Seek Out Team Experiences
Debra Keirce
The following article was written by Debra Keirce, a regular contributing author to The BoldBrush Letter.
Seek Out Team Experiences
Recently, I’ve been asked to give some art talks about this aspect of my career. So, I thought now would be a good time to share with you all here.
My art business has been enriched beyond measure by collaborations. In most cases, you can’t draw a line between a collaboration and a return on that investment. So it’s often difficult to convince other artists it’s worth their while. Yet, for me, I can say that hands down, these are the approaches that have resulted in the biggest wins.
What exactly do I mean by “collaboration?” What does seeking out team experiences look like?
Here are some examples of what works for me. Keep in mind that I am convinced each of them has resulted in more money in my bank account. I just can’t tell you how much came or when it got in there. If you only want to read about things you can do to increase immediate sales, this article is not for you.
Co-Promote
Approach: I work with galleries who are open to co-promoting. Many artists and galleries insist on complete control of their marketing and sales. They require you to just share their posts and emails. However, that hampers me as I try to direct my collectors to them, so they can close sales. More and more, I am the one who is initiating sales in my brick and mortar venues. So, I avoid the places that do not trust me to do whatever I can to boost sales.
Payback: Helping to promote work in my galleries keeps me motivated, and excited about those pieces. If I just ship them out, and leave everything to the venue, I find I forget about them.
Group Shows
Approach: I do solo shows regularly. However, group shows are always more fun than solo ones for me. I don’t understand why shows with fewer artists are considered more prestigious. Unless I have a very established collector base in the location of my show, I have more attendees and sell more in group shows. My work exhibits well next to the art of other artists, and more people engage with my paintings when there are more artists involved.
Payback: Travel and receptions are always more fun when I have companions. More people means higher visibility with a broader audience. Bigger audiences afford opportunities to find new collectors, students, people interested in commissions, etc.
Support Peers By Co-Marketing
Approach: At show openings, sales are more likely if you, other artists, and the sales staff work together. Many artists are not comfortable working together. When possible, I direct folks to other artists’ work and they direct people to mine. I find it’s easier to promote someone else’s work. Collectors often find testimonials by people other than the artist very credible.
Payback: Working in a group we learn from each other’s successes and failures, and we come up with more innovative solutions.
Small Project Groups
Approach: Working on projects with others keeps me more productive because I don’t want to let them down…accountability is a strong motivator. This applies to the planning of shows, workshops, presentations, and even judging exhibitions. There are no awards for doing these things alone.
Payback: I have developed lifelong friendships when I work with small groups of artists on specific projects.
Think of Learning and Teaching As Collaborations
Approach: For me, teaching and learning are the same experience. I walk into learning situations with a team mindset. I think of teaching as sharing. I am very conscious of what I am sharing AND learning. A good teaching session is when I share what I know, and I learn more about the person I am sharing it with, so I can help them improve. I find it hard to relate to instructors who think they have all the answers and students who want their mentors to be omnipotent.
Payback: The most unique parts of my process were born from the team collaboration where I had to figure out how to articulate what I was sharing, or present it in a different way.
Be Thankful
Approach: I practice gratitude. When I am grateful for the interactions with students, gallery directors, collectors, workshop organizers, curators and all the other teams I work with, I start to see the tasks from their point of view. Suddenly I am improving the way I pack my art for transport, so the receivers don’t have to spend hours un-taping bubble wrap or chasing styrofoam peanuts - get rid of styrofoam peanuts UPS! Yes, I’m talking to you!
When I look at the work and resources the gallery spends for me, 50% doesn’t seem like such a big commission after all.
When I am grateful for all we have access to on the FASO platform, I feel like the annual fee is a bargain. (They don’t pay me a cent to say that.) I choose FASO because I feel I have a whole sales and marketing team working for me.
Another example - I will always be a Franken Frames customer because I am so grateful for all the exemplary customer service the team there has given me for decades now.
It’s amazing how many people would rather complain than praise. As fun as being a troll can be, let’s none of us be that guy.
Payback: Gratitude begets loyalty. When we give it, we get it back in multitudes. When folks hear you complain, they think about all the bad things you may say about them someday. Having a grateful demeanor eventually translates into increased sales.
In conclusion, it is my belief that working on relationships and using these approaches enhances my creative output, and also builds a supportive network that amplifies my visibility and sales potent
Debra Keirce
www.DebKArt.com
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Great article, Debra! Thanks!
Good article, Debra! So much in agreement with me. Thank you