Recently I was delivering an Artists Who THRIVE Marketing Seminar here in San Francisco and one of the participants really wanted to discuss art sales.

Although I love discussing art sales, art marketing was the focus promised to the participants.

And if you are shaping a new creative enterprise it is your art marketing strategies that will have to be established before your art sales strategies.

That doesn’t mean that art sales are not important.  Actually, art sales are vitally important.

Without the sales department every other department within a company ceases to exist.

Yet if you are a business major it is unlikely that you will be studying sales.  The subject of practical sales is often considered an unworthy academic discipline.

So why is it that we must focus on marketing our art first?  Because you have to know what you are selling, and to whom, before you can be effective.

If I have a 30-foot luxury yacht is it worth my effort to try to sell it to a wheat farmer in Kansas? Well. I might get lucky.

Or it might be better to network at the St. Francis Yacht Club here in San Francisco.

I know that differentiating art sales and art marketing may sound like an obvious simplification but I’m pointing it out because sales and marketing require separate consideration and written strategies.

Why written strategies?  Because when you commit a plan to writing you can carefully think it through. And when you commit a plan to writing it is much more likely to yield results.

The moral of the story? All artists, including myself, have a lot to learn about business so that they can be free to contribute their vision and get paid.

But it’s best to study the book of a thriving art enterprise one chapter at a time.

Most artists want to sell more art.  Many of them want to sell their art online.

So where do they start?  Generally, the first urge is to start by building a website.

Artists may ask a friend to build them a snappy website on the cheap or they may try to do it themselves, but this is like cutting your own hair. I don’t recommend it.

Even more important is that having just a website is like having a store without a cash register.

If artists actually want to sell product online, artists need an eCommerce site.

But before an artist can start an online enterprise they must ask themselves a very important question.

“Do I want to try to find an art gallery to represent my work or do I want to build my own business, cultivate relationships directly with collectors, and keep all of the money.”

Why ask this? Because, in general, art gallery owners will not appreciate your honing in on their market for your work.  And they may even refuse to represent you. So this is an important decision that deserves considerable attention.

Let’s just assume that you want to sell your work and keep all of the money.  Wa La!  Now you are not just an artist, you are now an entrepreneur!

So how do you even start to develop your art business?

Well, there are many paths to truth, so this may or may not work for you, but here is the basic sequence that I followed to build my art enterprise.

1.    define Blue Ocean Strategy
2.    define the target market who will benefit
3.    outline features versus benefits of your art “product”
4.    define brand positioning
5.    complete one page business plan
6.    calendar marketing strategies
7.    launch eCommerce site
8.    rinse and repeat

“Rinse and repeat?” Yes. Every business must evolve and improve as new lessons present themselves.  Yes, “lessons” versus problems.

Business savvy artists should complete this eight step exercise at least once a year and review it continuously.

I have an artist client that I have been coaching for quite some time now.  She’s invested in expensive and time consuming coaching.

To best define a lucrative Blue Ocean Strategy that will best serve this artist we have taken significant time and effort to analyze this artist’s:

• strengths
• weaknesses
• values
• interests

A Blue Ocean Strategy is a business model that offers a target market a unique value proposition therefore eliminating the competition.

Now, when an artist launches a new business, the artist cannot operate from the belief, “build it and they will come.”

Yes, as an artist, you own a business.  Unless you are a commercial artist or teacher with a JOB, you are also an entrepreneur.

An artist/entrepreneur has to build a new business and then let many people know that it even exists and what value it offers, over and over.

Then the target market will size up the business and decide whether or not “they will come.” The market will feel you out and see if they can trust you.

Your job: to be consistent and targeted in your sales and marketing efforts and to be persistent yet observant of results so that you can respond and make adjustments.

As an artist/entrepreneur, referrals will be your most important sales and marketing strategy.

We created a very clean and simple and elegant graphic identity for this client that effectively communicates her unique art education offering for affluent children.

What did my client do?  She tacked the word “HOUSE PORTRAITS” onto the existing logo. Huh?

That’s like sticking an advertisement for Michelin tires on top of an ad for Coke.

Whatever solid impression that logo made to prospects, it’s now been shattered.

Why did she do this?  “I’m trying to survive.”

Even though I’ve cautioned her about spending money on advertising, she did not consult me before she paid good money for a sign.  And because she’s paid for this silly sign she wants to use it.

