Selling at Galleries and Other Retail Locations

Finding the perfect gallery or retail establishment to sell your work can be a challenge. There are many factors to consider and knowing what you are looking for is important. Remember that the first choice is not your only option. Shop around until you find a retail location that fits your brand and meets your needs.  

Research 

Research is an essential first step. I like to visit the location in person, get a feel for the shop’s aesthetics and the other products the are selling. Ask yourself, would my work fit in well with this shop’s aesthetics? And are the values of this shop in alignment with my brand? Customers expect to find items that fit the aesthetic of the shop they are sold in. If this aesthetic aligns with your work, then you are more likely to make sales. 

Another factor to consider is foot traffic to the location that your are interested in. Does this shop get a regular stream of customers? When this shop holds an event, does it get a good turn out? More customers mean more sales, and more opportunities for your products to sell. Foot traffic and event turn out can also be an indication of a shops commitment to promoting their business. A well organized website and up to date social media are also good indicators that this business works hard to promote their shop. 

If possible, it is helpful to talk to other artists that show their own work at the retail location in question. Ask them what they like about the location, and if they have made sales there. Artist feedback can give you a lot of valuable information that the gallery or shop may not disclose openly. 

There are many ways that a shop or gallery can structure their sales terms. I am going to give you a few examples and explain the benefits and detriments of each. 

Commission Based Sales 

A commission is when the gallery or shop keeps a percentage of the profits from selling the piece. This is a very common sales arrangement. Typically galleries and shops take 20-30% of each sale. It is important to understand that this is the fee that they receive for providing the location for the sale and for marketing. It is their job to make sure that customers come in the door and have a pleasant buying experience. I consider a commission based sales arrangement to be fair, the shop owner is sharing the financial risk with the artist. 

Wholesale Based Sales 

Wholesale is uncommon for galleries, some shops opt for wholesale some do not. If you are considering selling your work wholesale you will need to think about your retail price vs. your wholesale price and your wholesale terms. Usually a wholesale price is half of retail. I recommend putting together a wholesale order form that clearly lays out your terms and will make these transactions more efficient and professional. Wholesale is good for artists. With wholesale, the finical risk falls entirely on the shop owner. They are paying for your time and materials to create your work and then selling it on their own terms. 

Renting a Shelf 

I would not recommend renting a shelf in a shop. When a shop keeper or gallery owner starts renting their space out shelf by shelf it is a good indication that their business is not doing well and they have opted to make money off of the artists instead of with the artists. When you rent a space, you are taking on all the financial risk. If your products sell well and you make rent it works out, but when your work does not sell you are still responsible for paying the shop your rent.

Red Flags 

Renting out shelves is a red flag. Renting out shelves and charging a commission is a big red flag. Here are a few other things to look out for. Going back to our research, check in with the location in which you plan to sell. Are they open when they say the will be open? Do they keep frequent and consistent hours that customers can count on? If the shop is not open, they can not sell your work. If the shop owner is keeps unreliable hours, it makes it difficult for customers to become regulars. 

Organization and tidiness are also factors to consider. An untidy shop is a good indicator that a shop owner is disorganized when it comes to their business. This can manifest as other problems down the line, including inventory loss, breakage and failure to pay artists for their work.  

Inventory and Pricing 

Once you have decided on a gallery or shop, you will need to prepare your work to be sold. Make and inventory sheet to help you track which items you are dropping off. The inventory should include a complete list of products, quantities (if you have multiples of any product) and the retail price. Make sure that the retail price includes the 30% commission fee that will be going to the shop. 

It is essential to have a good relationship with any retail location that carries your work. To ensure that you find a shop or gallery that you can count on, make sure you gather as much information as you can before agreeing to show your. Remember that this is a business arrangement and it is not asking too much for you to expect shop owners to hold up their end. 

Next Post: Wholesale Terms and Order Forms (August 15, 2021)

Writing Artist Newsletters

Writing a monthly newsletter for your art community can be a little overwhelming, but there are things you can do to make it a sustainable part of your business practice. In addition to consideration about your dedication to writing a newsletter each month, it is also helps to know how to grow an email list and what you can and can not do with your subscribers’ information. 

Spam Laws 

Let’s talk about email list etiquette. There are many ways to build an email list, but not all of them are ethical or even legal. It is crucial to get permission from your subscriber before adding there email address to your list. Harvesting emails from orders, or trading email lists with other companies is not okay. Marketing platforms, such as MailChimp, will ask you to confirm that you have acquired the new email address with permission from the subscriber. Another important detail is having an option for someone to unsubscribe from your email list. Most marketing companies have this built into the email templates, but it is something you will need to add if you choose not to use a marketing platform. 

MailChimp

There are many options for marketing platforms out there, I personally have choose to use MailChimp. MailChimp has a free version of their platform that can be used with up to 2,000 subscribers, and while the free version may not have as many bells and whistles as their professional plans, it fits my businesses needs. 

Somethings that I like about MailChimp. You can duplicate an old campaign and then edit your new campaign off of the bones of the previous one. This helps to keep your email compositions consistent each month, by maintaining choices such as fonts, color and format. I should also mention that MailChimp allows you to customize your color pallets, the free version has a limited number of fonts but the options they do have are decent. I have been able to find fonts that work with my brand. 

