Barbara Lewis on sat 19 jul 97
Thanks to John Rodgers for information on marketing. I agree with what you
have said about marketing. We all have to be savvy with marketing our
product. At least we have a product. Try marketing the invisible, like
what I do with my job as executive director at our local arts council. The
more artists I work with the more I realize that very few of us seem to
appreciate how aggressive we must be in marketing your work. I am
constantly sending press release about myself, other artists, events to the
paper. The paper loves it, they print it, with pictures and all. Name
recognition is a key issue. I try not to make judgments about
"manufactured" pottery. I believe there will always be people that have
money as the main consideration when buying. If you are producing a
handcrafted piece, they may not be your customer. It is up to us to educate
the consumer about what makes our work unique. I do one-of-a-kind
saggar-fired porcelain vessels, which are very labor intensive to make. I
also make cone 10 functional work. When one is interested in the
saggar-fired work, I must convince them that they are an "arts patron" when
they buy these "artworks". No one will have another one like it. It is
unique. When they walk away with their purchase, I believe they feel as
special as I feel about my work. I compliment them on their good taste.
Seemingly our challenge is to narrow our market, but to also offer a
variety of pieces in a broad price range. Just think about what a gallery
does to stay in business by offering broad price points and a variety,
reduce that to the personal level, and there you have it. As director of
our local arts council, we opened (May 18) a cooperative gallery featuring
the work of 18 local artists. It is a fine art and fine craft gallery
carrying baskets, jewelry, pottery, hand-painted silk scarves, oil
paintings, photography, etc. One of my main considerations was that there
would be something at the gallery in every price range very everyone's
budget. I did not want people to feel that they couldn't afford to walk out
with something. I'm just rambling. . . sorry, Barbara
Jeremy/Bonnie Hellman on sun 20 jul 97
Barbara-
Thanks to you for your insightful comments on being a patron of the arts.
If you think selling ceramic art is a hard sell, try to get people to
come to a concert of contemporary classical music. I'm on the board of
Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, and attendance is a major issue. I always
used to attend concerts (and bring my teenage girls) because I liked the
music. I would tell them that "it was their cultural obligation" to
attend the concerts. If artists are creating it now and performing it
now, we have an obligation to at least get exposed to it now.
There's a humorous poster showing the back of a man wearing a raincoast,
which he is holding open. You see only the back. It looks like he is
wearing nothing else. He is standing in front of a large stone building,
which could be a traditional art museum. The caption reads, "Expose
yourself to art."
Bonnie Hellman in Pittsburgh
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Thanks to John Rodgers for information on marketing. I agree with what you
>have said about marketing. We all have to be savvy with marketing our
>product. At least we have a product. Try marketing the invisible, like
>what I do with my job as executive director at our local arts council. The
>more artists I work with the more I realize that very few of us seem to
>appreciate how aggressive we must be in marketing your work. I am
>constantly sending press release about myself, other artists, events to the
>paper. The paper loves it, they print it, with pictures and all. Name
>recognition is a key issue. I try not to make judgments about
>"manufactured" pottery. I believe there will always be people that have
>money as the main consideration when buying. If you are producing a
>handcrafted piece, they may not be your customer. It is up to us to educate
>the consumer about what makes our work unique. I do one-of-a-kind
>saggar-fired porcelain vessels, which are very labor intensive to make. I
>also make cone 10 functional work. When one is interested in the
>saggar-fired work, I must convince them that they are an "arts patron" when
>they buy these "artworks". No one will have another one like it. It is
>unique. When they walk away with their purchase, I believe they feel as
>special as I feel about my work. I compliment them on their good taste.
>Seemingly our challenge is to narrow our market, but to also offer a
>variety of pieces in a broad price range. Just think about what a gallery
>does to stay in business by offering broad price points and a variety,
>reduce that to the personal level, and there you have it. As director of
>our local arts council, we opened (May 18) a cooperative gallery featuring
>the work of 18 local artists. It is a fine art and fine craft gallery
>carrying baskets, jewelry, pottery, hand-painted silk scarves, oil
>paintings, photography, etc. One of my main considerations was that there
>would be something at the gallery in every price range very everyone's
>budget. I did not want people to feel that they couldn't afford to walk out
>with something. I'm just rambling. . . sorry, Barbara
From University of California Professor Robert Silensky:
"We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters
will
eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the
Internet, we know this is not true."
RDpotz on thu 4 sep 97
Looking back through old messages before deleting, I found Barbara Lewis's
message, posted 19 July. Does anyone else have anything to say about
marketing one's work? My husband and I are getting serious about selling
and are thinking carefully about what we have to offer, where we fit in the
market, who might want to see and buy our work.
Galleries are out of the question for a number of reasons: Richard's work
requires that we relocate every 3 years or so, and we're currently living
outside the UK and subject to German tax laws (ouch!). We've been advised
to sell to Brits only and keep our earnings down. We still want to gain
experience and improve our skills and aim to become associates of at least
one recognised body of potters in the UK before returning. It may help
when we throw ourselves into this work back in the UK.
There must be people amongst you reading this who have lived something
like this before, or at least have some thoughts to offer.....
Care to speak up?
Dawn
Jean Lutz on mon 14 aug 00
The following is from http://www.cybertip4theday.com/index.html2
newsletter on marketing.
Strolling along a street in Paris one sunny day, who did a=20
woman happen to see sketching at a sidewalk caf=E9 but the=20
already quite famous Pablo Picasso! She couldn't resist the=20
urge to approach the master to ask whether he would do a=20
quick portrait of her, and charge accordingly.=20
=20
To her amazement, the artist obliged and immediately set to=20
work. In just two minutes, she was handed her portrait: an=20
original Picasso! "How much do I owe you?" the woman asked.=20
=20
"Five thousand francs, Madame," Picasso replied.=20
=20
"Five thousand francs?" the woman repeated, in suggested=20
protest. "But it only took you two minutes to make the=20
sketch."=20
=20
"No, Madame," Picasso responded. "It took me my whole life."=20
=20
One of the biggest decision areas you are faced with in your=20
online marketing endeavors is that of pricing. It is=20
tempting to succumb to the perception that, in order to=20
remain "competitive" and survive, you have to lower your=20
prices or fees as much as possible, so as to "beat the=20
competition."=20
=20
The fallacy reflected in this type of thinking is that=20
consumers make their buying decisions primarily on the basis=20
of who offers the lowest prices. This has been disproven by=20
tests in which the same product or service sold better at a=20
higher pricepoint than a lower one.=20
=20
As a general rule, it is best to at least test what you=20
believe could be the highest possible amount for your=20
product or service. You can always work your way down. It is=20
much more problematic to move in the opposite direction,=20
testing higher prices after you have been offering lower=20
ones.=20
=20
One of the major advantages that the Web affords is=20
flexibility: the ability to change prices quickly, to test,=20
and then adapt, on the basis of results. To make your online=20
marketing efforts as effective as possible, be sure to make=20
full use of this important advantage.=20
Oooladies@AOL.COM on mon 14 aug 00
In a message dated 8/14/00 10:43:42 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
jlutz@AZLINK.COM writes:
<< As a general rule, it is best to at least test what you
believe could be the highest possible amount for your
product or service. You can always work your way down. It is
much more problematic to move in the opposite direction,
testing higher prices after you have been offering lower
ones. >>
I have always heard the opposite of this snip (above) - my feelings on
pricing are that one must consider several factors....
