.



• Costs information: I try to track the cost of material, such as canvasses and frames. This helps when you set-up the price of your work.



• Information on the subject of the painting. Are you going to remember the exact name of that place you painted five years ago if it is not in the title of the work?



• Details on the creation of the work: If I write a blog entry on a particular work, I would cut & paste the text in the “comments” section.



• Exhibitions where the work has been show.



• Juried exhibition where the work has been submitted (even if it has been refused)



• Publication record. Has the work been featured in the press or in a book?



• “SOLD”… with the date when it has been sold.



• Name of the collector who purchased the work, as well as her or his details

Tools for your inventory

If you are low-tech, pen and paper work well. Just prepare a table with as many columns as necessary for the information you want to capture and photocopy your template.

On a computer, you can use a simple spreadsheet (like Microsoft Excel) or a table in a Word document (use the landscape format) to keep your inventory. The key is to keep your inventory up-to-date as you go. I learnt the hard way that trying the re-create the information several years after the facts is almost impossible.

You can also invest in a professional solution. A number of vendors propose some software that helps you to keep your inventory, but also to generate price lists, catalogues and even manage your mailing list. See Related articles below for more information on existing artist software solutions.


Some practical considerations


If you keep your inventory on your computer:

• Print it from time to time, just in case


• Always back-up you information (on a disk or on another computer, of both)



• Print a couple of blank tables where you can write down the information when you have it. At the end of the month, you can transcribe your notes into your electronic document. Batching in this way will save you time and you won’t have to switch your computer on to update one piece of information in your inventory.
  
  
  

Related articles

Updated database software for artists by Alyson Stanfield from Art Biz Blog

Template for inventory record

Art inventory Art marketing Painting Art sale Art exhibition Art template Database software for artists

10 Reasons to keep an inventory of your art works (Part 1)

Keeping an inventory may seem a waste of your time. What use would it have? I would rather be creating and painting. See keeping an inventory as an investment to save you time and tears later. Let’s put it this way: when you realise you really need an inventory of your works, it is generally too late to reconstruct it for the past.




Why should you keep an inventory?

1. Measure your output and keep track of your goals. The best way to progress is to paint on a regular basis, everyday if you can. Seeing how many work you’ve already produced will give you a boost of energy.

2. Keep key information in one place (see “What information goes into your inventory” in Part 2 of this article)

3. Make your life easier. When did I finished this oil painting – Is it dry enough to be varnished? If you keep track of completion dates in your inventory, it will take you only seconds to answer these questions.

4. Get ready for the gallery. Could you answer questions like: how many works do you produce each year? How many paintings have you sold? What was the most expensive painting you’ve sold?

5. Know where your work is (In the studio /exhibition / consignment / loan / work sold)

6. Know where your work has been exhibited. Enter the details of all the places where the work has been shown.

7. Build a personal history file for each painting. You can document the circumstances around the creation of a particular work, the history of the place, the reason why you painted it. I have a comment section in my table where I can record miscellaneous information on a particular piece of work (for instance, if it was inspired by the work of another artist). I have a comment section in my inventory table where I can record miscellaneous information on a particular piece of work (for instance, if it was inspired by the work of another artist). Having this information will help you when you prepare for an exhibition or when you discuss a particular work with a potential buyer. Buyers love stories and having one at your finger tip (or ready in your mind, since you recorded it in your inventory) will remove the stress of having to find on the spot something interesting to talk about.

8. Keep track of your evolution: With each new work, you grow and evolve as an artist. Over the years, your work will take different direction, you will explore new avenues. It is therefore important to be able to retrace the path you took and see which painting came first.

9. Particular notes on material and painting techniques used. May be you tried something new or a particular work is the beginning of a new path in your artistic quest. In both instances, you want to be able to go back to your records and find out about this.

10. Curators will thank you. If your work gets to a museum curator, they will thank you if you can provide the information you collected in your inventory. See what Picasso had to say on dating and numbering his work:

«I never do a painting like a work of art. It is always a search. I am always seeking and there is a logical connection throughout that search. This is why I number them. I number and date them.

