Mindset: Start Thinking Like a Salesperson

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[How to Start Selling My Art Online]

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Many artists find it difficult to think like a salesperson. Most of us have a less than flattering image of salespeople. Words that often come to mind are ’sleazy’, ‘pushy’, and ‘dishonest’. Please, change that image so you can take on the mindset of a salesperson. Replace those words with phrases such as ‘problem solver’, ’solution provider’, and ‘helping hand’. Real salespeople, successful salespeople, have that image in their minds.

Well… how do I start thinking like a salesperson? I start by thinking like my customer. Do not think about their needs, think about their wants. Customers don’t need another mom. They don’t want someone trying to fill their needs. They want someone who cares about what they WANT and is willing to provide that for them. How do I know what they want? I ask them! Ask your customers why they wanted your art enough to buy it. Most people will be flattered that you care that much about their opinion.

Here are some concerns your customer might have:

• How do I want the artist to act towards me?
• What else would I like from this transaction?
• What sort of follow up would I appreciate?

Let’s tackle these one by one. First, How do I want the artist to act towards me? Personally, I want artists to be friendly and easy going, ready to answer questions, and willing to go the extra mile. I like them to be a little chatty, but definitely not too much. I like to hear something interesting about a piece of art, but not have them go on and on.

Second, What else would I like from this transaction? I wouldn’t expect anything more than just what I was buying, but if something else was thrown in for free I would be delighted. We recently bought a piece of art and it came with papers that gave extra information about the piece along with some refrigerator magnets. It did not require much work, but we sure were impressed. Always give the customer more than they expect. Small items like refrigerator magnets, cards, postcards, or anything else you can think of are not only appreciated, but will make you stand out in the customer’s mind and make them much more likely to buy from you again. As one example, you could include three postcards with a color image of what the customer bought. Pre-stamp the postcards and ask the customer to mail them out to three friends. What a great way to spread the word without being too pushy. Plus, you are feeding into the vanity of the customer. I would love to brag about the new piece of art I bought and if it is as easy as writing somebody’s address and slipping it into the mail, you can bet I’ll do it.

Third, What sort of follow up would I appreciate? About a month after the sale, send your customer another little something. I would love to receive a blank card and envelope with the image that I bought on it. Don’t ask me to give the card to someone, just know that I probably will. After that, send me something about once a quarter. Monthly is a little too often for regular follow up, but every three months is just about right. After three months I will probably have forgotten about the transaction and then all of a sudden there is something in the mail that just brightens my day. Make sure to give me some special deal every time and make it easy for me to buy again from you. If you use a service like E-Junkie for selling online (which I do!), you can include special discount codes that you only give to certain people. It’s a great way to reward your customers.

Lastly, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS add every customer to your mailing list. This is so important and most people do not even bother. Your best potential customers are your previous customers. They are the ones that cared enough to buy in the first place and you have a golden opportunity to stay in contact with them and build your relationship. Please, do not let this opportunity pass you by. If you do, you might as well just start throwing money out the window or use some to light a fire. Your customers WANT you to stay in touch with them. Don’t let them down!

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Chris O’Byrne
www.OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com