CRM and Follow Up

Keeping track of "who" has seen your artwork, purchased your artwork and commented on your artwork is a vital part of successful sales. CRM is all about Customer Relationship Management.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Keeping track of "who" has seen your artwork, purchased your artwork and commented on your artwork is a vital part of successful sales. "Who" meaning much more than simply their name and basic contact info (phone, email, address); but rather their likes, dislikes and reasons for wanting to buy, timeline for wanting to buy, and any other pertinent information that could effect a sale.

Maybe a potential buyer has expressed deep interest in one of your pieces, but simply says they do not have the money at this time. This is the point when the sale really begins and the sales cycle begins. Do not be pushy or feel upset if they walk away. Engage your potential buyer in a conversation; find out why they want the piece (personal, for a gift, to resell, etc); find out why they like the piece (the fact it is oil, yellow, big, of a certain subject, etc), find out what they do (are they on a fixed income or do they have a sales commission job), find out personal information (where they live, do they have favorite artist, children, etc). Find out as much information as you can about the audience your work appeals to; they are your potential customers. The more you know, the more successful you will be.

By knowing your prospect, you will be able to create value around your artwork rather than just talking about price. Take notes on your potential buyer surrounding the date, the place and any other references from past conversations with them. Record this gathered information along with their contact information into a CRM (there are free services that offer this including outlook, and salesforce.com). Keeping track of and building your client base is an important step in making sales happen.

Follow Up

Once you input all of the facts and details of your potential buyer, the next most important is to follow through by making sure you add every contact and their vital information and follow up with them to keep you fresh in their minds. In addition, you should ask your client if they want to be updated every time you issue a new portfolio and do they want to be notified in 3 months once they get a bonus check or maybe the next time you have a show.

Whatever the case, take note, set a reminder/task for that date and that potential customer and make sure you follow up with them. Your sales cycle maybe an hour, a week, a month, or a year. But as an artist trying to sell your work, you will greatly increase your sales over time by using a Customer Relationship Management tool and ensuring proper follow up.