Artists Don't Have to "Sell" Themselves

(Transcription)

Artist, Michelle Savas-Thompson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

What was your biggest challenge?

Michelle : 00:04 Just connecting. Making sure I get through to people and connect.

Connecting to who?

Michelle : 00:10 Getting in front of the right crowd and people that are in the mindset of “I want to buy art” or “I’m looking for art” or “this works for me, I have to have it”.

How were your art sales?

Michelle : 00:27 I felt like I was spinning wheels and not moving anywhere. When I would compare the last five years I felt like my sales were just kind of even, and not going up.

What limited your art sales?

Michelle : 00:38 What I never really thought about is you don’t get the contact information of the people who actually buy the work and I feel like that was a loss.

What did you know about sales?

Michelle : 00:52 I used to sell books door to door. So I had a sales pitch that I used and the sales pitch was great because I knew I had something to say when I got tripped up. So then I’m like, how do I put a sales pitch together for this?

Ann Rea: 01:10 You can’t!

What are you doing now?

Michelle: 01:14 My last art show I got rid of the bio and I put my mission and my purpose. I just printed it out and put it in the booth. That was so exciting.

Did you share your mission with everyone?

Michelle: 01:31 I was trying to bring people in to talk to them about the mission during the weekend, and I found, I didn’t really talk about it much. People had the opportunity at least to read it and still see it, so it just kind of spoke for me.

Does your mission sell your art?

Michelle : 01:49 This one buyer took a moment to look at my booth again and she read the mission and she turned to me and goes: “I have to buy this because of your mission. I have to buy it.” I was kind of like, oh my God. I was shaky. I’m shaky talking about it. I had to tell my study partner about it. I started to pace and when it was over I was walking and I was like, “oh, I got to tell someone!” That was pretty exciting because I wouldn’t have had that sale had that card not been there and to have that connection with her because my mission really resonated with her is so cool.

Ann Rea: 02:40 It works doesn’t it?!

Michelle : 02:45 It worked and I’m Like “I want to do that again!!”

Did you feel awkward?

Michelle: 02:50 Not at all. That’s what I detest about salespeople is that sleazy feeling, and I didn’t feel that way at all because it was me. It was the truth. She just really loved it.

What is conversational currency?

Ann Rea: 03:10 And guess what? She’s going to tell people about it.

Michelle: 03:13 I hope so.

Ann Rea: 03:14 Oh, she will. I mean, wouldn’t you?

Michelle: 03:20 Yeah. Yeah, it was pretty exciting.

Ann Rea: 03:23 Right so when you gave her that inspiration, which you did, what happened is you also gave her something called ‘conversational currency,’ which is very important in a luxury marketing space. That’s when people are so excited and inspired about something and they love the story so much that they share it with other people. They’re not sharing it to help you sell more paintings, they’re sharing it because they really feel it, and what happens is the other person goes, “Oh wow, I want to look at that”. Then what do they want to do? They want to talk to you. They want some of that feeling. It’s conversational currency 101.

Michelle: 04:05 I love it.

Is the truth the best marketing strategy?

Ann Rea: 04:11 It’s no bullshit. It’s real. It comes from your heart. It comes from your truth. You’re not trying to manipulate anybody.

Michelle: 04:21 No it was just the truth.

Ann Rea: 04:26 The truth is the best marketing strategy. I say that all the time.

Is this a process?

Michelle: 04:33 I struggled with the how and the who part, so I’m like: well, I’m going to keep moving forward and then as I do that stuff starts to figure itself out a little bit, then I move a little bit forward again and as I keep moving forward a little bit, I go back slightly and it starts to fall into place and answer questions on it’s own. It’s neat how that all works together along with all the reading. I just all works together.

What have you learned about the process?

Michelle : 05:03 You just have to trust it. You really do. Don’t fight it, don’t work against it. It’s like the river, go with the river and trust it.

What would you tell other artists?

Michelle: 05:13 Have that dedicated time every week that you work on it and be patient with yourself because it just takes the time and in Course Two do it every single day. Don’t skip your days in Course Two. That one, you need to do every day.

Ann Rea: 05:33 Yeah, you do because it’s got a rhythm to it.

What do artists need to know?

Michelle: 05:42 They need to tell their truth, their honest truth from inside themselves. They are selling the emotion of this product. The reason why that lady bought that bird wasn’t because she liked birds. It was because she really connected with the mission. Just be yourself. At the end of the day just be yourself.

What else do artists need to know?

Michelle: 06:03 Stay positive. Hold to your schedule and stick to it. If you don’t stick to your schedule then you get time to let your mind wander. It’s like in the book from Napolean Hill from the reading list, where he has a definitive purpose. You have a focus, a definitive purpose, a mission of what you are trying to work toward and if you work toward that, you don’t have time for all the other stuff.

What else do artists need to know?

Michelle : 06:39 Oh my God, this is huge: Anytime a negative thought comes into your mind, you can spend a lot of time dwelling on that, so why let it in? Why not just shove it into the bag and let it float away and tell yourself a positive affirmation instead? Just be strong in your mind and strict with yourself that you’re not going to let that stuff in your mindset because that just wastes your time.

How do you feel about being an artist?

Michelle: 07:11 The biggest thing that felt so good about it was that even though people in my life have said: “no, you shouldn’t do that.” I just did it anyways and am doing it . Why not do it.? This is what I want to do. It’s like how Elizabeth Gilbert’s book from the reading list says: You do it because you love it and you’re passionate about it. If you are living by it that’s awesome, that’s even better.

Should other artists apply to enroll?

Michelle: 07:46 It is so worth the time. You’re hurting yourself by not doing it. Seriously. I wish I had done it five years ago.