No matter how much council I offer, how innovative the strategies we devise, or what experience I share, if an artist continues to operate from scarcity they will make missteps that will cost them money and opportunity and undermine their success.

Bottom line. Fear can kill success.  Courage can create opportunities.

“When you’re always trying to conform to the norm, you lose your uniqueness, which can be the foundation for your greatness.”
— Dale Archer

Recently an artist booked a Blue Sky Session to determine a Blue Ocean Strategy.

This is where we articulate a unique value proposition to a potential target market.  The key word here is unique.

When I asked her to describe the uniqueness of her art, she struggled.

I dug deeper and asked her to put all thoughts of marketing art aside.

“What do you love?  What is important to you?  Why?  There’s no judgment, just spill it.”

She started off by saying, “I love painting portraits.”

That tells us nothing about her uniqueness.  That’s like saying I live in a house. “Tell me about the neighborhood, describe your décor.”

Artists are thought leaders.  Own it.  Claim it. Be clear. “What do you think?  What do you feel? What do you want to tell the world?” Do you.

Finally she said, “I’m interested in feminist literature.”

Okay.  Now we are getting closer.  There’s a whiff of her uniqueness and this may relate to a potential target market.

It became clear that she is not ready to launch an enterprise.  Her cart is before the horse.

Thinking about marketing her art is premature.

This artist needs to return to the “Research and Development” laboratory to invent something unique.  Then the “Marketing Department” can take over.  This is the right sequence.

She must return to her studio to find her voice, to delve deeply into what she is passionate about.

The result of honest reflection mixed with talent will be a representational body of work reflecting her unique point of view.

Delving deeply into her uniqueness and finding her creative voice is the only way that her voice will be heard above the massive chorus of artists called painters.

Your uniqueness is the only way to compete in the market and for artists to be satisfied creatively.  Which is why we are doing this anyway, right?

I strive to hang with artists and entrepreneurs who are playing a bigger and better game than me.

One of the very best decisions I made was to form an advisory board to help me build my company.

My decision was inspired by a very successful artist during an informational interview I had with him over lunch.

This artist runs a multimillion dollar operation. He has beautiful and inspired public and private mixed media and glass installations throughout the world.  And now he sits on my company’s advisory board.

I’m a big believer in conducting “informational interviews” where you simply ask someone to lunch, coffee, or chat over the phone to learn about their success.

I have done this with several successful artists and entrepreneurs over the years. And each person has generously shared their mistakes, lessons, the source of their inspiration, and their path to success.

Now it’s your turn.  Think of several successful artists and or entrepreneurs that you admire.

You may know them, you may not.  Who cares!  If you don’t know them, then write them a letter and ask politely for a brief interview about their successes.

It’s worth it.  You may find yourself some mentors too.

Avoid email.  Email works best for exchanging information if you already have contact with someone.  Because typically we are inundated with email on a daily basis, it’s just too easy to dismiss.
Get at least three people to grant you an informational interview.

If you are not sure what to ask during the information interviews then I recommend the following questions.

1.    How and when did you decide to become a professional artist?
2.    What are the three most important qualities that you believe a successful artist must possess?
3.    Did you have a mentor or an important influence in your life?
4.    What was the biggest mistake you made and how did you learn from it?
5.    If you had to start at the beginning and do it over again what would you do differently?
6.    What were the three smartest moves you made?
7.    What is the single most important piece of advice that you think I should take?
8.    Is there anyone else you think that I should speak to?

Make sure that you keep your karma straight and your reputation glowing:
•  Show up on time
•  End on time
•  Listen carefully and take notes
•  Send a hand written thank you note promptly

Asking is free. If they say no then you are no worse off. We have to respect that successful people are busy.

So if they decline your request, don’t take it personally. Just ask the next person and keep going until you have interviewed three or more.

Heads up.  Because I recommend information interviews I get requests for them all the time. Unless you are a member of the official media, I do charge for this.

So I invite you to book a Monday phone consultation at ArtistsWhoTHRIVE.com or you are welcome to post specific questions here and I’ll answer them at no charge.

Yesterday I was coaching a very talented musician and vocalist.  By many measures this artist is already successful.

But he’s hardly spending any time actually making or recording music lately because he has way too many balls in the air.

Several of the balls include either leading local choirs as a volunteer or working for little money.

This would be cool if he had enough time and money to do that and make his music.

But the truth is that right now his art and his finances are suffering.