1. what will the market bear..... this requires going out and looking at
other work, you should be looking at similar works, and very important, like
quality and craftmanship.
what are the prices that you see, and are these prices working, are the works
selling.
2. what is a reasonable 'hourly wage' - remembering the retail price is what
you should be thinking about, and that you will be happy with 50% of that, as
50% is a common commission these days, if you happen to sell thru a venue
that takes less than 50% then you make a little more for your time. (one
must also remember that the tax man is gonna get part of this price too.....)
3. if you consider the 2 above factors and reach a price you can feel good
about, put it out there and see how it goes, if you sell fast and
consistantly with this price, then you can 'up the price' a bit as time goes
on and the next grouping or body of work develops.... I have always felt
slow and steady increases of work just show the increased value of the work,
and this is an important thing for collectors to see, your work increasing in
value, no one wants to be the one who bought at a higher price and then see
you selling for less the next time they see your work!
so much for my 2cents....
marie gibbons
arvada colorado
sculpture in clay & mixed media
www.o
ooladies.com
KLeSueur@AOL.COM on mon 14 aug 00
In a message dated 8/14/00 2:55:12 PM, jlutz@AZLINK.COM writes:
<< One of the biggest decision areas you are faced with in your
online marketing endeavors is that of pricing. It is
tempting to succumb to the perception that, in order to
remain "competitive" and survive, you have to lower your
prices or fees as much as possible, so as to "beat the
competition." .....
The fallacy reflected in this type of thinking is that
consumers make their buying decisions primarily on the basis
of who offers the lowest prices. This has been disproven by
tests in which the same product or service sold better at a
higher pricepoint than a lower one.>>
Several years ago a company test marketed window scrapers. They put scrapers
on sale at gas stations for $.49, $1.29, and $2.29. They could have made a
good profit at the $.49 price but found that people bought the most at the
$1.29 price. It seems that they figured a 49 cent scraper probably wouldn't
last or do the job well while the $2.29 was was seen as over priced.
Pricing your work too cheap can imply that it is inferior. Finding the right
price takes time but is worth the effort.
Kathi LeSueur
Ann Arbor, Mi
Polly Harris on mon 14 aug 00
Another view of marketing.... I was told several years ago when I began to
market through the wholesale markets that the buyer cannot discern a 10%
price increase. So, if like me, the rent must be paid and you are not
comfortable with starting at the highest price possible and coming down due
to low sales.... Try the other way. I have raised my prices 10% twice a year
for years now and the sales continue to climb with no complaints registered
yet.
p
Paul Taylor on tue 15 aug 00
Dear All=20
I have some bitter experience to add to this thread.
When I first started to make pots here I was not appreciative of the
tourist season being short yet frenzied and started to worry about the
sales. I shared this concern with a friend who said that he had a friend wh=
o
would pop in and talk to me who was starting out as a business consultant.
He arrived, exuding confidence, diagnosed cash flow as the problem and
suggested a sale. This advise I followed and sold the pots cheaper. But the
man did not realize that pots made by hand are made one at a time and there
is a considerable time lag. So come the buying frenzy in the summer I had n=
o
pots.
The advise he should have given was try another market at the same price
and if you can not bear the extra investment that would incur try to pay th=
e
bills you need to and put as many as you can on the long finger. Survive on
brown rice and vegetables some how. When the sales arrive remember to put
enough by to take you through to next summer and add the interest costs of
the cash borrowed if you will have to get an overdraft for the spring cash
flow.
The advise he gave nearly broke me. My father gave me some money so I
survived when the same problem hit worse the next year.
Pricing problems can take a long time to bring down a business the
length of that time is proportionate to the pricing. If you are 20 % too lo=
w
the results will show quick enough if you are 10% you will not survive the
winter if you are 5% you will last two years and 2,5% you will keep going
until you have to replace equipment.
This 2.5 % has come home to me and I am nearly in trouble myself the
problem of pricing is worse than crazing.
To do some imaginary sums for you. On a turn over of 20,000 Sobs a yea=
r
- the sum of all you sell (a Sob is the unit of currency referred too in a
pub ). Plus 2.5% of that 20,000 is 500 , over ten years that amounts to
5000 Sobs. This is twenty five percent of a years turn over. It is the
price of a new kiln or a revamp of the old one and a down payment on a van =
(
I am fanaticizing a little here) . So you are not able to make the capitol
investment necessary to carry on, because you charged 2 Sobs for a mug and
not 2 Sobs and five or six cents. That's scary.
A bit of good advice a mate gave me was; if you run out of sock, and you
are working as hard as you can, decide how much extra stock (The percentage=
)
you could have shifted, and put the price up by the same amount. I decided
on twenty percent last year and put my stuff up 15% and find myself five to
ten percent short this year. I did some exhibition work which left me a bi=
t
short on stock and I did not allow for inflation. So on balance his advise
was sound for my situation.
=20
-- Regards Paul Taylor.
Westport Pottery, Liscarney, County Mayo. Ireland.
http://www.anu.ie/westportpottery/
Ps a note to all. Please paragraph your posts and put a blank line in
between the paragraphs. I have great difficulty reading large blocks of
type from a screen.
=20
> From: Jean Lutz
> Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 10:04:59 -0700
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Marketing
>=20
> The following is from http://www.cybertip4theday.com/index.html2
> newsletter on marketing.
>=20
> Strolling along a street in Paris one sunny day, who did a
> woman happen to see sketching at a sidewalk caf=E9 but the
> already quite famous Pablo Picasso! She couldn't resist the
> urge to approach the master to ask whether he would do a
> quick portrait of her, and charge accordingly.
>=20
> To her amazement, the artist obliged and immediately set to
> work. In just two minutes, she was handed her portrait: an
> original Picasso! "How much do I owe you?" the woman asked.
>=20
> "Five thousand francs, Madame," Picasso replied.
>=20
> "Five thousand francs?" the woman repeated, in suggested
> protest. "But it only took you two minutes to make the
> sketch."=20
>=20
> "No, Madame," Picasso responded. "It took me my whole life."
>=20
> One of the biggest decision areas you are faced with in your
> online marketing endeavors is that of pricing. It is
> tempting to succumb to the perception that, in order to
> remain "competitive" and survive, you have to lower your
> prices or fees as much as possible, so as to "beat the
> competition."=20
>=20
> The fallacy reflected in this type of thinking is that
> consumers make their buying decisions primarily on the basis
> of who offers the lowest prices. This has been disproven by
> tests in which the same product or service sold better at a
> higher pricepoint than a lower one.
>=20
> As a general rule, it is best to at least test what you
> believe could be the highest possible amount for your
> product or service. You can always work your way down. It is
> much more problematic to move in the opposite direction,
> testing higher prices after you have been offering lower
> ones.=20
>=20
> One of the major advantages that the Web affords is
> flexibility: the ability to change prices quickly, to test,
> and then adapt, on the basis of results. To make your online
> marketing efforts as effective as possible, be sure to make
> full use of this important advantage.
>=20
> _________________________________________________________________________=
_____
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>=20
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>=20
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
Earl Brunner on tue 15 aug 00
In one of my "jobs" I worked for a general contractor,
(builds buildings)
He was small, not a large company, sometimes only three or
four people working for him. One day after completing a big
job we drove by a new car dealer and he stopped and looked
at mini vans (he had several children). He ended up paying
cash on the spot for the mini van. He blew me away, I
couldn't understand paying for a car like that. But he
explained it this way, which has application to us I think.