May be one day someone will thank me for it. »

(Picasso – in Alexander Liberman, Extract from « Picasso » in Vogue, New York, 1956)

Art inventory Art marketing Painting Art sale Art exhibition Art template Database software for artists

Paint red hot landscapes that sell!

I had mixed feelings about the title of the book "Paint Red Hot Landscapes That Sell!" I have nothing about being successful at selling art, but it sounded too much like dozens of business books that promise you to make your first million dollar in six months. I also feared that the author would dictate his recipe to paint “by numbers” the perfect bestseller. Thankfully, the content is much more nuanced and balanced and provides sound advice that you can use to improve your painting.

Mike Svob starts with a sobering (but true) statement: “If you want to be one of those professional artists who make a living selling art, it will require a great deal of self discipline and hard work. Talent is nice, but optional.”

The book contains a number of recommendation regarding what, according to the artist, makes a painting sell:

• “People tend to prefer warmer paintings to cooler ones. It is human nature.” (Page 66)



• “As a general guide, visually transparent passages of paint are more appealing than opaque passages." (Page 69)



• “The addition of believable figures participating actively in the landscape environment has a special attraction to us as human beings. The psychology of this obviously goes very deep. Knowing this can help you make a sale.” (Page 86)



• “Larger paintings simply have more impact.” (Page 98)
  
  

The artist reviews the main elements that make a strong painting:

• Subject
  
• Composition and direction


• Tonal map
  
• Edges
  
• Colours, warm and cool.
  
  

The most interesting considerations are on colours. This is not a surprise: when you open the book, the word “colourist” comes immediately to your mind. What is more surprising is how Mike Svob came to the conclusion that he could “push the colour” any way he wanted. The paradox is that colours are not that important and therefore you can play with them without destroying the belief in reality. Here is how the painter explains it:

“We understand the world by shapes and tonal values alone. Color is not necessary. To demonstrate this is true, just look at a black and white photograph. The image has no color, yet everything makes complete sense.”

As a result, you can allow yourself total freedom when it comes to colours: “Only use colors you like – no other”, advocates the artist. It is a fact that I was not shocked or even surprised to see Mike Svob’s landscapes with yellow, orange and even green skies. It just worked within the overall colour scheme of the paintings.

Although Mike Svob’s landscapes are realistic, his treatment is more one the graphic side of the house. You will fail as an artist if you just copy his style without adapting it to your personality. You may sell your “red hot landscapes”, but would it be you? However, there is plenty to borrow from this book in order to try new techniques and visual effects, reflects on your own paintings and venture in new directions with colours.


Details for the book

Paint Red Hot Landscapes That Sell!

Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: International Artist Publishing,US (Aug 2002)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1929834187
ISBN-13: 978-1929834181

Table of content

• Introduction
  
• Chapter 1 : Finding your way in art and sales



• Chapter 2 : Getting your message accross with materials and grounds



• Chapter 3 : Compelling design that makes the sales



• Chapter 4 : Putting buyers in the picture with tonal values



• Chapter 5 : Warm up your sales with the direct local color method



• Chapter 6 : Painting « must have » landscapes



• Chapter 7 : Edges – the make or break part of controlling the buyer’s attention



• Chapter 8 : Making it look good on the gallery wall



• Chapter 9 : Creating a visual feast that sells



• Chapter 10 : Gallery of bestsellers

The author

Mike Svob lives in White Rock, British Columbia. He has been a full time artist since 1982. He has done more than 45 exhibitions and 22 large scale murals.

Paint red hot landscapes that sell! Mike Svob Oil painting technique Oil painting Art book Art instruction

An Important Title

This article was first published in my newsletter "Notes From My French Easel" – January 2008. Follow the link to subscribe to the newsletter.


I have been reading (in French) a book titled “Recollections of a Picture Dealer” by Ambroise Vollard. He was a key figure in the promotion of impressionist painters and knew them all. His influence went beyond impressionism, as he also sold Picasso’s works. His memoirs give an insight into the world of art dealers, art collectors and painters.

He reports an anecdote about Cézanne that shows how a title influences the viewer.

