Learning the best techniques for how to sell more art is a challenge.

Nothing sells itself.

To grow your career, learn how to sell more art. It’s a crucial skill. Most people, let alone artists, are not naturals who know the best way to sell anything, much less art.  Fortunately, just as you can improve how you create your art, you can also enhance your ability to sell art. Anyone can do it.

Want more sales? Politely ask people to buy.I have a couple of concepts you can use to boost your art sales. To set the proper frame of mind, let’s start with this powerful quote from Mahatma Gandhi:If you don't ask, you don't get. - Mahatma Gandhi how to sell more art

Now, check out these valuable lessons on how to sell more art:

  • OFFER BIG
  • Never sell thinking about what is in your wallet… I’ll tell you what that means in a short bit

What does OFFER BIG mean?

Simple. It means whenever you are in a selling opportunity you are in control and as such, you can up the ante in a sale scenario.

Being in control means, you are the one who knows what is going on. Your prospect is looking for information and confirmation about purchasing your art from you.

You may not feel in control, or like you know how to sell more art

That is pretty natural, but it doesn’t change the facts. To use your control properly, you may need to shake off some of the head trash that is holding you back from

That means learning tips to calm yourself and to realize the best and worst that can happen in any situation. If you have internalized those parameters, there can be no shocks to what goes on in a sales encounter. Then you can proceed to take control and add to the deal.

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Deep breaths, positive thinking, and a determined attitude prevail

You stop your worry and calm yourself by realizing the best that can happen is you make the sale. The worst is you don’t make the deal. Here is where you come in with your calm control. Your prospective buyer can only think of buying what they see. The standard thing is they are thinking about buying one piece of art. That’s because it is how it usually goes.

You change that paradigm by making a BIG OFFER. Get an agreement for the first sale then suggest an add-on to it. Your customer is already in an open-to-buy frame of mind. Does, “Would you like fries with your order?” sound familiar? It should. It is a classic example of suggesting a realistic offer to a customer with an open wallet.

Consistently Asking for the Big Sale Works Is a Key Increased Profit Margin!

How does that translate to your business? Easy. You need to think about packages you could offer someone. If you are in a retail situation, such as at a show or in your studio, you already know you have an interested buyer. Instead of getting excited about selling one piece of art, why not suggest a suite of images? A commission or a portrait?

Here’s How Artists Can Make the Art of the Big Offer Help Them Sell More Art

Let me tell you about my most favorite offer! Many of my other collectors love it! Add a second 30″ x 40,” and two 16″ x 20″ giclees and I’ll make you a sweet suite deal. Alternatively, would you prefer to have one large and three smaller images in a package? This multi-piece concept is a beautiful way to make any setting look fantastic! 

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Help Your Collector Visualize What They Are Getting. Big Offers Get Big Results

Paint a picture for them here. Mentally put the pieces in their home or office “Together, these images in a grouping will complement each other, and will look spectacular in your home or office. The work is something you are bound to enjoy for years” The point is to let them think about how hanging a suite of your images will enrich their home and bring them happiness.

Work on Your Big Offer Until It Comes Naturally to You!

First, figure out your offer. Then practice it until you can make the offer with conviction and confidence, I assure you that you will see a dramatic change in your results by making big suggestions consistently.

You may be struggling to make the rent, or just working hard to make your second career in the art business profitable. Either way, it’s no sin to be modest and cautious with your money. That said, you have to leave out your sense of economic well-being and not project what is happening in your life onto your collectors. You can’t accurately presume to know the resources or interest of another.

Never Prejudge What You Think Someone Can Afford to Spend

Remember, I told you not to sell with what’s in your wallet.

Never let any situation such as being short on funds enter into the equation. It is not your job to determine how much art they can afford, or you can afford.

When selling your art, to be as efficient as possible, it is your duty as a smart business person to ask for the order and offer big. You are helping them, guiding them to make a purchase of something they will treasure. What’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing. If you have a problem with offering big because you are shy, uncomfortable or what have you, here is a bit of tough love:

If you want to sell art to the best of your ability, get over what’s holding you back! Don’t be the cause of your problems. Be the solution.

Is your attitude costing you money?

You have to realize you are dealing with intelligent adults who are quite capable of telling you no thank you. However, if you never present the offer, you are guaranteed not to sell art in big orders every time. Most people are not that original in thinking big for themselves. They usually require you to tell them what they want and will respond to creative offers, even big ones.

HINT: After you make the offer, SHUT UP. I don’t care how much time passes. Smile, be relaxed, casual and wait… wiggle your toes if you need to. If you start talking before they respond, you have effectively taken them off the offer. If they change the subject, you should answer the question, and ask if they liked the suggestion. Get back on track.

Do As Shakespeare Said

So as the immortal Shakespeare adroitly put it, “Screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we’ll not fail.” He’s telling us through Lady Macbeth to put aside our fears and gather our courage to do the deed. In these times especially, you have to leverage all you have to sell art in the quantities you desire. Employ these basic how to sell more art concepts in your daily business and watch your sales and confidence grow.

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  • Great overview for someone trying to wrap their head around where to start to make money. Someone like me :)Thanks a lot!

  • Mon Sun C says:

    Thank you for this article. Lot of great information and a good reminder for me to start considering taking negotiation classes just to start building this ‘negotiation muscle”.

  • Dear Eric, Mon and Ronald,

    Thanks for you comments and kind words. It is encouraging to hear back from you!

  • Thanks for more sound advice, Barney. We all need to learn how to get out of our own way.

  • Julio Sergio diaz says:

    These is the best advice! It gives not only ideas, but encouragement! I am an artist and is not easy to sell! THanks

  • Patt Robles says:

    I very much like your idea of offering a second painting as an incentive to purchase the first one! I paint large landscapes and I will try to do this and offer to paint one of the client’s own favorite view.

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