Denny introduced Bettsie Park, our speaker. She’s the co-owner of 15 Steps in Ithaca, teaches professional development with CAP, and is also a fiber artist. Bettsie came to talk about selling skills, specifically, “the art of the sale”.
I apologize in advance if these notes are a little disjointed. I was really tired (The ARTS’ Annual Meeting was the night before) and had some trouble keeping up!
Bettsie started out telling us that selling is a process, not something you’re born with. It’s a skill that comes with practice – lots of it. “He who waits for the sale to happen will wait for a long, long time.” Control the direction of the sale by being prepared, having great listening and communication skills, and being the expert your customer expects. You’ve got to be hungry, have fire in the belly, be committed to the sale. You might be reticent, but “do it afraid”. Do it anyway, it’ll get easier with time, and your success will propel you forward.
In retail, the daily routine begins with a pre-check, preparing for the day ahead. It’s the same for artists. Be prepared, do your research about the gallery, shop, fair, publisher. Learn about the market, read the trade magazines, visit the venues you wish to sell to. Have a goal, have a plan. Write down your step-by-step plan, and celebrate your successes. Your selling kit – work, portfolio, written materials, etc. – must be complete and compelling. Go through it with someone you trust to give you honest feedback.
Dealing with the customer is theatre, so do whatever you need to get yourself psyched. Wear professional, comfortable clothing, make sure your breath is sweet, and avoid wearing discernable scent (you want your customer to focus on you and the art, not on how you smell, good or bad).
Salesmanship is a process. Step 1: When your customer comes in, greet them promptly, with a smile, and with a greeting that has nothing to do with business. You want the customer to respond to you about something they’re interested in. Avoid lines like “can I help you?” or “are you looking for anything in particular?” These lines mark you as a salesperson, which you are not. “Dance to the music playing” – tailor your message to the customer. Be aware of your customer’s personal comfort zone, and stay just outside that zone, which is usually a bit more than one arm’s length away. Bettsie invited Beth to role play the artist-customer dynamic, which was fun (see photos). Don’t approach someone from directly in front of them, or from the back. The side is best. There are differences between talking with women and talking with men, but I don’t remember what they are; I think women tend to talk face to face, while men do not. Hopefully someone will comment on this and clarify it!
After the initial rapport-building, you’ll be able to sense when to move forward to Step 2: Assessing Needs. Take the time to find out your customer’s needs, goals, desires, emotions. Get all of the clues. If you take the time now, you’ll be able to gain the customer’s trust. Ask open-ended questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? Tell me more. What’s important to you when selecting artwork?
Listen more than you talk. QAS – Question-Answer-Support – for every question you ask, listen patiently for all the details, and then respond, mirroring what they just said and asking another question. Once you get all the information you need, select the piece or pieces you think the customer will respond to. This is Step 3: the demonstration/recommendation. You’re going to go show-biz now – share some stories related to the piece, but don’t share everything yet. Talk about the technique, materials, but never use jargon. Based on the info-gathering stage, reiterate how the piece you’ve selected meets the customer’s needs.
Regarding price: use the clues your customer has given you. Always start high – don’t underestimate your customer’s ability to spend. However, be ready with an alternative if price does become an objection. Once you’ve finished your demonstration, be quiet. Give your customer some time to process. If a customer continues to talk with you, they are most likely buying.
Step 4: The Trial Close – this is a testing phase, to determine what your customer will actually purchase, to see if you can add additional pieces to the sale.
Step 5 is handling objections. Take the time to listen, to determine what the objections might be. Then ask the customer questions to help further your understanding. Continue to really listen, add more information, and be prepared to offer alternatives, even payment plans, or to ship the work.
Step 6: Closing the sale. It is extremely rare for a customer to say “I’ll take it”, so you have some work to do. Take statements about the customer’s selections based on the information you gathered earlier. Don’t ask more questions now – they could jeopardize the sale. Share the customer’s joy in finding the perfect piece, and thank the customer. Never say “no problem” after someone thanks you!
Step 7: Confirmations and Invitations. Make sure customers know how to contact you, and invite them to correspond with you about their purchase. Avoid saying “let me know if there are any problems”. Think service and go the extra mile!