Once, Vollard was exhibiting one of Cézanne’s paintings representing a group of naked women with another character who, looking at the way he was dressed, could be seen as a shepherd. Vollard re-used a frame he had, but forget to remove the frame plate with the title of the former painting that read: “Diana and Acteon”. The press described the painting as being a representation of Diana taking her bath and commented on the noble goddess and her attitude of offended virgin.

One collector told Vollard that he would have bought the painting, except for the fact that he already had another “Diane taking her bath” by the painter Tassaert.

Later in the year, Vollard was asked to send for an exhibition a painting by Cézanne titled “The Temptation of Saint Anthony”. However, the painting had been sold in the meantime and Vollard sent instead the so-called “Diana and Acteon”, removing this time the frame plate with the title. As the organisers of the exhibition were expecting “The Temptation of Saint Anthony”, the painting went in the catalogue under this title.

The Temptation of Saint Anthony, by Cézanne

Press reviews described the painting as being “The Temptation of Saint Anthony”. Critics commented on the wicked smile of the seductive Devil’s daughter (the former noble goddess). The pseudo-Acteon had become a pathetic Saint Anthony.

On the last day of the exhibition, Vollard saw the collector who had refused the painting when titled “Diana and Acteon”. He had in his hand the review published in the paper and, triumphant, explained that he just bought the “Temptation”, which looked so realistic.

Remember this story next time you pick a title for your work. Titles do influence the viewers and their perception of your work, even if the viewers are not conscious of it.

The Book


Recollections of a Picture Dealer by Ambroise Vollard (English translation)
Available in Paperback -

See also:
Cezanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-garde (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)


Related articles


What’s your title ?

Ambroise Vollard Cézanne Artwork title Art history

Art: You're in Business

I have exhibited several times in companies in Swindon, the town where I live. As an artist, I appreciate the opportunity to exhibit and I would like to encourage more companies to think about setting-up a gallery space in their buildings.

I am the boss of a company and I am here to make money… Why should I do that?

• Being part of the community: by allowing local artists to exhibit, the business takes an active part in the community. One possibility is to offer the space in the following order of precedence: employees and their families and friends, local artists and finally local galleries.
  

• Fostering employee’s creativity. You can invite your employees and their family to exhibit their works. Why not organize an employee photography competition with a small price? You may be surprised by the creativity of your employees and discover hidden talents. It also boosts morale. Art is rewarding and relaxing and happy employees are more productive employees.




• Art in the workplace. If you rotate exhibitions every month and every other month, employees can enjoy new art all year round. It also provides free decoration for the office, while giving a chance to an artist to sell his or her work.

• It’s good for business: the gallery becomes a talking point when you have customers coming to visit you. You are seen as encouraging the Art.




• Do it for charity: One of the companies I exhibited at was asking artists to donate 10% of their proceeds to a charity. This is another way to be part of the community and to create goodwill at zero cost for the company (once the gallery is set-up).




• The cost is mainly the initial set-up cost for the hanging system and appropriate lighting. Lights would be on anyway, so there is no additional cost here.
  

So, why don’t we see more companies embracing art in the workplace by creating a gallery space?

Art in the workplace Art gallery Gallery space Art and business Employee creativity Exhibition Art exhibition Exhibition space Local artist Creative employees

Art pricing tip from Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci wrote:

“There is a certain breed of painter who, having studied little, must spend their working lives in thrall to the beauty of gold and azure. With consummate stupidity they argue against executing good work for meagre recompense, although they say they would be as able to produce it as another, were they be well paid. But consider, foolish people, do such as these not realise that they should keep aside some good work saying, this is worth a good price, this is medium-priced and this is run-of-the-mill, thus showing they have works in all price ranges.” 

(from Leonardo on Painting: Anthology of Writings by Leonardo Da Vinci with a Selection of Documents Relating to His Career as an Artist (Yale Nota Bene) edited by Martin Kemp)

Source: NASA

It is important, as Leonardo suggests, to “have works in all price ranges” for the following reasons:

• First of all, you want to make sure that a wide section of viewers can buy your art and offering a comprehensive price range helps buddy collectors to start on the path to buying art. You could sell drawing or small studies at reasonable price, or have small oil paintings.


• Collectors who bought a piece of work from you (even the cheapest ones), are more likely to buy more in the future and could buy more expensive works. Many people have trouble breaking the mental barrier of buying art. Once they’ve done it, they realise that it is not that a big deal.
  
