A Site for Emerging Artists
Posts tagged strategies
Are Art and Craft Fairs Dying?
Oct 21st
By Carolyn Edlund
I don’t often go to art and craft fairs anymore. After exhibiting at so many of them back in the 80’s and 90’s, I’ve become very jaded. I can’t be subjective, and frankly wish that I could see them as the public does, and enjoy them more.
So a few weeks back when I walked through a show where I had sold my work years ago, it was a bit surreal. I also found it to be a little tired-looking and sad. The show (which has a good reputation) has shrunk considerably. Quite a few of the exhibitors there have been in the business many years and I recognized several of them – a bit grayer, and still selling the same merchandise they were making twenty years ago. Although the quality of the work for the most part was high, there wasn’t much new – and there weren’t many young artists there, either.
On the other hand, I interviewed a twenty-something artist the other day who has been showing at elite shows and literally selling out of her high-end merchandise. A new breed of young DIY artists and craft enthusiasts have arisen and are organizing and promoting their own shows which are enthusiastically received.
Art festival website forums are filled with artists and craftspeople frustrated with the state of art and craft fairs these days. They are complaining about the amount of buy/sell merchandise that has been accepted by promoters and continues to undercut and diminish the fair experience.
So, where are you on this spectrum? Are you selling retail at fairs and shows and routinely angry about the circumstances? Do you do your homework and walk a show ahead of time, finding out what’s really going on?
Have your regular shows gotten a bit thin, with the quality becoming questionable? Or are you applying to top-tier shows where you feel protected from infringements on the rules, and where only truly handmade work is exhibited?
Perhaps you’ve gone the way of many artists and craftspeople who have decided to leave the show circuit and try other ways to sell their work. You may have even joined the ranks of artists who are unemployed (artists are unemployed at twice the rate of professional workers).
Art and craft fairs are in a state of transition, like many types of commerce and many industries. In these tough times, I have not found evidence that creativity has faltered – in fact, I believe it’s flourishing. I don’t believe the fairs are dead yet, but will transform. What’s your take on this?
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Brilliant Idea Increases Art Studio Income Dramatically
Oct 13th
By Carolyn Edlund
Are your sales down in a tough economy? Here’s what one art glass studio did to attract customers and put their business into overdrive.
Brenda Griffith
While the economy was slowing sales for many businesses in 2010, the owners of Siyeh Glass in Atlanta, Georgia came up with a concept that made them one of the most popular destinations in their city. Brenda Griffith of Siyeh explains in this video from a discussion at the Buyers Market of American Craft how they created and publicized “Date Night” at Siyeh.
Date Night is an opportunity for couples to have a “unique experience” on a date by spending several hours with a private instructor, learning glassblowing and kilnforming in a working glass studio. It has become so popular that each week is often booked up with about 22 couples attending (at $165 per couple).
Due to demand, studio space has been increased to accommodate more visitors, and new staff was hired. Griffith states that interest runs the gamut through all demographics, and that they sell out frequently.
Dates can be scheduled Thursday through Saturday, in the morning, afternoon or evening, and is usually only one couple for each time slot. Beverages and “nibblies” are provided to enhance the experience, and plans have been made to purchase a soda stream machine for carbonated drinks without creating container waste.
Couples are encouraged to bring their cameras, as one person will be blowing or forming glass while the other observes and can snap photos.
Siyeh Glass is a production studio which wholesales to galleries, and doesn’t normally retail their art glass, but they do sell supplies and offer classes. An artists’ 10-day open house event happens each year, called “Siyeh Sleigh Ride” where art from everyone working at the studio and their friends are sold to the public.
What’s next? Brenda Griffith mentions “team-building events” where groups from the corporate world or other organizations come to the studio to gain skills in working together as teams. This new strategy promises to make the studio more popular than ever.
Interview with Greeting Card Designer Kate Harper
Oct 9th
Kate Harper
Kate Harper is a well-known greeting card designer, with lots of experience and a wonderful blog for card entrepreneurs. She speaks about how her business developed and what she sees next for the industry.