He tried never to buy anything on time. His reasoning being
that the construction business is a fickle one and he might
have a slow time and not be able to make payments. Well if
construction is fickle, it doesn't have anything on selling
pots.
Paul Taylor wrote:
>
> Dear All
>
> I have some bitter experience to add to this thread.
>
> The advise he should have given was try another market at the same price
> and if you can not bear the extra investment that would incur try to pay the
> bills you need to and put as many as you can on the long finger. Survive on
> brown rice and vegetables some how. When the sales arrive remember to put
> enough by to take you through to next summer and add the interest costs of
> the cash borrowed if you will have to get an overdraft for the spring cash
> flow.
>
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
Cristpots@AOL.COM on mon 16 oct 00
I can't remember where I heard about this but there is a web-site for the
business part of art at Tailwind.com. The address is:
www.tailwind.com/db/l.asp?hid=79&nid=1&aid=4797
I've just discovered this site and all that I've really looked into is their
monthly on-line newsletter called Gorman Art Matters. It does cover marketing
issues and the information seemed worthwhile to me. I'm not affliated with
this site - just passing along something that I discovered.
Beverly Crist, Los Angeles
Joseph Herbert on mon 9 apr 01
Wendy Rosen wrote:
“This is an information-needy customer or collector. Work with a message
that will draw these collectors to your work. Don't ever assume that your
message is obvious; provide documentation that further illustrates your
point or perspective.”
Leaving the Unknown Craftsman aside for a moment, many people who buy
functional handmade ceramic objects are interested in the hands as well as
the objects. For better or worse, the purchasers would like a little bit of
you to go along with the pot. The easier it is for them to get that, the
easier it is to sell one or more of the pots.
If you are not present, a bio with picture (easily done these days with
inkjet and scanners) goes along way to satisfying this need in the
purchaser. Part of the reason people buy pots of “famous” potters is that
this need is satisfied by other forces, publicity, word of mouth, etc.
Non-famous potters have to make a little more effort to supply their own
story in the market place. If you are present, then you have to talk to the
potential purchasers of your work. Since all most all of us are not Ron
Popiel (sp?), this is not easy. The classic pitchman is selling you the
knife or vegetable cutter but he is also selling you the story. In many
cases the story is as (or more) important that the merchandise. Mr. Popiel
tells a story of a famous boardwalk pitchman (perhaps his father) who was
watched for a long time by a person who bought several products. At the end
of the time, the purchaser left and threw away the products as he went. He
had bought only the story.
This runs against the character of most potters and reduced our income.
I a relate vein, I once met a person (at a workshop) who attended workshops
as a way of collecting autographs of “famous” potters. He had a book of
contemporary ceramic work and was endeavoring to have the artists sign next
to their pictured work. He may have been interested in the work but the was
certainly interested in the persons.
If you allow the purchasers of your work to think of you as a person, even
the least little bit, their appreciation of your work is enhanced and the
possibility of additional sales is increased.
Joseph Herbert
May Herz on mon 9 apr 01
A great example are the collectors of Mata Ortiz pottery who are always
searching for information about the potters themselves.
Browse through Ebay's listing of Mata Ortiz and you'll see what I mean. Half
the sale relies on the potters information.
May Herz
www.mexicanceramic.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Herbert"
To:
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2001 9:36 AM
Subject: Marketing
Wendy Rosen wrote:
"This is an information-needy customer or collector. Work with a
message
that will draw these collectors to your work. Don't ever assume that your
message is obvious; provide documentation that further illustrates your
point or perspective."
Leaving the Unknown Craftsman aside for a moment, many people who buy
functional handmade ceramic objects are interested in the hands as well as
the objects. For better or worse, the purchasers would like a little bit of
you to go along with the pot. The easier it is for them to get that, the
easier it is to sell one or more of the pots.
If you are not present, a bio with picture (easily done these days with
inkjet and scanners) goes along way to satisfying this need in the
purchaser. Part of the reason people buy pots of "famous" potters is that
this need is satisfied by other forces, publicity, word of mouth, etc.
Non-famous potters have to make a little more effort to supply their own
story in the market place. If you are present, then you have to talk to the
potential purchasers of your work. Since all most all of us are not Ron
Popiel (sp?), this is not easy. The classic pitchman is selling you the
knife or vegetable cutter but he is also selling you the story. In many
cases the story is as (or more) important that the merchandise. Mr. Popiel
tells a story of a famous boardwalk pitchman (perhaps his father) who was
watched for a long time by a person who bought several products. At the end
of the time, the purchaser left and threw away the products as he went. He
had bought only the story.
This runs against the character of most potters and reduced our income.
I a relate vein, I once met a person (at a workshop) who attended workshops
as a way of collecting autographs of "famous" potters. He had a book of
contemporary ceramic work and was endeavoring to have the artists sign next
to their pictured work. He may have been interested in the work but the was
certainly interested in the persons.
If you allow the purchasers of your work to think of you as a person, even
the least little bit, their appreciation of your work is enhanced and the
possibility of additional sales is increased.
Joseph Herbert
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
artimater on sat 19 jan 02
Chris Campbell wrote:
I stick out like a sore thumb whenever I call someone's pottery a
product. Potters want to resist thinking in a business oriented way. But =
like
it or not we are creating products that have to compete for the =
consumer's
dollar. They are not going to stampede to us ... we have to get to them.
I absolutely do not believe that there is no way around the b.s. =
you
report. The magnitute of options in the art world today is mind =
boggling. Go
to the library and buy the newest book you can find on marketing your =
art.
There are some good ones out there full of original ideas.
You have to put as much work into selling in the beginning as you =
put
into learning your craft, but after a while it picks up a momentum of =
its own
and soon you will have galleries waiting for back orders
Chris et al,
I have attempted marketing through various venues.....not much =
luck....I believe what you say, but now I believe that marketing is =
something best left to professionals....I have spent way too much =
productive time pursuing with little to show for it....At this stage of =
my life I am way more interested in working on my art than I am in =
trying to turn it into cash....I also like to look in the eyes of those =
who acquire my stuff....If they don't love it as much as myself they =
might not get it.....
A little stolen story:
One time a gallery owner from America came to see =
Picasso....Picasso told him he was sorry but he really didn't have =
anything for him.....He also told him he liked his hat.......Several =
months later the man returned....Low and behold, he had a hat just like =
his in Picasso's size and everything....Picasso told him he still didn't =
have anything for him and he had thought about it and he really didn't =
like the hat eitherHEHEHEHE
=20
I wear the artist's hat; someday maybe I will run into a competent =
guy in a marketers hat. In the meantime you can bet I won't be out =
there sacrificing anything....
Thanks for the thoughtful post....It was the kind that rolls around =
in my head for weeks...Hence the belated reply...No easy smartass answer =
to this question.
PAX,
Rush
"I only indulge when I've seen a snake, so I keep a supply of =
indulgences and snakes handy"
http://artimator.com
rush@artimator.com
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/texasceramics
Artimator Galleries
2420 Briarwood Ln.
Carrollton, TX 75006
972-841-1857
primalmommy on sat 12 jul 03
It's going on two in the morning and I should be asleep but I had
cherry-rhubarb pies in the oven, and now the house smells too good to
sleep as they cool...
So I am reading Wendy (who seems to me to be a very smart woman) and
Phil (who is so completely Phil) and thinking about the whole marketing
thing...