Another helpful MailChimp feature are tags. Tags can be used to organize which members of your audience receive which email campaigns. Personally, I use tags to separate StudioGwyneth subscribers from Omni Open Studios subscribers. The campaign tags live in each subscriber’s profile. If you had a subscriber that joined the StudioGwyneth list, they would have only the StudioGwyneth campaign tag on their profile, but if that same subscriber later joined the Omni Open Studios list, I can easily add the Omni Open Studios campaign tag, and now that subscribe receives both emails each month. 

Gathering Email Addresses 

I have a couple of ways to gather emails, most are through my website. I have a form that allows interested customers to opt in to the email list. The form is located on one page, but I have links to that page all over my website. My events page has an option to subscribe to the email list for regular updates on coming events. The check out page on my online shop has a box that customers can check to join the list. Some companies choose to leave this box checked by default, but I think that is sneaky and unethical. I also have a subscribe option on my contact page. If someone is contacting me for information, that may also be interested in monthly updates. 

Another strategy I have used is having a handwritten email list available for folks to join on the table at art markets. I have a mini clipboard and print a half sheet sized form with my logo at the top and lines for emails. After I have added the email to my list, I add a little check mark and continue using the same page. 

Some small businesses use giveaway raffle opportunities as an incentive to encourage customers to join the email list. I do not bother with that myself. I have found that the people who are likely to open and read the emails are the folks who signed up for it because they were genuinely interested in receiving the information. An unopened email does very little to benefit your business. 

Content and Formatting  

When I first started writing monthly newsletters the content was the most challenging hurdle for me. I just did not know what to write. I thought that I had to write a lot of very meaningful things and it was overwhelming. Not a great recipe for a sustainable monthly newsletter. I decided to let go of the idea that the newsletter had to be really long, I started including more photos and I kept my paragraphs simple and to the point. 

My emails usually consists of a life update section. If I have any big news, or changes in my personal or professional life, that information goes at the top. Just below a photo. I try to keep the photos related to whatever is being said below them. If I am sharing a personal life update, I use a photo of me. If there is a shop update that I want to tell subscribers about, I use my favorite photo from the shop update shoot. When I announced my Patreon, I used a photo from the Patreon page to keep things consistent. 

Next I give my subscribers updates about what is happening this month. Events, giveaways, shop updates, the next artist video being released or this month’s podcast guest. Each of these little announcements tend to be about a paragraph in length, with a relevant photo and a linked button. I also include links in the body of the text, though not too many and I make sure that every photo in the email has a link if clicked on. If you are not sure where to send someone from a photo click, your shop or the home page of your site are good defaults. 

At the bottom of the email I have a section with upcoming events listed. These announcements are even shorter in length with a relevant thumbnail photo next to them. I always include the title of the event; the date, time and location; and a brief description of the event. Brief in this case means usually a sentence or two. I always include a call to action such as, “Go to the event page for more information.” I would then use the words “Event page” as a link taking the viewer to that page on my site. I also put links on the thumbnail photos. 

Links 

I can not stress how important links are. Make it as easy as possible for the viewer to get to the information or to the sale that your email is advertising. Links can go on photos, they can be linked to text in the body of paragraphs and they can go on buttons. In the case of buttons and text links, make sure to use language that will help guide the viewers. Try phrases like “shop now” on buttons or “go to the online shop” with the link on the word “shop”. Good communication is important. 

A monthly newsletter can be a time investment, but if you make use of the tools that your marketing platform provides for you, simplify your message and include photos, you will find that the campaigns come together pretty quickly. Remember to proof read you campaigns and double check all your links before you send them off. Happy marketing! 

Next Post: Supporting Artists in Your Community 

Designing Products that Customers Connect With

During the course of the pandemic I have had to focus on online sales, which has helped me to connect with my online community of supporters. This has offered me a lot of insight into which products my customers were interested in the most. Through trial and error I have developed a formula for designing products that my customers connect with. Products should be on trend, they should match your brand and be approved by your customer base. 

On Trend 

An on trend product or design is something that is currently fashionable in the market that you are selling in. Product ideas are a concept for the product itself. Mugs, wall hangings and incense burners are all examples of product ideas. A design idea is how you decorate a product or what the product looks like. If you create a mug with a cactus on it, the mug is the product and the cactus is the design.

A good way to research ideas for on trend products or designs is to look at platforms that you sell or advertise through. You can further extend your research by including platforms that are similar. I personally sell through my own website, and advertise through Instagram and Pinterest. Many of my peers on Instagram sell through Etsy. So when I research ideas for future products I look at Instagram, Pinterest and Etsy for ideas. 

It is important to remember that what is currently on trend will not always be on trend. This research process is endless. Instead of conducting formal research sessions, I recommend making a habit of observing trends in you daily life. I make a mental note of product or design ideas that I see on a regular basis. 

