Successful Art Business, Planning and Marketing Tools and Techniques You Can Use

How can artists and other creative professionals learn the world of business and marketing, and create successful and sustainable businesses?

Author, educator and consultant Neil McKenzie has an answer to this question in his new book, The Artist’s Business and Marketing ToolBox – How to Start, Run and Market a Successful Arts or Creative Business (356 pp, $29.95.; eBook versions for Kindle, Nook, iPad, $9.99), a business and marketing “how to” manual. Neil has developed and teaches the course “Artrepreneurship” at the Center for Innovation at Metropolitan State College of Denver.  His book was developed over a period of several years and tested with his students.

The Artist’s Business and Marketing ToolBox covers a wide range of territory from what it takes to start a creative business to building a brand that will get noticed in a competitive world.  Topics covered include: starting a new business, accounting and finance, public relations, advertising, websites, networking and social media.  The book gives creative people real life examples as well as the tools they need to develop their business and marketing plan.

“This isn’t another book on how to get into a gallery and how to deal with rejection”, said McKenzie,  “Artists and other creative individuals play a vital role in our Nation’s economic growth and vitality by helping to spur innovation and creativity, it is important that they understand business and marketing in order to succeed”

Neil McKenzie has over 30 years experience as a management consultant and corporate marketing executive. He is a visiting professor at the Center for Innovation and at University College at the University of Denver.  Neil is a frequent lecturer to artists and arts organizations, a guest columnist for Colorado Biz Magazine writing on topics of the creative sector of the economy as well as the author of several articles for Americans for the Arts.

For more information and how to get the book check out Buy The Book.  Print version delivered to your door directly from Amazon’s CreateSpace on demand printer. eBook versions available directly from Amazon for the Kindle, Barnes & Noble for the Nook and Apple iTunes for the iPad.  The printed version will soon be available at bookstores and textbook distributors.

Hopefully since you are reading this blog I probably don’t have to convince you that business skills are an important part of any creative career whether you are in business for yourself or you work for someone. The business world has changed and many of the things that have worked in the past may be less effective or not effective at all. Having a good grasp on how business works will help ensure the success of your creative enterprise or make you more valuable to your employer.

How Do Artists Get Business Skills?

Well you probably are not going to get them in art school! A few art programs have business as a part of their curriculum and more seem to be adding them. If you are in art school and they offer business courses you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t take advantage of them. For everyone else here are a few ideas:

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Having a vibrant arts and cultural community can help attract businesses and make it easier for them to recruit and retain employees. One way to develop an arts community is to create an arts district or “magnet” for an area’s creative talent. Colorado has recently enacted legislation that encourages local communities to create cultural districts as a tool in economic development. Funding these districts and ensuring their sustainability are two of the major challenges that need to be overcome.

Read more here in:  Building with the Arts – Local economies benefit from cultural districts

Your art business does not exist in a competitive vacuum! Your customers and prospects have a multitude of choices when it comes to parting with their money. As the world becomes a flatter place (a term coined by Thomas Friedman in his book, The World is Flat) not only will your competition come from your local area but increasingly you will see it from around the globe.

You can thank the internet and trade policies for turning the world into one big marketplace of ideas, products and services. This trend could be viewed as a threat to your business but it could also be viewed as an even larger opportunity.

Today there is no shortage of companies providing any and every product/service and that includes art! In order to stand out in this crowded marketplace it is imperative that you think about your brand experience. A good brand experience will set you apart from the competition and get people talking about you and your art business. A bad brand experience will likely will get you passed by and a really bad brand experience will get people talking about you – and not in a good way!

Some examples of a great brand experience

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Recently one of my students at the Center for Innovation (Metropolitan State College Denver soon to be Denver State University) conducted a brainstorming session with the Artrepreneurship class. The idea was to come up with some ideas on how to create a great gallery experience when showing art.

When you show your work one of your highest priorities should be to create a great experience for those who attend your opening and view your work. The thing that makes great brands or companies stand out from their competition is providing a great experience. A great experience encompasses many things such as:

• Having a great product or service
• Using the product or service is fun, educational, enlightening and functional
• Being able to understand the product and its benefits
• The product’s design, features and esthetics
• The product’s packaging
• Meeting the customer’s expectations
• Touching as many senses such as touch, smell, sight, and hearing
• Great customer service and a desire to come back and tell your friends

Brainstorming Ideas

Ok, here are some of the ideas that my Artrepreneurship students came up with in their brainstorming session. They are in no particular order and hopefully they will get your creative juices flowing on how to create a great gallery experience.

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In the first part of this series Galleries, Shows, Exhibitions – Part I we looked at some of the basics of getting your art into a gallery.  In the second part Galleries, Shows, Exhibitions Part II – Contracts With A Gallery some of the things that go into a contract between the artist and the gallery were explored.  In this article we will look at some ways to create a great gallery experience when you show your work.

When you put on a show in a gallery or any other venue, think about how you can create the best experience for your audience. Creating a good experience will vary by your target audience and the venue you are showing your work in. Here are some ideas to think about in planning your gallery experience:

• Is the art appropriate for your audience?
• Are you showing your best work?
• Is the physical presentation of your work sufficient in terms of framing, hanging and lighting?
• Are there other elements such as food and entertainment that would add to your gallery experience?
• Do you meet your audience’s expectations?
• Does the audience clearly understand the reason or concept behind your art?
• Do you make it easy for customers to buy from you?
• Is it easy for you customers to find your venue?
• Is your work clearly identified and the price is easily determined?
• Have you thought of using QR codes in the description of the individual pieces on display?
• Do you act professionally when meeting prospects and customers?
• Do you have your “elevator speech” polished?
• Are you comfortable talking with your audience and asking for a sale?
• Do you have business cards and other marketing materials for the show?
• Do you create a follow up list from those who attend your show and do you follow up?
• Have you executed a public relations program for your show and have you invited the media?
• Do you solicit feedback from your audience on what they liked, disliked, and how you can improve?

