John Rodgers on mon 7 may 07
I'll not belabor this subject any more after this.
The bottom line for me is my bottom line - fiscally speaking. I want the
coin of the realm moved from my customers pocket to mine - in a
legitimate way. In my experience, 99% of my customers don't give a poop
whether my work is hand-made (by David Hendley's definition) or
otherwise. They don't care whether I squished the clay in my grubby 'ol
hands or whether I poured clay from a pitcher and slip-cast the thing.
What they DO care about though is ....... did I design it, and did I
make it? Well, I always have a story - true story - about the items I
have created, and when they decide to take a piece home with them, even
though their purse is lighter, they are happy because they have
something useful and enjoyable and they are taking something of the
artist home with them. This latter thing - a part of the artist - is
extremely important in my sales. It is a psychological thing with my
customers. They want to have a connection. It makes them feel good. It
gives them something to talk about when the niece is over for tea or
Uncle Bud and Aunt Ernestine are over for dinner. That is just the way
of it.
So while all the clay crowd including gallery operators, show operators,
etc, is worrying over all the in's and out's and over's and under's of
whether it's hand-made or slip-cast, I'm selling, selling, selling. Do I
care what the customer thinks about handmade vs slipcast? Not one whit.
I tell them what it is, basically how I made it - with emphasis on the I
- whether hand squished or poured. I DO very much care that they are
happy with the piece. And making them happy - that is my goal -- besides
taking their gold.
Sounds mercenary? Well, maybe just a little. But then this is
capitalism. It is the way it works. Your customer is your market, and
they will control your sales, but make them happy, and they will be back
- whether handmade or slip-cast.
Regards,
John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL
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