I have gotten in trouble in the past with my broad-brush condemnation of
marketing as the root of all evil... marketing aimed at children,
marketing based on the notion that we are too fat or two unfashionable
or not OK the way we are because we need to buy something... and then
something newer, and more expensive...
I have chosen to vote with my checkbook about the moral judgement of
some corporations, their use of sweatshops or impact on the planet...
(see co-op america, www.sweatshops.org) and when my kids were little,
they had NO commercial tv whatsoever. Now they have me in their ear,
spelling out what ads are really selling, and how they manipulate...
disney teams up with fast food joints for a barrage of happy meal
plastic movie promos and such, but we can (and do) avoid both... at
least until the free video shows up at the library, long after the
marketing push has moved on to the next frenzy...
But then i find myself in the position of wanting to peddle my pottery.
So I figure out the website thing, learn where and how to drop a word or
trade a link, build a meta-tag... little by little I suppose I will
learn to market myself. So here I am eating crow... but I have a weird
little target market, and have never given much thought to the larger
issues.
I agree with Phil that marketers -- if they cannot find the problem --
hand us one. Contented people are bad for the economy. They bloom where
they are planted, make do with not much, find joy in a full moon or a
red hen or a bowl of gooseberries. I speak to that with some authority
;0) since "I are one". We don't trade in our cars, our spouses, our
homes for the next and the next. So better that marketers sell us some
angst and self doubt...
Clearly just because we are a handful of potters doesn't mean we have a
marketing clue. Wendy was gentle but righton, pointng that out. But why
is it so hard to make a "got milk" miracle with pottery? It is not as if
we haven't been sold other stuff that we had no need for! I spent the
morning at a farm town flea market looking for canning jars and other
kitchen goodies, and had an opportunity to think about it.
So many people sell used -- the stuff they bought for who they WANT to
be, or wish they were, or feel like they are supposed to be. Like the
Cathy comic strip where she was perusing the bridal gift registry of a
couple who wanted top-of-the-line, restaurant grade cappuccino makers,
mixers, grinders, choppers, wine racks, calphalon pans, $$$$$ stuff..
and she said, "I know these people! They don't even cook! They eat out
of styrofoam carryout boxes!"
Which is nice for me... I have a fleet of second hand food dehydrators
that I actually use... jar lifters ;0) and canning supplies, vacuum
sealers, pressure cookers and sausage stuffers, for a buck here and a
buck there. But the stuff on the tables, still in the box, says a lot
about what people think they should want. Every sale has a "thigh
master". A "chia pet". Cheap gadgety "magic choppers" made in China,
never used.. or used once and discarded in favor of a knife. (Hubby
brought me a cherry pitter today and I still spent an hour pitting sour
cherries with a paper clipuse a paper clip.) There's always some little
waffle maker or yogurt maker or burger maker that has never seen the
outside of a cupboard. or one of each.
Every miracle product ever hawked on home shopping network or the
"ronco" rip off du jour... paid for in absurd monthly installments, and
then offerred for a quarter unused at a rummage sale. Only nobody buys
it -- no slick commercial to hypnotize them.
But what about the stuff that is GOOD for our souls, good for the
planet, good for the community? Why doesn't it "sell"? or how is it that
it sells without marketing? organic food co-ops flourish by word of
mouth.. the products they sell require little self-promotion, we buy
based on hard facts; what's in it, what's not, where and how was it
grown. There is a booming business in cloth diapers, the new hand
stitched kind with velcro or snaps, and they are rarely advertised --
because people who want them go hunting for them, trade and barter for
them, surf the web looking for ones made by stay at home moms or ones
made from organic cotton. The words "chinese pre-folds" carry a sneer
among diaper afficionados.
How do we bring the public to the galleries, the studios, the fairs? I
think it will take more than a slogan... though I wil gladly letter one
on my back car window with vinyl letters if it will help.
I am intrigued by Wendy's comment about the small business or small
market being able to do something different. I know people who buy
handmade pottery because they hate Wal-mart, refuse plastic, and know
what is made in factories -- but they are my own odd little circle and
do not represent a "target market"-- at least not in this part of Ohio.
Maybe California, or Oregon, or Albany. There is a certain amount of
prestige in being "arty", which in my area can be evidenced by having
bought something at the Ann Arbor Art fair, an annual event in many of
our lives since childhood. (did i mention i am getting a Richard Aerni
pot? my mom is going to pick me somethin good this week ;0) -- and
handmade pottery in area homes is often from there.
Maybe the trick is to find out WHY people buy pots, to begin with. And
why they don't. Maybe because they are eating out of microwaveable
plastic disposable trays. Me, I sometimes wonder about a potter's level
of safety with glazes and leaching -- knowing some who are less careful
than I would be and others who have just no clue -- and that sometimes
stops me from buying, but that's a potter's eye view. We're not selling
to other potters. That market is too small. Isn't it?
Janet, who buys high end ceramics? and why?
I think a key that a few people have mentioned is that this all means
something very different to the maker than it does to the buyer. We ARE
the invisible cow in the "got milk" ad. There IS a connection, or at
least we hope there is, as people invest in the
romance/mystique/nostalgia of having something made by a human, and one
they personally have met. After hundreds -- ok thousands -- of years of
otherwise, we no longer know who bakes our bread, who grew our meal, or
butchered it, or where our possessions came from. A pot can be an
antidote to that.
Maybe people need to know what they don't WANT to know.. that a lot of
what we buy mass-produced comes from sweatshops with deplorable
conditions, workers breathing plastic fumes with buckets for bathroom
needs, child labor, chained shut fire exits. Don't tell me that it's a
comparatively good life for folks in those places; most of them had
traditional cultures where possesions/money/poverty was not an issue,
until outside influence claimed the populace as a "resource" and changed
everything. There was a village in Bhopal before there was a factory,
and SUVs/coca-cola/TV/levis are not the only measure of quality of
life..
Maybe people need to be asked to consider what happens to all the
plastic they throw away... and styro... a big leaky landfill, our
grandchildrens' inheritance.
In 65 years of marriage my grandma had one pickle crock, one blender,
one toaster. They all kept working, or were fixed if they didn't; her
baked bean crock and sauerkraut crock still work in my kitchen. Now it's
cheaper to buy a TV than fix one, and they last 3 years. Why would
modern folks spend good money on something if they have no concept of
permanence? Is there such thing as a 'family heirloom" anymore? mel's
aunt whose collection went itnhe trash at the estate sale could well
have been an aunt whose kids thought her Voulkos platter was too ugly
for a birdbath -- and chucked it too. Art appreciation is not a genetic
predisposition.
And we can no longer assume that pottery -- or any of the things we care
about - will have anything to do with a home, or a kitchen. A lot of
women of my generation don't cook, and don't care to...(not saying
that's a bad thing, ok?) and in my neighborhood most families leave --
kids and all -- before breakfast and come home from work/daycare in the
evening. Form attachments with a car? a cell phone? sure! But the house
is just a place to keep your stuff... nobody lives there any more. A
path from the door to the TV/ninendo/computer to the bed.
Damn, this is as long as phil's posts.. i didn't mean to do that. And I
am fully aware that it is full of cynicism, over-generalization and
judgemental-sounding chest pounding. I mean no harm. I am just waiting
for my pies to cool and trying to figure out how the future of
art/craft/skill can be balanced on a slogan like "got clay?"