After the break, Bettsie spent some time talking about professional studio/art fair booth set up. Before the customer comes to your studio or booth, you have to prepare your space to show your work to your best advantage. Make sure your customers can move freely and safely. Provide a chair if someone wants to sit. Think carefully about refreshments. Nothing messy. Make sure refreshment area is spotlessly clean. A bouquet of fresh flowers is always nice, but make sure there aren’t any strong scents. Price everything clearly before your customers arrive. Use shelf talkers – a story about the piece, or an artist statement. Provide a mailing list signup. Make sure your business cards are prominently displayed. Provide a takeaway. Music can be very helpful provided it doesn’t require active listening by you and your customer. Music should set a mood and complement your artwork. Consider color coordinating your wardrobe and your art, if you look good in those colors. Make sure you have all of your supplies ready before you open. Make a list and save it for the next time. Build on the list.
When focusing on selling your artwork to a store or dealer, visit the store in person, to determine if your work is right for the store. When you visit, ask for the owner, buyer or manager by name and indicate the reason for your visit. Present your business card and briefly tell the owner/manager/buyer what you offer. Then ask for an appointment to show them your work. Make sure you have materials with you just in case the person has time to see you immediately.
HR/helpers: make a list of their duties; write a description of what each responsibility entails, and how you want it carried out. Be specific about why each responsibility is essential to your success. The day before people help you, go over everything with them so they understand and are comfortable with everything you’re asking them to do. Leave time for questions. Tell helpers what you’ll be doing. Delineating boundaries is really important.
One-on-one selling: When someone visits an art fair or goes on an art trail, they already have some interest, and they may have a specific interest in what you do. People have wildly different demeanors and moods, so tailor your interactions to them. Adapt the outline above so you start where your customer is. Take the time to build an emotional connection with the customer. Share personal stories, and tell people what makes your work different. You want your customer to have an unforgettable buying experience.
Listen listen listen!
How to work the crowd: become a member of the party! Mingle! Engage in small talk, insert yourself into conversations, walk the floor, make eye contact. Make sure you have visual access to everything that’s happening. Use open-ended questions to assess why they’re visiting you. When disengaging from one customer to speak with another, ask if they’ll wait for you. They will. When speaking with more than one person, you can speak a bit louder, use more expressive body language. One-on-one, you can repeat your demo, but add something special for each individual. When a group visits, one person generally has the power, and it may not be the person who is really shopping. The powerful person may be somewhat negative, so it’s important to keep the conversation light, asking opinions of everyone in the group, while assessing the situation.
Troubleshooting #1: Someone comes in and wants to tell you their entire sad life story. Don’t make eye contact, use neutral body language, lean back. Don’t smile, nod or use any positive facial expressions. Don’t ask follow up questions. Turn away. Say “well” and start to walk away. This usually works. You can interrupt the monologue and go see other customers.
#2: Unruly children can be troublesome. Talk to the parents, not the children. Always make it about the work, and never about their children’s behavior.
#3: What happens when a buyer asks for a discount? Be prepared for the question and know what you’re going to do. It’s an individual decision, and will vary from piece to piece, show to show. A good way to do this is to offer a discount on more than one piece.
Questions:
I asked where the line is between being nice and being obsequious. Bettsie said that we need to be ourselves, mirror what customers present, and sell with integrity.
Bettsie was asked about bargaining. She said it’s a game. You have to know where you stand, and you have to be able to convey the information clearly.
Karen asked how to respond to a customer who says “I bought a piece of yours last year and I always get fantastic comments on it!” Bettsie suggested that Karen respond with “take a look at these earrings, wouldn’t they make a great set?”
Bettsie was asked what the average sale of work in her store is. She said that up to $145 is generally considered impulse buying; anything over that people start to think about. She said that sales in her store are generally in that range, with some over (significantly).
Vani asked about friends who tell her they love her work but can’t afford it. Sometimes all you can say is “it means so much to me that you love my work”, and leave it at that. Bettsie also reminded us that people’s economic situations can change.
Colleen asked for a positive way to say you don’t take special orders or commissions. Bettsie asked Colleen to explain it a bit more, and Colleen said that she likes to explore new things in her work, so all of her pieces are unique. Bettsie told her to say that! Pat also suggested that Colleen show potential buyers pieces that complement each other.
Vani asked about how to respond when people ask how long it takes to make a painting, and then make judgments about the price based on the amount of time it took to paint. Bettsie suggested that Vani tell stories about her studies, how she’s grown as an artist.
Bettsie was asked about how to deal with people you know who might be in your sales space and blocking access to other buyers. Bettsie suggested that the artist make an announcement: “Hi everyone! I’d love for you to see my new work, which is located over here!”
A question was asked about markup. Bettsie says she always starts with an artist’s wholesale cost and then calculates whether she can sell it with a 2.2 times markup, i.e., $10 wholesale = $22 on the sales floor.
All of a sudden, it was 8:05 pm! Time just flew by – what a fantastic presentation!
