All Buyers Are New

It occurs to me that marketing fine art isn't quite like marketing anything else.  Most marketing including retail marketing (which per most classifications is what artists do) focuses on encouraging repeat buyers, but in the fine art field its unusual to have someone buy more than one large piece.  Granted this is an over-simplification but the basic premise holds.  Fine art isn't transitory.  It doesn't expire or get used up; it goes on so long as its well cared for (and matches the couch…).  So theoretically each customer who buys a large piece from me is unique, a new buyer if you will.  The question becomes how does one go about attracting a steady stream of new buyers when most business models depend on repeat customers.

Looking at the sales situation I came up with three methods.

• Through organic methods.  This can be word of mouth or seeing someone else with a similar piece.
• My nod to this method leans towards the placement of pieces in local businesses with business cards displayed.  So far this method has had a lower success rate.
• Through a sales venue, like a gallery.
• Like organic methods sales venues have yielded a lower success rate for me.  Granted my sample size is two, a local co-op gallery with an advertising budget of functionally $0 and a local shop that doesn't specialize in fine art, where prices are marked up to accommodate the 30% commission.
• Through a placement firm, like a design firm.

As part of my day job I've lately been reading through a set of books on management and what motivates people.  The three methods above could theoretically be enhanced through fascination, both of the art I'm selling and of myself as a person.  Fascination with the art pieces is easier, that is to say by creating such an appealing presentation that people become enamored of certain pieces.  Through personal connection - that's much harder.  From the inside I don't see myself as that interesting of a person, and as an introvert having to talk to people about my creative processes is a bit like being on stage.  Over the past couple of years its gotten easier though, and I've found a higher success rate with people who feel a personal connection with me.

Interestingly art shows fall under the sales value method but because if the increased level of fascination I can impart through the presentation of my work and through my interactions with potential customers my sales rate is higher than any other method to date.

visit Samantha Byrnes' gallery online...