Yours, Kelly in Ohio... going to bed... to the melodious "tink" of
sealing canning jar lids, currant jelly, pie cherries, rhubarb, and
cherry chutney....
_______________________________________________________________
Get the FREE email that has everyone talking at
http://www.mail2world.com
Janet Kaiser on sun 13 jul 03
I should be making up a bed and trying to hoover some of the excessive
amount of dust out of our house. But it is probably the hottest day of the
year so far and I cannot resist answering Kelly's very thoughtful and
thought-provoking post to a certain extent...
Just to put the record straight first... We generally only exhibit and sell
work by artists & makers which is affordable to people on holiday here in
Criccieth. If the weather is fine, they have a little extra spending money
left over at the end of their week's vacation and they can treat themselves
to a little luxury they would not (A) have the leisure to go see in their
daily townie working lives (B) feel they can afford. BTW this is weather
dependent because a vacation in the UK can become expensive: Admission
charges, all those extra cups of tea/coffee add up if the weather is poor
and it is impossible to spend hours on the beach, hiking, climbing up
mountains, sailing, etc. etc. Their holiday money was carefully budgeted,
so they do not feel they are being wasteful or decadent if they spend it
all!
The difference to us as a gallery and to the artists/potters who exhibit?
Well... instead of a mug memento, it may be what they consider "high
end".... Maybe a vase or ceramic sculpture up to =A3100 or =A3120 max. If
they have more money to spare it is NOT going to be a pot! That is when
paintings are sold... Our life-blood.
This area is also not and never has been known for ceramics, due to lack of
raw materials. No "tradition" for country potters here, so there is no
inherent, indigenous market for locally made pots. Indeed all pots and pans
were traditionally bought at the annual "hiring and firing" fair days on
May 23rd and June 29th here in Criccieth. People came and still come from
the whole area and many are the proud owners of "fairlings" which their
great-great-grandparents acquired in the Victorian equivalent of "buy this
XYZ and get this free gift". So the only "ceramic sculpture" to survive was
rather like the plastic toys at the bottom of cereal packets today! Locals
still buy Staffordshire transfer ware "seconds" so the blue and white
Willow pattern has come to be seen as "traditional Welsh". It is one of the
few areas in Britain where it remains "alive" so to speak.
This has also been a very poor region through the ages... There are a
handful of the landowning classes and the rest of us are all peasants.
Handworkers, farmers, fishermen. "Art" was looked upon with great
suspicion, a despised plaything of the rich, an unheard of luxury. One even
has to look very hard for what one considers "Folk Art". I have talked
before of the Puritanical influences banning all decoration, colour,
drinking, dancing, theatre... It is a literary and "Bible-based" culture.
We look in horror at people "showing off". All human creativity was
invested in reciting poetry and singing in church or eisteddfodau. The
human voice being a free commodity!
This is still a huge influence and the reality is that in what is still a
poor socio-economic rural community like ours, who has $$ to spend? There
are many more pressing needs... Getting the old car through its MOT (annual
inspection), paying the mortgage... you know... general survival in the
modern world, where it is becoming extremely difficult to "live off the
land" in the way our parents and grandparents were able to quite
comfortably. We are not immune to all the ritzy glitzy world of TV
commercials and celebrity status, but let's just say that many still look
upon it with a healthy degree of skepticism and caution.
So we depend on tourism... The economy in general as well as The Chapel of
Art. It is definitely not the high end of the market, which is high-priced
and usually quite "inaccessible" to the majority... We know, because we
have often tried! This is not a Ceramic Snob value judgement... It is
reality. When we do exhibit "names" which usually have a price tag in
excess of =A3100 we have to be very careful that the work on exhibition
remains "lovable", if the exhibiting artist/maker is relying on selling it.
We get 10,000 adults visiting per year. A "good month" is when we sell half
a dozen paintings. Yes, paintings, NOT pots. Pots are my little digression
into economic unreality and because Eckhard loves me dearly, he allows me
to indulge in my weakness. Pots do not pay our bills or keep the doors
open. Even with "specialist gallery" tagging and being known for one-off
pots does not make them an economically viable "commodity".
We also do not exhibit/sell domestic ware except for the odd mugs, bowls,
casseroles, etc. which can also be seen as One-Offs because they do not
come in sets. They cannot be "collected" nor will they be included in
wedding lists... Why not? Because who on holiday is going to return to
Wales to do that? The days when people returned to their summer residence
year after year are long gone here... Now they scoot off to resorts at home
and abroad: Ibiza one year, Iona or Indonesia the next. Very few are loyal
to a single area. EXCEPT the ever-increasing number of those with holiday
homes...
Now that is changing our culture and social equilibrium. For better or for
worse, times are changing... The big bad world is closing in our little
rural idyll where everyone not only knows everyone else, but is closely
related!
So, Kelly, you ask who buys "high-end" work? If you mean Voulkos & Co. I
presume those people who populate the fancy galleries in city-centres
around the world! The people who wear the Gucci and like to be seen with
the right people in the right places. A Voulkos pot becomes an expression
of their social status, like the Bentley parked in their four-car garage.
They also have exactly the right place to display it either in their town
house, their hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands, their little summer
place in the Caribbean, their little chalet in the Alps... And because they
and their bottomless bank accounts are into that sort of scene they are NOT
going to step inside let along buy at what they perceive as some two-bit,
local yokel venue! Even if we exhibited that "high-end" stuff, it would not
even be seen by that type of "clientele"...
And before anyone gets on their high horse here... Anyone and everyone is
quite capable of falling in love a $10.000 pot. However, even if they could
budget to buy it on Collectorplan (interest-free credit) would it look
right in their two-bedroom council flat? Would they have the space? Would
it be desirable when it was unpacked?
But if "high-end" is only the price or rather people's perception of what
is affordable vs. what is simply beyond their means... Well, I guess there
is only one answer: "it depends". Give anyone the leisure to stop and
stare, the right environment to feel at home and comfortable, get them in
the holiday/generous mood and suddenly they will not only discover little
gems the consider "high-end" but actually buy something which is quite
possibly "out of character". It will not match their Lladro figurines or
those Fairlings inherited off grandma, but it will become a part of their
lives. With luck they will be back for more or become "sensitised" to what
potters are making nearer to home. They may stop at that little gallery
they pass on the school run but never been inside before. They may consider
going to a big ceramic event held near to them...
That is the first step towards increasing the "Salonf=E4higkeit" (sorry,
cannot think of the English equivalent) of studio ceramics in general.
Don't forget all those commercials and Ideal Home magazine articles are the
equivalent of negative advertising as far as working potters are concerned.
Even those articles on people's homes and interiors are chosen to reflect
the current fashions and trends of the home-furnishing industry... They
have so much product placement, because the big companies are basically
pay-rolling them to mention wall-paper designs, paint colours, fabrics...
Yes, right down to the pots on the table and pans on the stove. They are
either carefully selected antiques or the latest series being promoted by
Wedgwood, Royal Dansk, Rosenthal or whatever... They ain't going to be
Primmal Mommy or Lili Krakowski pots!
As for catchy Ceramics Ol=E9! -type slogans... We have some in the UK which
sound ridiculous taken out of context: How does "go to work on an egg"
complete with a little lion stamped on each battery-hen produced egg grab
you? Or "drinka pinta milka day"? My Mother took "A Mars a day helps you
work, rest and play" and "everyone is a fruit and nut case" sung to the
Sugar Plum Fairy melody from the Nutcracker Suite (promoting Cadbury's
chocolate bars) very seriously indeed!!! However, it is not going to be
some catchy marketing ploy which will keep potters potting on.
