How To Sell Your Art In A Recession - Part Four
by Keith Gilchrist


You are standing before your artwork with a collector. This is the golden moment in selling art. Make your art easy to buy. Start by making yourself easy to buy from. Be yourself. Trust yourself. Talk to collectors using simple, everyday, honest language. Tell them what you believe. Throw in a little humor. Don't hide anything. People will believe that you are worthy of their trust because you are.

To shape productive conversations, start by listening...really pay attention. Listen carefully for his or her key interests and concerns. Offer information and advice freely. You can ask questions and make suggestions without sales pressure. Answer questions clearly, briefly and to the point. Tell stories about how collectors bought their first pieces from you. Talk (a little) about a recent piece you sold.

Lay out in your own mind all the steps to reviewing and purchasing a piece so your answers come naturally. How much does the work cost? What makes it worth that much? Why will family and friends approve of the choice? How can it be paid for? How it will be shipped and installed? How will you guarantee it? When you sense that someone is interested in your art, simply respond and work towards helping them decide.

You will hear objections. Learn to be comfortable working with them. An open, honest response works best to sell art. When you sense a collector is close to, or has made, a decision, feel comfortable in helping them close. Do what is natural for you. Gentle suggestions make it easy.

It is your job to establish the value of your artwork and make a collector comfortable with the price. You can make a good start by documenting and sharing your portfolio, artist's statement, resumes, biography, photographs or slides. You can provide stories about each piece. Whenever you're not sure how much your art is worth, look at the marketplace for clues. Check out what other artists are getting for art similar to yours and price comparably.

Be sensible. You can't give away your art and make a living. Know what a typical piece costs to produce. Add 30% to cover overhead. This is the lowest price you can allow. Below that you're not running a business, maybe a charity. Above this minimal price, consider your inspiration, creativity and skill. Be very honest with yourself here. If you are selling through a gallery, you'll need to accommodate their markup. You'll also have to maintain that price in selling art to collectors privately.

After you both are in agreement about the deal, shake hands and be still. Let him or her say the next words. A surprising number of people would really love to buy art, but need a little gentle encouragement. The moment they feel comfortable and confident with you and your work, they'll buy.