Don't Forget to Call
The following article was written by Debra Keirce, a regular contributing author to The BoldBrush Letter.
How Do We Decide the Best Way to Share Our Art?
The telephone is one of the best marketing tools, in my experience. It’s so low tech, it actually stands out these days when you call a collector, student, venue, or fellow artist. Mind you, it may take a few voicemails before you get plugged into their contact list, but once that happens you have a direct connection. After the shock of getting a call from someone other than a spammer, you have their undivided attention for five minutes. Make that short time count. If you get the interaction right, the person on the other end will remember the experience and tell friends about it. Word of mouth has resulted in more sales for me over the years, than email blasts.
Think about this. A phone call can increase the lifetime value of a relationship. That’s huge. Remember, in our business we don’t measure return on investment by single sales transactions. We are trying to get repeat sales. We want to create positive experiences with each person who pays us for our services. I always say if I do my job right, it puts a smile in your heart, and I mean that. We are building trust and engagement.
Think of every interaction with people as an opportunity to build your brand. Let sales happen as a result.
When you do this, opportunities start to materialize. A collector who trusts you will listen more closely when you offer a new work they might be interested in. They won’t feel like you are up selling them because you have had actual conversations about what they like. They can tell you are speaking from a genuine art lover space, not trying to meet your sales quota. It’s hard to develop that type of relationship through emails.
In marketing, they call this a PEC, personal emotional connection.
Most phone calls don’t result in an immediate sale. Still, I feel they are successful if they help me to be more memorable.
There is a technique to this. You can’t call too often. You don’t want to appear too eager, or it becomes off putting. Every relationship is different. Some of my contacts don’t even want to get phone calls. They prefer email, text or a direct message on social media. Often they want to be the ones to follow up with a call to me. That works too. How exactly you connect with people is up to you and the individual.
Another thought is the boundaries you set on each of these relationships. I tend to blur the lines between business and friendship. But I know other artists who successfully manage their working relationships, with a firm line on how much personal information is shared. This too is very unique to you and how you decide to navigate your own art business.
Using the telephone as a marketing tool can be pivotal in building personal associations and fostering genuine relationships with people who will advance your career. It can indeed lead to increased sales, opportunities and brand loyalty over time. It’s all about creating positive emotional connections and trust rather than simply pushing for immediate transactions.
What methods have you found to work best when it comes to PEC’s?
Debra Keirce
www.DebKArt.com
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Great stuff, people forget that we are people and a human touch trumps everything!
Phone conversations with those who commissioned an artwork are my favorite calls, just for the social. Before creating the piece, I get to know them a bit and bring personal story into the art, to create something of meaning to keep. Though I offer both commission and a selection form my private collection, I am never there to sell but to understand, befriend, and help one acquire what is desired. If a sale happens, then it is right. If there’s no passion or delight within, then I don’t want that person buying my original work.