There are niche markets for every type of ceramic product being made today.
Does not matter what or by whom. The "trick" is to attract enough people to
first see and then "indulge" in whatever the "product" cares to be. With
six billion people living on this earth, their needs and desires are there
to be fulfilled.
It is not my place to pass ethical judgments, but the price paid for a
Soldner pot at a Garth Clark-style gallery would feed a whole village in
Ethiopia. Yet their village potter will do well to live long enough to pass
his/her skills on to the next generation, let alone sell his pots to people
who have nothing to put into them... Who is the most challenged? Who is the
"high-end" maker? Who is buying the high-end pots? Why? Yes, it all so
relative...
Sincerely
Janet Kaiser
*** IN REPLY TO THE FOLLOWING MAIL:
>Janet, who buys high end ceramics? and why?
*** THE MAIL FROM primalmommy ENDS HERE ***
**********************************************************************
TRUTH is too precious to tell every fool who asks for it...
****** This post was sent to you today by Janet Kaiser *******
The Chapel of Art / Capel Celfyddyd
8 Marine Crescent, Criccieth LL52 0EA, Wales, UK
Tel: ++44 (01766) 523570 URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
**********************************************************************
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on sun 13 jul 03
Hi Kelly!
Sheeesh! By gosh you can go 'on' and on!
(Oooooooooo...just joshin', and...AND I enjoyed your post
very much, too...every word...many nice mentions you
made...)
Anyway...
I am the 'outrigger' of the Sea Canoe...or, I sit 'there'...
Among the old Sea Fareing Polynesian Peoples, it was
considered a polite thing to do.
In the winds and tack of this wind-thrilling wave sprayed
voyage, I find
little company
there, hence, I 'lean' even farther out than I might
otherwise have done. Like many things, this 'leaning' is
deferential to context and exigency.
Otherwise, I mind my own business and let others mind
theirs.
And...
You are wonderful...
We may agree, that 'Marketing' is communication...perhaps a
little unilerateral in some ways...or imagining for itself
an audience as it may, whom it addresses...and in the way it
addresses them...the regard it has for them, for
itself...for what it does...how it does it...
Insight of or about which, is the discernment of our
on-going choices...bearing on the what we see and how we see
it.
It's qualities, or what it has to say ( ads, marketing,
communications generally, propagandas, &c.) ...no better or
worse than any other communication.
And...the attention we pay is our look out to do, as we may,
as we will...according to our 'interests' ( interests as
investments, interests as intentions, interests as
what-we-do...)
Sometimes a Bird's song is 'marketing'...and unlike the
'tacit-given' in the so-called business world, Birds to not
tend to lie, nor to so define 'truth' as to put lies in it's
place. Nor to exploit the compromised of their fellow's
conditions to sell them something to keep them that way.
Neither do you...
Neither do I...
'Tweet-tweet'...
Best!
Yours,
Phil
lasvegas
----- Original Message -----
From: "primalmommy"
> It's going on two in the morning and I should be asleep
but I had
> cherry-rhubarb pies in the oven, and now the house smells
too good to
> sleep as they cool...
>
> So I am reading Wendy (who seems to me to be a very smart
woman) and
> Phil (who is so completely Phil) and thinking about the
whole marketing
> thing...
>
> I have gotten in trouble in the past with my broad-brush
condemnation of
> marketing as the root of all evil... marketing aimed at
children,
> marketing based on the notion that we are too fat or two
unfashionable
> or not OK the way we are because we need to buy
something... and then
> something newer, and more expensive...
Wendy Peck on mon 14 jul 03
Kelly,
I've done enough of the marketing lecture. Let me flip around the accepted
idea of selling, based on my personal buying habits. I think this
illustrates what marketing for very small business can be when done well.
Have you ever failed to buy something that you forever regretted? I sure
have. It was never one of the much-flogged, glossy ad items. Every one of
the "wish I had not been so dumb" things has been from an independent
seller. I was short-sighted and let fear rule, but the seller also fell down
on the job. As I was counting my pennies and projecting next months
expenses, I also needed a message to confirm the legitimate reasons that I
wanted that piece. Even a little card beside the piece describing how it was
made could have tipped the balance, reminding my resistant mind that giving
up the dollars was not the only consideration.
Creating marketing tools for your product line may seem too crass and
commercial to some (It's art - they should just "get it", right?), but it
would have helped me. I've had many conversations with artists I admire at
shows, and while they are always willing to talk, and talk we do, it's rare
to find one who will listen to what I am saying and guide me gently to
buying. I have no doubt that there are artists I've admired who have quit
art as a living because they couldn't make it. Yet here I am, as long as
twenty years later, wishing I had been talked into buying one of their
pieces. Had they learned to sell, I would still be enjoying it today, and I
bet they would still be out there (for me to buy another because the first
gave me such pleasure). Selling to an interested buyer isn't bad ... it's
actually a service.
Here's an example of one I did buy, against all good reason. I stopped at
the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis at the tail end of a trip. I was
tired and quite broke; who doesn't spend more than budget on the road? But I
went away with a plate by Lisa Orr, and a tiny, pinched cup. The cup
was a no brainer. I was looking for a cup for coffee later at night when I
only dare have half a cup, but I always felt cheated with my regular mug
half full. This cup was a sweetie, filled with personality, and glaze
surprises I am still finding. I hardly ever walk out of a pottery place with
nothing, so the little cup was an easy decision. (I hope that someone may
have picked up on this paragraph as a possible product/marketing
opportunity - the late at night cup, when decaf just won't cut it. I know I
could set this up so the little guys would fly off the shelf in this
coffee-crazed world.
Sure it's the same size as an espresso cup, but the difference is marketing.
)
But the plate. It was much more money, a lot to me when I was facing bills
(always) and Christmas shortly, and the account was already screaming.
Minneapolis is on the way to almost everywhere I go, so I could get it later
right? Famous last words that have caused most of my regret.
But I bought it. Why? The sales person came to talk to me while I was back
at the piece for about the forth time. We exchanged admiration for the glaze
work, the texture of the piece, the wonderful colour, covered that I was
from out of town, etc., and then she hit me with: Lisa just does one show in
Minneapolis a year. It's unusual that we have anything left from the show,
but it's been a little slow this fall. Sold! No way I was risking having to
get to in Minneapolis at the exact right time, or go to Texas to choose one
in person.
This person sold me the piece. It was perfect marketing. She listened to me,
listened to my justifications for not buying, and stripped them away. So
easy when it is done right. I would have walked away secure in the knowledge
that I could get my Lisa Orr piece on any trip through. But that assumption
was wrong.
So did she "make" a sale, or help educate me so I could make the right
decision? I think the latter. I am still solvent. I made it through
Christmas just fine. The plate hangs on the wall at the entrance to the
kitchen. I notice it probably 5 times a day, and love it more today than I
did when I first spotted it. That's a heck of a lot of pleasure that only
came to me because a sales person did her job right. Where's the evil in
this exchange?
That's marketing for the little guy. It's actually a caring, sharing
activity when done right. I truly believe that the woman who sold me the
plate was, at that minute, more concerned about my needs than she was about
making the sale. Big business cannot do this, no matter how hard they try.