AS: Kate, you made a major adjustment to your greeting card line when working with a helpful sales rep. What happened and what did you learn?
KH: I’ve been through several adjustments, but in the beginning one rep recommended I make my cards brighter colors and to think about what the message communicates when you look at the picture, even before you read the words. Reps also gave me feedback from the stores such as “people don’t get this joke” or “no one likes that card because it’s green” or “even though the sentiment is true, it’s depressing.”
AS: Could you talk a little about how transitioning from making your own handmade cards to licensing has changed your business and your life.
KH: It was a difficult decision to leave manufacturing because I had several people who depended on me for an income, but my business was growing to the point that I would have to relocate the studio and hire more staff and I really didn’t want to do that. For me, it was a lifestyle choice.
For fifteen years I ran a full time card publishing business, servicing thousands of stores and worked with over 100 sales reps. I felt lucky and blessed to be able to create designs and sell them and make a living from it, but I also found my life revolved more and more around packing and shipping cards, and very little to do with art.
Then I took a class with Cheryl Phelps on Art Licensing and my mouth fell open and it has been open ever since. I never realized art licensing even existed.
Life is completely different now, since I can do art full time and I have a lot more free time. I know some people say getting into art licensing is difficult, but I didn’t experience it that way. Perhaps because when I approach a company I bring a lot more to the table than just art skills. I bring 2,000 of my former accounts, sales statistics from my business and a background in the gift industry. I also understand what is involved in manufacturing a product, so it’s easy for me to put myself in the shoes of another company when they come up against challenges or misprint something. I try not to be too picky, because I know how incredibly difficult it is to match colors and make affordable products.
AS: Saleability is key to having a successful card line. What do you consider the most important factors in making a line saleable?
KH: The measuring stick I always use when evaluating my own cards is “Would I pull money out of my wallet right now and buy this card?” I also visualize a friend and imagine receiving or sending this card to her and asking myself: “How does this feel to send to her? Is it too weird? Is it condescending or unintentionally insulting?” Also, my silent motto to myself is “If you can make people laugh, you’ve already sold your product.”
I do abide with the greeting card standards that the image is the most important, because it causes the customer to pick up the card on the rack. Therefore you’ve got to have a strong image that evokes an emotional response.
AS: What do you see as the biggest challenge for greeting card entrepreneurs today?
KH: The card industry is suffering, no one can deny that. But I also have been working with companies who are redefining the meaning of what a greeting card is, such as Fiddler’s Elbow. I recently worked with them to develop a line of “Card Towels” – towels than can be sent as greeting cards.
I also am working with a second company on a similar concept (but different product) where the traditional me-to-you relationship is being adapted to a gift item in place of a greeting card. I see a strong future in the explosion of apps and ebooks and redefining what a greeting card is, in those contexts.
For example, on my own, I’ve been working on some concepts for Greeting Cards for the Kindle, I call “Kindle Cards.” My idea is to develop cards that can be sent to a friend’s Kindle, which is a completely different (and more positive) experience than receiving an e-card in an email. If you use a Kindle, you’ll understand why.
The good news, from my observation, is that the Handmade and alternative card business is doing OK and I’ve had a rep confirm this recently. I also have a friend whose $6.00 greeting cards keep selling out in a local store.
This year, when I went to the San Francisco Renegade Crafts Fair, people were standing in line to buy funky cards and gifts. This tells me that people still love to touch and send things. We just need to meet them in the places they want to be. That’s why I think trade shows should redefine what they are also.
A greeting card sales rep I know here locally whom I worked with for over a decade has a great idea for moving gift shows into a new generation, which is to change them to a format like the Renegade fair.
If you allow designers in at more affordable prices, in a funkier, unsterile modern setting, you are going to attract more interesting vendors, products, younger buyers and more buyers overall. Also, if you have this type of show in a variety of metro areas, they can start to reflect individual design styles from different parts of the country.