Creating a great gallery experience should be one of your top priorities when showing your work.  If you connect with your audience they will buy from you and tell others – in short help build your brand!

Photo by Jeff Taylor Uncommonphotography.net

In the first article Galleries, Shows, Exhibitions – Part I we took a look at some of the basic things to consider if you are thinking about having your work shown in  a gallery.  Having your work shown in a gallery can be a great way to build your art brand and support your other marketing efforts.  If you are represented by a gallery you are entering into an agreement between you and the gallery.  As with any agreement it is important to know what you are getting into.

Typically with a gallery you will have to enter into a contractual arrangement. A good contract will benefit both the artist and the gallery. Don’t be rushed into signing a contract. Make sure you understand the obligations of both parties and how the contract will affect your business now and in the future. Here are some things to look for in any contract with a gallery:

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Galleries, Shows, Exhibitions

When you talk to a person on the street and tell them you are an artist, one of the questions that they will likely ask is, “What gallery is your work in?” Being in a gallery is a large part of many artists marketing efforts and for some says, “I have arrived”.

The reasons for having your work in a gallery can range from pure vanity, adding to your resume, increasing your exposure to making money by selling art. Hopefully one of your main goals will be to get new customers and build your brand at the same time.

There are two main parts of displaying your work in a gallery, the presentation or exhibition part and the business part. The exhibition part is about preparing a body of work, displaying and merchandising it properly and providing a great experience to the gallery visitors. The business part is about choosing the right venue, with the right customers, having the right agreements in place and marketing your work so you end up with a profit.

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Creatives and Business is about helping artists and other creative professionals become more successful in the world of business.  I will provide you with tools and techniques to help make your creative enterprise more successful and sustainable.  I will also let you know about new ideas and resources in the creative business sector so you can learn about what other successful creatives are doing.

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There is an old sales adage that says “sell the sizzle not the steak”. For most art and creative products there should be a lot of sizzle to talk about. Have you ever noticed that in some restaurants that the kitchen is out in the open or that the waiters walk by the tables with sizzling platters? They do this because the sights, sounds and smells of a tasty dish evoke emotions and spark interest – in essence they are selling the sizzle not the steak and you can too!

Selling the Steak

Selling the steak is when you talk about the specifications, features and materials that go into your art. While it is important that a piece of art is painted in oil on a certain type or quality of canvas, this is probably not the reason people would buy the art. Look at the “steak” as the “nuts and bolts” of a product and something you would see in a manufacturer’s specification sheet. While specs are important people are swayed by the sizzle.

Many fine art photographers seem more interested in telling their customers about what camera the image was produced on, what kind of printer and paper the image was printed on and how long it will last. While these facts may be important they have little to do with why a particular print is bought. Don’t dwell too much on the specifications, if your prospect likes the image the other facts will help reinforce the sale.

Selling the Sizzle

People buy products (and that includes art) because it provides a benefit, solves their problems and fulfills some need. You selling job as an artist is to find these benefits, solve these problems and highlight the needs that your art fulfills.

Here are some things that go into the sizzle:

• What is different about your art?
• What is compelling about your art?
• Why can’t they do without your art?
• What is the experience your art provides?
• What is the style, genre or fashion or your work?
• What emotions does your art invoke?
• What problems does your art solve?
• Does your art give them a feeling of being special or exclusivity?
• Is there and investment potential in your work?
• Does your art allow your customer to express their feelings, beliefs or life?

Determining your Sizzle

It may not be that easy to figure out what makes your art sizzle but you need to get to the things that make a prospect want to buy. A worn out word like “unique” probably has little meaning and after all isn’t most art unique (unless you are selling prints or limited editions)?

One way to determine your sizzle it to talk to your present customers and ask them what they think makes up your sizzle. In the previous article Five Simple Steps To Grow Your Creative Business the importance of talking to your customers about your business was discussed – make your sizzle a part of the discussion!  Many times you will learn something new about the benefits your work provides and you can use this in your next sales situation.

A Steak and Sizzle Exercise

Here is an exercise to help you separate the steak from the sizzle for your art. Get a piece of paper and divide it into two columns. In one column you will list what describes the “steak’ or the attributes of your art. In the other column you will list what describes the “sizzle” or the benefits your art provides. Do this exercise for each of your products (or types or genres of art). Look carefully to see if your different art works have some commonality in “sizzle” – these will become important in selling and marketing your creations.

The Sizzle Is Not Just For a Sales Presentation

Selling the sizzle is something you need to do with all of the touch points you have with your prospects and customers. Places where you should sell the sizzle include:

• Your sales presentations
• Your business cards
• Your elevator speech
• Advertising of all kinds including brochures, posters, print, and broadcast
• Your webpage
• Your public relations efforts
• Your social media presence

Ok now you should know the difference between selling the sizzle versus selling the steak. You will get customer interest by selling the “sizzle” and reinforce their willingness to buy with the attributes or the “steak” – go for it!