It's our biggest weapon against all mainstream competitors, yet it is rarely
used.
Great Web Typography: Techniques for great CSS and graphic text, with tips
from top industry professionals. Just released. http://wpeck.com/type/
KISS: Keep It Simple ... Create effective, CSS-controlled menus and menu
areas with Wendy Peck at http://productiongraphics.com
Author: Menus with Beauty and Brains and Weekend Crash Course Dreamweaver MX
and 4 (Amazon.com)
Wendy Peck http://wpeck.com
Mary White on tue 15 jul 03
>primalmommy wrote:
>
>I agree with Phil that marketers -- if they cannot find the problem --
>hand us one. Contented people are bad for the economy. They bloom where
>they are planted, make do with not much, find joy in a full moon or a
>red hen or a bowl of gooseberries. I speak to that with some authority
>;0) since "I are one". We don't trade in our cars, our spouses, our
>homes for the next and the next. So better that marketers sell us some
>angst and self doubt...
>
I am reading a very funny novel, Generica by Will Ferguson. The
premise is that a self-help book gets published that is so effective
and popular that almost everyone gets happy. They stop buying new
stuff, they stop using drugs and alcohol, they play with their kids
instead of watching TV. Of course this throws all of western society
into chaos.
I am not finished the novel yet, but at the point I'm at the
protagonist, an editor at the company that published the book, is
having his life threatened by tobacco guys, alcohol guys, you name
it, even rehab centre guys--they are out of business too. A pretty
interesting scenario, I'm dying to see how it ends.
--
Mary White
HARBOUR PUBLISHING
Box 219
Madeira Park, BC
V0N 2H0
------------------
Publishers of the Encyclopedia of British Columbia.
Visit the Encyclopedia website at http://www.knowbc.com.
claybair on tue 15 jul 03
Wendy,
What a jem of a posting... you sure hit the nail on the head!
Yesterday I was talking to a potter I greatly respect. He did a
show out of town and took his daughter along. She is a natural at sales.
She got him a large commission that he would never have gotten
on his own. She listened and stripped away the reasons for not buying.
We noted that both of us would have lost such a sale.
Wendy you need to give us a crash course... or better yet write a book.
I'll be the first in line!
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of Wendy Peck
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 9:53 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: marketing
Kelly,
I've done enough of the marketing lecture. Let me flip around the accepted
idea of selling, based on my personal buying habits. I think this
illustrates what marketing for very small business can be when done well.
Have you ever failed to buy something that you forever regretted? I sure
have. It was never one of the much-flogged, glossy ad items. Every one of
the "wish I had not been so dumb" things has been from an independent
seller. I was short-sighted and let fear rule, but the seller also fell down
on the job. As I was counting my pennies and projecting next months
expenses, I also needed a message to confirm the legitimate reasons that I
wanted that piece. Even a little card beside the piece describing how it was
made could have tipped the balance, reminding my resistant mind that giving
up the dollars was not the only consideration.
Creating marketing tools for your product line may seem too crass and
commercial to some (It's art - they should just "get it", right?), but it
would have helped me. I've had many conversations with artists I admire at
shows, and while they are always willing to talk, and talk we do, it's rare
to find one who will listen to what I am saying and guide me gently to
buying. I have no doubt that there are artists I've admired who have quit
art as a living because they couldn't make it. Yet here I am, as long as
twenty years later, wishing I had been talked into buying one of their
pieces. Had they learned to sell, I would still be enjoying it today, and I
bet they would still be out there (for me to buy another because the first
gave me such pleasure). Selling to an interested buyer isn't bad ... it's
actually a service.
Here's an example of one I did buy, against all good reason. I stopped at
the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis at the tail end of a trip. I was
tired and quite broke; who doesn't spend more than budget on the road? But I
went away with a plate by Lisa Orr, and a tiny, pinched cup. The cup
was a no brainer. I was looking for a cup for coffee later at night when I
only dare have half a cup, but I always felt cheated with my regular mug
half full. This cup was a sweetie, filled with personality, and glaze
surprises I am still finding. I hardly ever walk out of a pottery place with
nothing, so the little cup was an easy decision. (I hope that someone may
have picked up on this paragraph as a possible product/marketing
opportunity - the late at night cup, when decaf just won't cut it. I know I
could set this up so the little guys would fly off the shelf in this
coffee-crazed world.
Sure it's the same size as an espresso cup, but the difference is marketing.
)
But the plate. It was much more money, a lot to me when I was facing bills
(always) and Christmas shortly, and the account was already screaming.
Minneapolis is on the way to almost everywhere I go, so I could get it later
right? Famous last words that have caused most of my regret.
But I bought it. Why? The sales person came to talk to me while I was back
at the piece for about the forth time. We exchanged admiration for the glaze
work, the texture of the piece, the wonderful colour, covered that I was
from out of town, etc., and then she hit me with: Lisa just does one show in
Minneapolis a year. It's unusual that we have anything left from the show,
but it's been a little slow this fall. Sold! No way I was risking having to
get to in Minneapolis at the exact right time, or go to Texas to choose one
in person.
This person sold me the piece. It was perfect marketing. She listened to me,
listened to my justifications for not buying, and stripped them away. So
easy when it is done right. I would have walked away secure in the knowledge
that I could get my Lisa Orr piece on any trip through. But that assumption
was wrong.
So did she "make" a sale, or help educate me so I could make the right
decision? I think the latter. I am still solvent. I made it through
Christmas just fine. The plate hangs on the wall at the entrance to the
kitchen. I notice it probably 5 times a day, and love it more today than I
did when I first spotted it. That's a heck of a lot of pleasure that only
came to me because a sales person did her job right. Where's the evil in
this exchange?
That's marketing for the little guy. It's actually a caring, sharing
activity when done right. I truly believe that the woman who sold me the
plate was, at that minute, more concerned about my needs than she was about
making the sale. Big business cannot do this, no matter how hard they try.
It's our biggest weapon against all mainstream competitors, yet it is rarely
used.
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claybair on tue 15 jul 03
Well I must have done something right!
My first big show if the season was last weekend.
It was a local garden show which has an art/craft show
at one of the gardens.
It is well publicized and draws people from the area.
I've done it for several years with modest success.
Going into it I thought I was going to have a horrible show this year.
The site was questionable... small... allowing only 14 vendors,
up a steep winding driveway then down a hill to a clearing.
I was sure no one would walk down the hill after climbing up the driveway.
this year people were shuttled to the sites and would have to carry work
with them and most of my garden art is on 3 - 8 ft rebar.
After a torturously setting up I decided I needed to change my attitude and
tried to erase my negative perception. I didn't replace it with a false
hope just left it a blank expectation.
The first day which was for the 70 or so "Patrons" and being at the display
was optional ...... I made a Grande...... $4.26..... OYE!!!!
However in the next 2 days....... it topped any of my previous sales!!!
So I've been thinking about this and trying to pick it apart for the
formula.
There seem to be many factors:
I am now here 4 years and people are recognizing my name and work.
Tailoring work for specific shows e.g. garden art for garden show.
Having a wide range of prices.
Not over inflating prices.
Waiting to build a name before I increase prices.
Decent looking display.
Taking Visa/Mastercharge.
A willingness to talk to people, though I still desperately need the Wendy
Peck crash course in sales! I know I blew away at least 2 sales with stupid
comments.
There were several times I had people waiting in line..... OMG!!!!!