How to Generate Buzz for Your Next Studio Event
Oct 5th
By Carolyn Edlund
Are you planning an open studio for the holiday season, and want to draw a crowd? Have you been brainstorming about ways to meet new prospective customers and create interest in your art?
Take a look at some phenomenal ideas that artist Judith HeartSong is successfully using to make her studio a
center of attention and help others at the same time, especially local arts and charities. She recently sent out an email newsletter (see it here) which presents fans and their guests with multiple opportunities to learn, shop and enjoy the arts at her new studio.
Here are a few ways you can use this model to generate buzz around your own event:
- Invite your list to see art demonstrations in your studio space. Judith has a wonderful studio with about 800 square feet of space for groups to meet. Staff from Utrecht Art Supply will be demonstrating oil paint sticks and allowing visitors to try them out and make a project. This brings in professional artists and hobbyists, and a busload of seniors that Judith teaches will make this a special trip from their community.
- Partner with the other arts. A poetry reading is scheduled for an October weekend, offering an opportunity for area poets who contributed to an anthology, which also supports a charitable cause – a gulf coast area food bank and clean up efforts for the gulf oil spill. By providing a venue and inviting the poets to bring in their guests, Judith also introduces them to her art. A drum circle is planned for a future performance, which will attract music fans to come as well.
- Promote your galleries. The Maris Elaine Gallery sells Judith’s work, and she promotes them in her newsletter by way of congratulating them on an article in a regional publication.
- Feature speakers. Are you a guild member, or belong to an arts organization? Invite a speaker, (such as the gallery owner in this case who will talk about the business of art) or other hot topic to bring in a group and make your studio a destination which can’t be missed.
- Give Publicity to Your “Partners”. It’s a smart idea to work with others in a strategic alliance which benefits both of your businesses. Double your audience by cross-promoting each other. Judith does that by partnering with the Washington School of Photography, and inviting her list to their event at another location, while also inviting them on field trips to her studio to photograph interiors.
She also suggests that if you are looking to involve others, call a local college and get an a capella group or musicians to join you at your open studio event. Give them exposure at your venue, while making it more festive and inviting – and bringing in their guests, too. Serve light refreshments and get a party started.
Or, partner with another artist who works in another medium and have more to offer your invitees. Combine your email lists and get out the word.
It’s also a smart move to use testimonials, which you will see on the sidebar of Judith’s newsletter. These are great ways to let others know you are professional and give you more credibility.
Don’t worry if you aren’t making sales right out of the gate – as visitors find out about you, they will return or refer others. Ask them to sign your guestbook and get permission to put them on your email list. With all these great events, who wouldn’t want to hear from you?
How to Succeed in the Changing Marketplace
Oct 1st
Do you need sales reps? Or a new strategy? An interview with Meryl Hooker, internationally recognized writer, speaker and consultant. With nearly 25 years in sales, she brings real life experience, skill and expertise to sales warriors and companies alike.
AS: What do you see as the biggest problem small entrepreneurs have in getting sales representation?
MH: The single biggest challenge facing new and young greeting card and gift companies today is the shortage of available competent sales reps. Period. At least that’s what they think their problem is. In reality, there is a whole lot they can and should be doing to get the attention of sales reps.
Sales reps chase money. And when a company builds a sellable line that retailers are interested in, the right reps will come.
AS: When reps look for lines, what is the most attractive thing to them?
MH: I advise my clients (who are sales reps) that you need lines which fit in with your customer base and the other lines that you represent. For example, I carved a niche for myself in the weird humor market. If someone called me with a line that featured fairies and angels, it didn’t matter how good the line was – it didn’t make sense for my business, or the stores I called on.
You must also have a line that is adequately developed. For example, if you have a greeting card line, you need a minimum of 36-48 cards, enough to fill a rack. If you have seven cards, you don’t have a greeting card company, you have an art collection.
Reps are not in the business of helping you develop your company. They are in the business of selling product to retail stores. As a manufacturer, card or gift company, it’s your responsibility to make sure that there is something to sell.
AS: Would you recommend that someone with a gift line search for companies producing compatible lines, and approach their reps?