On Brand

When you start researching design and product ideas that are on trend, remember that you want to choose products that match you own brand. My brand includes earth tones and influences from nature, so I am unlikely to choose brightly colored unicorns in space as a design influence. They just would not go with my brand. Instead, I look for design ideas that are influenced by nature or product ideas that I would like to have in my own home. 

The materials and color pallets that you work with can often help guide you toward on brand inspirations. I limit myself to materials like clay, stainless steel and yarn, and a muted natural color pallet. This helps me to keep my products cohesive. 

Customer Approved 

One of the best things about moving my focus online this year was implementing social media to receive feed back from my community. I was able to conduct polls of new products and see what people liked and what was less appealing. It also gave my customers a direct line of communication to offer me feedback. 

I found that most of my customers gravitated to products that had a specific, recognizable design. My mini pumpkin and cactus sculptures were big hits while more functional products with simple textures were less exciting. I use this information as a guide when designing new products and it also helped me narrow down which products I should continue making. 

Creating art is very personal, and sometimes when one design is valued by your customer base over another, it can be disappointing. My advice is to keep creating new products and focus your attention on the excitement of creating something new rather that dwelling on why something did not work. 

Customer feedback is essential. Listen to what customers are asking for, this does not mean that you have to take every suggestion seriously, but if something comes up over and over again, it is likely a sound suggestion. My own customers started making requests for larger planters, when I obliged I was happy to see that they were some of the first products to sell when I did a shop update. 

Factors to Consider

Some items can be characterized as seasonal products and may not do well in one season then turn around a be a huge hit during another season. Here is an example. My mini pumpkins flew off the shelf between September and November, but the minute we hit Christmas they were old news. This tells me that I should be building these products in July and August and releasing them to my online shop and retail locations during the fall. 

Another factor to consider is where the product is being sold. My ceramic shot glasses do really well at art markets, where customers can handle them, and mix and match to create their own custom sets. However, this product does not sell well online. If I had not taken the time to try them in both venues, I never would have known. 

If you have a product that is struggling, take a moment to think about why it is not selling. The solution to boosting sales might be as simple as waiting a few months to release it or trying it in a different venue. Of course there are always times when a product just does not do well. It is important to recognize the situation for what it is and put your time and effort into developing something new. 

Designing new products can be really fun, but also overwhelming. A lot of your product decisions will be made based on your own instincts, but sometimes having a little help can take you further. Do your best to stay on top of current trends, be aware of your own brand and keep things consistent. Most importantly, listen to what your customer base is telling you by observing what the respond to and what they choose to purchase. 

Next Post: Writing Artist Newsletters (June 12, 2021)

The Omni Open Studios Podcast

This week’s post is taking a bit of a different tone, instead of talking to you about some aspect of business in the art world, I will be using the platform to make an announcement. If you are unaware of my project Omni Open Studios, this may be a little confusing. Omni Open Studios is a project that I started back in September with the goal of supporting artists by offering them a platform to connect to their communities online. If you would like to learn more about Omni Open Studios please visit the about page. 

Changes to Omni Open Studios  

I am making some big changes to the way I host Omni Open Studios. During the pandemic I had the bulk of my living expenses covered by family, and I could put my time to use in any way that I saw fit. A lot of my time went into organizing, interviewing and editing Omni Open Studios content and events. 

Now it is time for me to resume my life, but I do not want to see this project disappear so I have made some decisions to help shape the future of Omni Open Studios as a project under the umbrella of StudioGwyneth.

I will be putting out the last of our Artist Videos in June, and discontinuing the Omni Open Studios Patreon community at that time. I will however, be starting a StudioGwyneth Patreon, which will still support Omni Open Studios as one of my projects. I am starting an Omni Open Studios podcast that will come out monthly, and I will still be hosting an annual live event online through Zoom each September. Both of these efforts will offer representation to artist at no monetary cost to them. 

If you are a current supporter of the Omni Open Studios Patreon, I want to say thank you for supporting our goals. So many artists have had a chance to participate in the opportunities that Omni OS provides and I really feel that we made a difference to their lives this year. I hope you will consider continue into to support Omni Open Studios by supporting the StudioGwyneth Patreon.

Goals of the Podcast 

Since I started the Omni Open Studios project, I have had the opportunity to speak with several artists about their work. For the most part our interviews are focused on the work they are doing, their lives or causes that they support. Though, I would really like to expand on these topics. During the unrecorded parts of our meetings we often talk about issues affecting artists in our community, problems that we may have encountered on the administrative side of our art businesses and so many other topics that people outside of art communities may not even think about.  

Another aspect of this podcast that makes it stand out, is the fact that we are interviewing artists that are not well know, or well established. Many of our artists are at the beginning of their careers or have chosen to pursue another career outside of the arts, but create on the side. This gives them a unique voice, that is also extremely relatable. 

I can not wait to begin recording our first episode. If you are an artist, wether you have participated in previous Omni OS opportunities or not, I encourage you to sign up to be part of this podcast. We will plug your shop, your classes and your causes. Fill out the form and I will contact you to set up a time to record.

The Podcast will be hitting the web this July, I will be posting on the usual podcast platforms, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts as well as the soon to be created StudioGwyneth Patreon.

Next Post: Process: Pouring Soy Candles (May 16, 2021)

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