It took 2 van loads to set up.... I went home with one. People were telling
me they saw "everyone carrying them". Which is another factor.....
that was a fabulous marketing tool.... lots of people carrying my pieces.
I wrapped them so they could be seen as they were carried.
So now my big problem became the fact that I wasn't expecting to sell that
well and now have to rush to make more pieces for my upcoming shows.
What a dilemma..... one I hope to have forever!
Gayle Bair..... exhausted but very happy......
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
Cindi Anderson on tue 15 jul 03
I agree with everything you said. A few things in particular.
1. Advertisers admit their goal is to create a "want" or better yet a
"need", where none exists. Their job is to create desire. There is
certainly an amount of brainwashing going on, and I often wish we could
abolish advertising. But I think there is something wrong with our culture
that people believe things will make them happy. When they purchase
something they want, they get a short high from having satisfied their
desire, but it is very short lived. So to get that feeling back they
quickly create a new desire. In Buddhism it is believed that lack of desire
is the key to true happiness, and I have found that this is true. Get rid
of all your attachments and aversions, it is said, and all that is left is
peace and happiness. I used to do all kinds of things in search of
happiness, but I found that it is just there, in the moment. I am not
perfect
at it, of course, but I have given up thinking that I need anything to be
happy. I can just be happy, without anything. Certainly if
more people were at this place then advertising wouldn't be so successful.
2. "Maybe people need to know what they don't WANT to know..." I believe
you are right on there. It seems that the more people learn about how big
business operates, about all the things you mentioned (from slave labor to
raping countries to polluting to landfills), the more they choose to buy
locally, to buy natural things. I will also add that more and more people
are getting sick from the chemicals around them. I believe there are
millions and millions of people with bad health that are suffering from
chemicals, and don't even know it yet (they may be sick but they haven't
made the connection.) Believe me, when you are sick so you focus on it a
lot like I do, you almost can't bear to realize all the things we are doing
to ourselves. It seems that we will be lucky to survive as a species. But
most people don't know about any of this, or they only know a fraction.
So someday the majority of people will be educated, as you say, and then
things will change. I always find it interesting how people don't want to
know about this things; they prefer to pretend
things are ok even when they aren't. When a politician says "things are
not great, we have serious problems" he is not elected. When he says
"things are great" despite all evidence, people vote for him. I don't know
why this is, but I think it will change as more and more people are
personally affected.
Cindi
Lee Love on wed 16 jul 03
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mary White"
> >
> I am reading a very funny novel, Generica by Will Ferguson. The
> premise is that a self-help book gets published that is so effective
> and popular that almost everyone gets happy. They stop buying new
> stuff, they stop using drugs and alcohol, they play with their kids
> instead of watching TV. Of course this throws all of western society
> into chaos.
It may be the root of our current world difficulties. What people
don't understand about the Mingei movement, is that it was a response to
consumerism. Making functional work for use, is subversive in our throwaway
society.
Also from my webpage:
"The first thing we must begin to teach our children (and learn ourselves) is
that we cannot spend and consume endlessly. We have got to learn to save and
conserve."
Quote from: "Thoughts in the Presence of Fear" by Wendell Berry
Full article: http://Mashiko.org/sustain.html
~~~~~~~Lee In Mashiko, Japan http://Mashiko.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* *
* Oh how sweet it is to hear one's own convictions from *
* another's lips. *
~~~~~~~~~~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colette Oliver on mon 17 jul 06
Hi Rikki
Yes, I wasn't implying that there are only 2 ways to
sell- probably as many ways as there are potters. To
each his/her own, and a variety of ways is best.
Colette
Juneau, AK
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Linda - Pacifica on wed 20 dec 06
In my doctor's waiting room this morning (frozen shoulder - no clay, not even knitting and lots of pt), I picked up a glossy magazine called Coastal Living - as in Martha's Vineyard type coastal living, i.e. those who can afford tony vacation homes on American shores.
In a front section highlighting wonderful coastal-themed things to get for your tony abode there was an ad for lovely handcrafted ceramic tiles made by motawi.com They're the fish tile on the polychrome section of that website.
It left me wondering how motawi.com got their products featured. And thinking that there are many on this list who could benefit from such exposure.
Has anyone ever sent a brochure/portfolio to magazine editors? The editors of magazines like this must keep huge files to refer to when putting an issue together. If you had a brochure on file, you might be selected for publication. Better be ready for increased business if you are published!
Cheers, Linda Ferzoco
Marcia Selsor on wed 20 dec 06
I think Motawi Tileworks was at the Tile Conference in Pomona. They
are a brother sister team plus they have a large staff.
They seemed very sharp in business practises. Obviously, they are
doing something right.
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
On Dec 20, 2006, at 12:58 PM, Linda - Pacifica wrote:
> In my doctor's waiting room this morning (frozen shoulder - no
> clay, not even knitting and lots of pt), I picked up a glossy
> magazine called Coastal Living - as in Martha's Vineyard type
> coastal living, i.e. those who can afford tony vacation homes on
> American shores.
>
> In a front section highlighting wonderful coastal-themed things to
> get for your tony abode there was an ad for lovely handcrafted
> ceramic tiles made by motawi.com They're the fish tile on the
> polychrome section of that website.
>
> It left me wondering how motawi.com got their products featured.
> And thinking that there are many on this list who could benefit
> from such exposure.
>
> Has anyone ever sent a brochure/portfolio to magazine editors? The
> editors of magazines like this must keep huge files to refer to
> when putting an issue together. If you had a brochure on file, you
> might be selected for publication. Better be ready for increased
> business if you are published!
>
> Cheers, Linda Ferzoco
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> ________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
Richard Aerni on wed 20 dec 06
>On Dec 20, 2006, at 12:58 PM, Linda - Pacifica wrote:
>
>> In my doctor's waiting room this morning (frozen shoulder - no
>> clay, not even knitting and lots of pt), I picked up a glossy
>> magazine called Coastal Living - a
>>
>> It left me wondering how motawi.com got their products featured.
>> And thinking that there are many on this list who could benefit
>> from such exposure.
>>
>> Has anyone ever sent a brochure/portfolio to magazine editors? The
>> editors of magazines like this must keep huge files to refer to
>> when putting an issue together. If you had a brochure on file, you
>> might be selected for publication. Better be ready for increased
>> business if you are published!
Hi Linda,
That kind of notice can be a double-edged sword. Back in the mid 80s, my
two partners and I had completed and installed a large architectural
project, a 90 foot x 45 foot sculpted fountain, to a lot of public hoo-haw,
and Interior Design Magazine ran a little 1/2 page feature on it. We
received over 600 requests for our information packet from architects and
design firms. Of course, we had to spend some serious dollars to put
together such a packet. We received not one job from all of that publicity.
So, I agree, the publicity is good, but not always great.
About your frozen shoulder, I had one several years ago, and my PT person
was able to get wonderful results for me within the first couple of sessions.
Good luck!
Richard Aerni
Rochester, NY
Dana & Chris Trabka on sat 9 jan 10
In December I was published! A local magazine "Food for Thought", in =3D
Grand Rapids, Michigan, ran an article about my studio, the gallery that =
=3D
represents me, and (most importantly) my pottery. The gallery that =3D
carries my work had many additional sales just because of the article. =3D
The article can be viewed through the web site: =3D
http://www.foodforthoughtgr.com/. I notice that there are many places =3D
that host a magazine by the same name.
Chris
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