So we created a SMART goal and an Action Plan for this artist so that he could eventually work approximately three hours per day giving private voice lessons and he will have the rest of the day to devote to his one most important creative project.

How? Like this…

First, I recommended that this artist make a list of all of his projects and then rank them. You can do this too:

1. List each project.

2. Put a dollar sign next to the ones that are making you money now, or that ones that represent the fastest path to cash.

3. Estimate how much money each project is actually making you today, not what it might in the future.

4. Estimate how much time you invest in the project each week.

5. Put three stars next to the three projects you really love.

6. Put three stars next to three projects that, if they went away tomorrow, you would not miss.

7. Don’t forget to list the hours that you must sleep, eat, take a shower, get dressed, and clean your house.

8. Now add up the money you are making.

9. Add up the time you are spending.

10.  Now decide.  What you are going to cut for now and what you are going to keep? Determine your top three priorities.

What did this artist conclude?  He had 33 projects.  Yes.  That’s right, 33.

Is it any wonder that he was completely overwhelmed and not making enough money or music?

Think of a clock. It’s the shape of a pie.  There are only so many hours in the day or the week.

You can only slice that pie so many times, so many ways, and if you slice too much you wind up with mush.

Second, we determined a plan of action.

1. He will reposition his private voice lessons to reach a wealthier market and raise his rate.

2. He will run more workshops, consistently, to promote the repositioned private voice lessons.

3. They key is to maintain the right amount of consistent focus on the workshops to keep three hours of private voice lessons booked.

Notice I said “one most creative project.”  One step at a time.

You can’t sing two songs at once and you can only focus your passion on one project at a time.

As I sat with my friend and author Jonathan Fields over lunch last December in Manhattan we discussed the topic of taking full responsibility for your own success and turning your fear into fuel, the subject of his latest book, Uncertainty, a must read.

As we were discussing our coaching and consulting with creatives we both said, almost in unison, “Most people just don’t want to do what it’s going take to succeed.”

Think that you’re going to be discovered?  Think again. It’s just not going to happen. No one is coming to save you, to discover you, or to make you successful.

You’re going to get breaks now and again but there is no formula that doesn’t involve hard work as the main ingredient.

I know you know this, but too many artists maintain an unconscious yearning to be discovered. And who wouldn’t want this to happen? But you might win the lottery jackpot too.

I believe that as long as you harbor this conscious or unconscious desire you will not direct your full attention towards what is really within your control.

The place you can start to take control is to understand that to be a thriving artist you are also a savvy entrepreneur.  Unless you a commercial artist or you are teaching there is not a JOB for you to have.

Being an artist, in the broad sense of the word, is also being an entrepreneur.  And not only is this not taught in art school, it is actually regarded as an appalling notion.

This disdain for business is an emotional response born out of a dark undermining denial of the economic reality art students will each have to face.

Media exposure is indeed helpful and it can help catapult you towards success but only if you have the systems in place to leverage your platform and the products to provide you with revenue streams.

When I met with famed chef Michael Chiarello company’s VP, he quoted Michael’s formula for success, content + community = revenue.  Brilliant!

I know of a few New York Times best selling authors who were regulars on national television and because they saw themselves only as artists/authors and not entrepreneurs they are struggling financially and their enthusiasm and creativity is compromised.

Of course you must first craft your talent and find your voice as an artist but then it’s all business.

Just follow your passion and you will succeed.  Really?

• Two-thirds of artists reported their total 2008 income as less than $40,000, and nearly one-third earned less than $20,000.
• Artists play multiple roles – seven in 10 artists hold at least one job in addition to making art. *

We have all heard this before. “Just follow your passion and you will succeed.”

When it comes to supporting yourself financially as a full time artist, the “just” part of this statement is a big fat lie.

Why? Because being a full time artist is also very much a business, not a career.  Unless you are a commercial artist or teacher, you won’t have a full time JOB as a fine artist.

So you have to have to do two things, and do them in order.

1. The first thing is indeed following your passion and developing your creative talent.

But let’s face it.  Although some would like to believe that they have both passion and talent, just take one look at “American Idol.”

I also assert that you must be a thought leader.  Your art must have something interesting to say.  It must inspire.  Otherwise it’s just noise, again like American Idol.

2. The second thing you must do, is to be, business savvy.  That’s right.  You also must be a skilled entrepreneur.  And I mean skilled.

Art is a much harder sell than most.  There are times when I wish I were delivering a necessary product to a broader market.  But then that would be boring.

