Tips for Selling Art On The Internet And In-person
Many aspects of selling online are similar to selling offline. However, there are many exceptions. A potential buyer does not get to see your work in person, unlike in the offline world. They haven't seen you face to face. However, this does not imply that selling art online is more difficult. It is, in some ways, less difficult.
This is an extremely vast topic to cover in one sitting. However, if you remember to implement the following suggestions, you will have a significant advantage.
Be candid about your art
Be open and honest about the work you're selling online. A purchase of art is an extremely emotional purchase. It's almost on par with purchasing a home or a car. Of all, if a potential buyer is going to buy something, they must feel an emotional connection to it—this is not the place to foster that.
If a buyer is emotionally committed to a product enough to purchase it and then receives something that isn't exactly what they expected, they will be disappointed and will most likely want a refund. If you don't, you can bet they won't be buying any more work from you.
You can't take this chance since an art collector is simply that: a collector. Purchases in the future are quite likely.
Give your potential customers a taste of what they will be missing out on
You can also offer folks a piece or two of your art for a one- or two-week trial period to see how they appreciate it.
However, with this type of transaction, you need to ensure that you have a written contract outlining your agreement, as well as a promissory note, deposit, or other forms of security for the protection of your art.
Showcase your previous works
Showing images of how other art collectors have used or exhibited the artwork they acquired from you is one technique to persuade potential purchasers to buy your art.
Seeing your art in a working or living setting can be quite motivating. If you don't have many collectors yet, show them images of how you've presented your art in various settings. If your prospect is unfamiliar with art, following this advice can be quite beneficial and fruitful.
Because they might be having trouble visualizing how or where they'd display the piece if they bought it from you. It's also possible that they can't imagine how the piece would look in their office or at home.
Learn how to effectively communicate your art
One of the most typical blunders made by artists selling their work for the first time is talking to impress. Yes, knowing a wide range of art techniques, components, and variables is astounding.
However, not everyone who might be interested in purchasing your work is an artist. Some of them may be ordinary people who have no knowledge of art's technical aspects but are simply enthralled by your work. If this is the case, avoid engaging in high-level, heated art conversations, especially if they aren't asking for it. Don't give them any information that they won't be able to process.
Try to communicate on their level, as frightening a potential customer is the last thing you want to do.
Pay attention to your customers
If you truly want to sell anything, your demeanor should reflect that. Make an effort to schedule transactions and meetings related to your art. Also, attempt to make yourself available to transport your piece to the collectors' home or office as much as possible.
If they ask, you should also assist them in hanging it or even provide suggestions for where it should be placed. If your buyer hasn't decided which item from your collection they want, you may also offer to deliver a selection of your artwork to their home or workplace for free.
This will allow them to see how it would work in their environment. You should make it plain to them, though, that they are not obligated to purchase it if they do not wish to.
Recognize that there is a sizable art market
You might also want to try your hand at different forms of art. Try asking individuals why they appreciate or detest a particular piece created by another artist.
Get some ideas about how they would react if your art was on the hot seat based on their responses. Of course, you're not doing this to be disheartened; you're doing it to be able to come up with new ideas for your next works.
When describing your art, be as descriptive as possible
Be as specific as possible when describing your artwork for sale. Make sure you've covered all of the essential details of the essay. Give the art buyer as much information about the piece as possible. This will help qualify the potential buyer by reducing the number of inquiries asked.
These minor but crucial details will do a lot of the work for you when it comes to selling. Include the following information: price, medium, size, kind of paper/canvas, framed/unframed, subject, and date.
Remember to include your inspiration for picking this subject, what it means to you, problems you had while creating your art, and why you chose to communicate these concepts in this way. This is where you develop an emotional bond. When a buyer of art feels they have a good understanding of the piece and the artist who created it, they become attached.
Provide documentation for your art
Don't forget to include all of the documentation that came with the item you bought. Art documents have value, and they also add to the piece's value. The buyer will see them as valuable as the piece itself to some degree. These papers will be handed along with the item and will be protected in the same way that their insurance policies and bank statements are.
For starters, include an artist statement, an artist bio, press releases, advertising materials for you as an artist (postcards or brochures), the piece's history, and an appraisal statement. Provide these in a folder to your consumers so that they may be conveniently stored together and exhibited.
Include contact information in the form of many business cards, if possible. Keep track of the buyer's contact information so you can reach out to them again in the future. If a buyer loved you previously, there's a good chance they'll buy from you again.