• If you have a wide price range based on a combination of the medium you use and the size of the works, you have a good argument to answer the discount question: “Can you give me a discount on this painting?” In this case, you can answer: “Well, what is your budget? I have smaller paintings and I am sure we can find something you will like and is within your budget.”


• Having cheaper paintings in your range comforts the potential buyer of a more expensive work that he is paying the right price. Let me explain. As a buyer, we want to feel comfortable that we are paying a fair price for what we buy. We generally do that by comparing different goods with various features and then we make-up our mind. We may not go for the cheapest good because we value certain characteristics of the more expensive item. What is important is that we had the choice and when we have made a choice freely, it becomes harder to back track. By offering a wide range of prices, you are placing your potential buyer in a position to make a free choice and therefore, to feel comfortable the day after the sale that he did the right thing.

Art marketing Selling art Art prices Leonardo da vinci Price range

Collecting Art: The Fair Way

If you’re planning on shopping at an art fair, an art correspondant from the Times who goes to the London Art Fair explains how to hunt out the best in show. Read her article: The finest of the fair by A. S. Byatt.




Art fairs are less intimidating than galleries. It is also a chance to see a vast array of different works. Here are some notable quotes from A. S. Byatt’s article:

“An art fair is more like a souk or like Vanity Fair – corridors and levels of booths containing mingled brightness, beauty, oddness and kitsch.”

“Over many years we have revisited the same galleries, but the art fairs still offer the pleasure of looking without being talked to or persuaded.”

“The real joy of an art fair is finding the unexpected.”


Related articles

• The art of collecting : a news report video by Judith Greer, Frieze veteran and co-author of 'Owning Art', demystifies art collection and suggests how to get the most out of the fair.

• The Art Council has done a brochure on buying art.

• You Can Buy Art Smart by Alan Bamberger.

• Samson Spanier, assistant editor of Apollo Magazine, maps out the hazards of the modern art market. Read the article.
  
  

Buying art Art fair

Wrap-up Your Sale

In November, I sold a few paintings during an exhibition. There were mostly Christmas presents, so I decided to go the extra mile and wrap the works with gift wrapping for the large watercolours and gift bags for the small oil paintings.

The buyers would have said nothing if the paintings just came wrapped into some protective bubble wrap, but the paintings looked so much better with their festive wrapping…

This made me think about packaging for artworks and packaging in general.

Once in Montpellier (South of France), my wife and I went to a shop to buy a wedding present. We chose a nice set of breakfast cups and saucers arranged on a painted wooden tray. The shop owner took the time to fashion an elaborate wrapping with Cellophane wrapping, dried flower petals and coloured ribbons. The present looked so much more expensive that it was with this original presentation. It also looked unique.

Another sector that put a great deal of work into packaging is the luxury industry. How would you feel if a bottle of expensive perfume was coming in a cheap square glass bottle and a plain cardboard box? The perfume would not feel expensive. Art is a luxury for many. You don’t buy art as you would buy a dozen of eggs. As an artist, you are not only selling a work of art, you are selling an experience and your packaging is part of this experience.

You may have to adjust what you do based on the cost of the work you sell, but the cost should remain reasonable, in particular if you compare it to the advantages this extra step brings:

• It saves time for your customer. They don’t have to run around to buy the wrapping paper and take the time to wrap the painting.


• Even if the painting is for someone else, it’s like receiving a present for your customer when you deliver your painting nicely wrapped.


• For your customer, this is an unexpected extra. You just created the “free gift” effect. It makes your customer feel good and reassures her or him that spending money on your art was right.


• It gives you control over the way your work is packaged. The packaging is the first impression the recipient of the painting will get. Your packaging is a good way to develop your branding. Go beyond functionality and get creative in the way you package your work.


• Ready-to-offer artworks, all wrapped, may be one of your Unique Selling Points (USP), something that other artists don’t do in your area.
  

I would like to finish with a quote from an article on self-presentation on Behance:

"Spend some time on the packaging your product arrives in. You owe it not only to your clients, but to your work and most importantly, to yourself."