Now notice the sequence, first passion and creative talent and then business savvy.   Not the other way around.

Occasionally I encounter artists who have the cart before the horse.  They want to be selling – who doesn’t?  But they do not yet have a viable “product.”

By “product” I mean a cohesive and salable body of work.  A body of work that is really inspiring to them so that it may inspire others.

Remember, Artists Who THRIVE is all about “business savvy.”  So we need an excellent product with a unique value proposition that will serve a target market.

So start by creating something truly unique that you are very passionate about.  It is only then that you can determine its unique value proposition and what target market it could serve.

* 2010 survey commissioned by LINC

This Tuesday the Alameda Small Business Development Center sponsored yet another successful Artists Who THRIVE seminar in Berkeley.

The focus of this three-hour seminar was on marketing fine art outside of art galleries and traditional representation.

Part of my art marketing seminars involve mini-marketing makeovers on three creatives who earn their living full time from their art.  We had a mixed media artist, a musician/vocalist, and a painter.

The object of the mini-marketing makeover is to help each artist arrive at a Blue Ocean Strategy, the title of a business book about “creating new demand in an uncontested market space, or a ‘Blue Ocean’, rather than by competing head-to-head with other suppliers for known customers in an existing industry.“

Or rather than swimming with the sharks in an ocean of blood for a scarce kill.

The Blue Ocean methodology is particularly effective in over saturated markets like fine art, entertainment, and wine.

The way the class arrives at a Blue Ocean Strategy is to conduct a Blue Sky session, where all ideas and suggestions are offered up and recorded.  The only rule:  no editing or negating any ideas.  The sky is the limit.

I guide the sessions by asking each creative a series of questions.

The first candidate was a painter.

“Please describe your creative endeavor, your value proposition and target market.” I paint “lyrical figurative paintings.”

A typical response from an artist.  It sounds like a sound bite from an artist’s statement, a description that does not describe their value proposition or their target market or anything anyone could immediately understand.

Okay then I said, “What does that mean?  What does your art communicate?” “Human connection.” She vaguely replied.

“What inspires your passion to create human connection?” “I’m Hindu and my husband is Muslim and I believe that regardless we are spiritually connected.”

“Ah, now we are getting closer to your value proposition.” I said.

“Who buys your paintings?  What is the demographic profile?”

Her sudden realization about her target market, “White women in Pennsylvania interested in the value of world peace.”

“Besides painting, what are you good at?”

“Public speaking. I was recently invited to speak on this subject of connection and religion at the Commonwealth Club.”

Bam!  Okay.  “You’re not in the business of selling paintings. You’re in the business of facilitating thinking and conversation about world peace as it relates to generally opposing religious and cultural perspectives of Hindus and Muslims.”

“Your paintings reflect your values and provide a product for others to celebrate this shared perspective.  Your business is public speaking and you happen to sell paintings. That is your Blue Ocean Strategy.”

Tune in for the next mini-marketing makeover.

Are you struggling with the business side of art?

I recently posed a question on the Artist Who THRIVE Facebook page, “What is the biggest specific challenge you have in making a living as an artist?”

One post responded, not exactly specific but well worth addressing, “embracing and implementing the business/hustle aspect.”

Since business is indeed a struggle for so many creatives, I asked myself, “Why don’t I struggle with the business side of art?”

There’s a few reasons I don’t struggle the same way:

• Embracing the business side of art it is simply necessary.

I embrace the business side of art because it is simply necessary making a living as a painter for past five years while paying for the cost of living in San Francisco.

• There is so much freedom in running my own business!

Although I’m capable of employment, a JOB is the last thing I want.

Why don’t I want a JOB?  Because there is so much freedom in running my own business!  I love shaping my own brand, learning how to sell, charting my own path.

• Selling art is fun and it’s a challenge.

I really think this is fun and it’s clearly a challenge.

It’s no accident that I’m in San Francisco, a place buzzing with hip entrepreneurial innovation.

Make no mistake, my learning curve has been steep.  I did not attend business school. And although I worked in the private sector, I do not have business experience that supports an entrepreneurial path.

I guess I embrace the business side of my enterprise as much as I do painting because I find them both a very creative life long challenges and I just want it so damn bad.

Ask yourself.

• How bad do you want it?  Are you willing to educate yourself about business and marketing, step by step?

• Do you surround yourself with others who are positive, striving, and successful in business?

• If not, might these be the reasons you are struggling with the business side of art?