MH: Five years ago, I would have said yes. But the reality is that the landscape has shrunken considerably. The new economic landscape has killed a lot of retailers, and a lot of manufacturers. I believe the customer gets the final vote, and reps are going to pick up lines they can sell. If you are serious about growing a sales rep force, you go for the most appropriate people and let them worry about the competition.
AS: How do you see reps changing their approach to making sales to their retailers?
MH: The biggest frustration that I hear from the sales reps that I mentor, is that the old strategies aren’t working anymore. I will go on record as saying that anybody who is still making cold calls is wasting their time. There are so many new tools available that the cold call is an antiquated way to sell in the gift industry at this level.
AS: Are reps more engaged in social media, getting online with Facebook and communicating in different ways, such as Skype,etc? Do you see them using more innovative ways to sell?
MH: People who are being successful, yes. The problem is that the majority of reps are still on AOL. They don’t use social media or have web pages. Have you ever tried to Google a rep? They’re not on there, nor are they taking advantage of tools that actually make the selling process easier. They are still dialing for dollars, mailing catalogs. They are not keeping up with technology. In the end, if that trend continues, I don’t see it going well. People who are embracing it are seeing results.
When I was developing my rep business, customers were sending me orders on Facebook, posting appointment requests on my wall. There are ways sales reps – and greeting card and gift companies more importantly – can position themselves in social media platforms to interact with customers, sharing content that they care about. The conversation is already happening. Are you participating in it?
This does not require you to have sales reps. Post your new designs, or a link to your catalog, to your website. Talk about all the cool stuff you are working on. Provide specials and promotions just for your Facebook customers, with special codes. It’s free. It’s the same principles of selling, but updated. The fact is that there is such a scarcity of competent and effective sales reps right now that the small companies that will survive are the ones that figure out how to sell their line themselves.
It’s the new marketplace. Social media is not going anywhere. When you’ve got companies as diverse as Amazon and Coca Cola, and your corner liquor store, who are all signing up on the same platform, it’s not rocket science to know that it’s worth paying attention to. Facebook may not be the final destination. I hope there is some kid in a dorm room right now inventing something even more amazing
AS: So you feel that companies can be just as effective without sales reps.
MH: Quite frankly, I don’t think a company has any business working with sales reps for the first two years. It’s a disservice to the rep, and to the company. It pretty much takes you two years to figure out what the hell you’re doing.
AS: Would you say the problem reps have in embracing change is due to the average age of typical reps out there?
MH: Absolutely. There are some younger people still carving out a career as a sales rep in this industry. But what I tell businesses that come to me saying “I need a rep”, I respond, “No, you need to learn to sell your line.”
There is unprecedented change going on the industry. Selling is not a dirty word – it’s about doing business with your friends. If you are an artist of any type and asking people for money for your product, you are in sales. It doesn’t matter whether you do one-of-a-kind paintings or whether you have a line of 150 greeting cards. That commercial exchange equals selling. It is so important not to be afraid of that process. It can be intimidating. Rejection is hard.
Understand your market. Don’t go too deep too fast. You may have a terrific first run on your orders, but if nobody reorders, who cares?
AS: That’s true, it’s not about the initial sale. It’s all about repeat orders – that’s where your bread and butter is.
MH: Exactly. But what’s happening right now is a tremendous resistance to anything that is not proven, or anything that is experimental. That is just reality.
AS: Any other thoughts on how small entrepreneurs can become successful in this climate?
MH: Know that you don’t have to do this alone. There are so many resources available, not only through discussion groups on LinkedIn, but also through enlisting the help of industry experts. You can flush $5,000 trying to figure it out on your own, or you can invest a percentage of that working with somebody who can actually cut your learning curve in half and help you start making money sooner. You don’t have to fake it. It behooves you to not do that. Seek out help and ask questions.
Join Meryl for an event on October 10, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. This concentrated teleclass session discusses effective ways to utilize social media to identify, make real connections and build relationships with your active and prospective customers.
Featured Artist Leah Jay