So, what your packaging is telling about you?


Related articles

• Sell your art, not your soul
  

art marketing selling Art art business USP packaging branding art artist branding

Sell your art, not your soul

Selling is an art that we can all learn.

I was reading an article in Forbes titled “When To Dump That Great Idea” by Wil Schroter (09 July 2007). One of his statements prompted me to write this entry:

“At bottom, it doesn't matter how ingenious your product is--if you can't communicate its value, it may as well not exist.”

What is the value of your art? Artistic value and price spring to mind, but there is more to it. When trying to sell our art, we often take an “Art-centric” view of the word, as illustrated below.

• The Art is what matters, so everything should gravitate around it.
• The Artist comes second. After all, he is the one who created the Art and therefore the one closest to the work of art. 
• The Customer is in the next circle. His interest in the Art warrants him this place.
• The Rest of the World does not understand the Art or is not interested in it and is relegated to the periphery. 

This vision may seem a simplistic caricature, but how far is it from the way some artists approach selling their art?

When selling, your art is a good place to start, but only a starting point. Sales manuals will teach you that you should find and use your Unique Selling Point (USP). For example, your USP could be that:

• You use a unique technique or precious material 
• You use acid free conservation material (including for your framing)

These features are interesting, but only as far as they are relevant to your customers and translate into real or perceived benefits for them. It is time to look at the customer’s perspective. Why would someone buy your art? Here is a (non-exhaustive) list:

• They fall in love with one of your works of art 
• The work triggers an emotional response 
• They feel proud to own an original piece of art 
• The work reminds them of a special place or a special occasion 
• They collect art 
• They know you 
• They just bought a new place and want to make it personal 
• They want to buy a work of art for someone close to their hart 
• They want to leave something special to their grand children

In his book Selling to Win , Richard Dennis wrote a chapter on The Rules of Professional Selling. His number 1 rule is: “Sell to people” and he explains:“understand that every sales presentation must be different because you will never find two identical people.”
Listen and understand your client’s motivation. Then you can use the features in your USP that support what the customer is looking for. For example, if your customer wants to leave something special to his grand children, she or he will be delighted to learn that you are using acid free material (feature) that warrant an optimal conservation for your work (benefit).

Don’t be afraid to be selective about the features you describe. It is tempting to go through the full list and try to impress customers, but irrelevant features will just put them off. How many times have you bought an electronic gadget with dozens of features and ended up using only one or two? The customer’s mind work around WIIFM: What’s In It For Me?

In other words: features are irrelevant unless they bring some benefits to the customer and bring him value.

The last piece of the equation is you, the artist. Art is personal and customers are more likely to buy if they are emotionally engaged. Hearing your story will just do that. This is your personal USP.

Rather than the “Art centric” view, think of the selling process as a balanced relationship between your art, yourself and your customer.


In Summary:

• Know the USP (Unique Selling Points) for your art and yourself 
• Listen to your customers (You have two ears and one mouth and should use them in this proportion) 
• Understand your customers’ motivation 
• Translate your unique features into benefits for the customer

To take it further

To work on your own Unique Selling Point, read the post by Alyson Stanfield from http://www.artbizblog.com/ on how to build and use your stories (while you are there, make sure you bookmark her blog and subscribe to her free newsletter. You won’t regret it): 

• Tips for better storytelling for your art 
• Where you'll use your stories 
• Struggling with your artist stories?

Some excellent books on selling: 

Selling to Win by Richard Denny is straightforward and very practical. Don’t be deceived by its apparent simplicity. It will teach the ABC of selling. A book to read again and again.

• Buy Selling to Win on Amazon in the US (Affiliate link)
• Buy Selling to Win on Amazon in the UK (Affiliate link)

Selling Art 101: The Art of Creative Selling by Robert Regis Dvorak. As the title suggests, this book is geared towards selling art. You will find here some practical ways to get better at promoting and selling your art.

• Buy Selling Art 101, Second Edition: The Art of Creative Selling (Selling Art 101: The Art of Creative Selling) on Amazon in the US (Affiliate link)
• Buy Selling Art 101: The Art of Creative Selling on Amazon in the UK (Affiliate link)

art business selling art USP selling art customer