Eydie DeVincenzi on sun 6 aug 00
Mel, etal:
[The introduction is a bit wordy. But my insights were born from the pai=
n
described in this preface and therefore important to the epiphany. Judge=
for yourself]
I was reading this thread having experienced similar indignities with
selling in this venue (i.e., selling directly to the public in a public
place paying a marketing company that sponsors the event). I do not sell=
my art; instead I sell my 'assistive technologies' for people with
physical disabilities. BUT the personal vulnerabilities are the same and=
the attacks are often just as cutting -- especially because I don't have =
a
disability -- which seems to give people PERMISSION to attack me: =
"What right do you have selling these things for so much money! You're no=
t
disabled -- you don't understand! You're just trying to make a profit o=
ff
our problems!" =
These Bad Mannered Creatures would leave my table and go on to the next
victim, probably feeling a rush and emotional release. I would be left i=
n
their wake devastated, my body frozen in place for an eternity, a knife
slowly entering and exiting my gut. =
Sure I know that their utterances are the redirection of anger and
frustration from being trapped in a body that is not working. But such
rationalization doesn't cut it when you're on the other side of the knife=
! =
I felt brutalized. Why were they directing the anger at ME, the very
person who was trying to help! =
Then would come the migraine. Within an hour, I would be scrambling to
pack up to get home to bed, often bedridden for a few days. Soon, I wou=
ld
get a migraine just at the THOUGHT of doing a show. And since shows are=
basically the only way people with disabilities could learn about me and
these incredible technologies, it was clear that I was being DISABLED by
the very clients I was trying to help. The irony of it all.
I was ready to close the business and return to working a job where my
checkbook was fat and healthy and I could write a check for a
top-of-the-line slabroller without a moment's hesitation! What a rush I
got from that fantasy!
But I love my work and can't imagine doing anything else (that is until I=
become a full time clay person). So I decided to learn from the "pros".=
=
I did two things: =
* I went to conferences AS A CONSUMER and CAREFULLY watched and listened =
to
the sales presentations of people I respected, and
=
* I sought the help of professional sales people via motivational tapes .=
=
Hey wait a second. Hear me out. =
I discovered that Brian Tracy and other motivational speakers are
professionals, just like you and I. They are NOT the stereotypical sleaz=
e
bags with white belts and white shoes who lie through their teeth. Inste=
ad
they are very intelligent people who understand the human psyche and
figured out how to communicate AROUND the Human Resistance that we all pu=
t
up to Parting-with-Our-Money. They learned (and are willing to SHARE) ho=
w
to survive those hurtful attacks we all direct at salespeople (yup, we al=
l
do it).
Here's what I learned:
* My work (as highminded and humanitarian as I believe it to be) is
nevertheless a BUSINESS. "business" is NOT a bad word. Neither is
"sales". =
I was getting hurt because I had the [mistaken] belief that to be
effective, I had to insert a bit of my person and a chunk of my heart int=
o
every device I sold and every hour of training I dispensed. In effect, I=
was drawing a big red button on my chest that says "punch me here".
I now realize that I can be an effective and caring person AND be an
effective Salesperson as well. My Business is separate from my Person. =
In
fact, learning some basic sales skills actually improved my general
communication skills. =
Also, I realized that it was my own internal stereotype (Selling =3D Slea=
zy
Ethics =3D Lower Calling) that was preventing me from building an effecti=
ve
BUSINESS. My ivory tower academic training made it difficult for me to
reconcile a business with humantarian (and artistic) intent. =
I am NOW learning to be a good salesperson and GUESS WHAT: my personal an=
d
business ethics have not changed at all. In fact, the feedback I am
getting from my clients is that my presentations are much clearer and to
the point. My sales are increasing. I work less and therefore have more=
time to spend developing my other artist skills. I don't get migraines
anymore ... except when I drink too much vino . And I am back to bein=
g
a more likeable person ... especially to myself.
Eydie
Still learning after all these years.
tgschs10 on wed 9 aug 00
Dave,
Respectively I disagree; money is not the easiest thing to make; nor is
pottery or painting or music or any other thing. To make money you must
produce what the public in their collective wisdom considers worth spending
their money on. Scruples don't keep most people from making money, rather it
is talent. I don't mean to be negative but I don't subscribe to the "ain't
it awful" "no one appreciates me" mentality. If I make something that
doesn't sell, I look inside.
Tom Sawyer
tgschs10.msn.com
Dave Murphy on wed 9 aug 00
Dear Edyie:
I couldn't agree more with your conclusions about art and ethics. Money is
the easiest thing in the world to make. Scruples keep most of us from being
millionaires. I don't mean to say that an honest person need be poor just
that when you chase something like money as the first priority it often
becomes elusive. You need to be practical and confident when selling your
own work. That comes across to buyers and collectors if you respect your
stuff. Cheers
Barbara Murphy
Waterloo County Pottery
Waterloo, Ontario
----- Original Message -----
From: Eydie DeVincenzi
To:
Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2000 11:11 AM
Subject: Re: the great favor-the pain and lesson of selling direct
Mel, etal:
[The introduction is a bit wordy. But my insights were born from the pain
described in this preface and therefore important to the epiphany. Judge
for yourself]
I was reading this thread having experienced similar indignities with
selling in this venue (i.e., selling directly to the public in a public
place paying a marketing company that sponsors the event). I do not sell
my art; instead I sell my 'assistive technologies' for people with
physical disabilities. BUT the personal vulnerabilities are the same and
the attacks are often just as cutting -- especially because I don't have a
disability -- which seems to give people PERMISSION to attack me:
"What right do you have selling these things for so much money! You're not
disabled -- you don't understand! You're just trying to make a profit off
our problems!"
These Bad Mannered Creatures would leave my table and go on to the next
victim, probably feeling a rush and emotional release. I would be left in
their wake devastated, my body frozen in place for an eternity, a knife
slowly entering and exiting my gut.
Sure I know that their utterances are the redirection of anger and
frustration from being trapped in a body that is not working. But such
rationalization doesn't cut it when you're on the other side of the knife!
I felt brutalized. Why were they directing the anger at ME, the very
person who was trying to help!
Then would come the migraine. Within an hour, I would be scrambling to
pack up to get home to bed, often bedridden for a few days. Soon, I would
get a migraine just at the THOUGHT of doing a show. And since shows are
basically the only way people with disabilities could learn about me and
these incredible technologies, it was clear that I was being DISABLED by
the very clients I was trying to help. The irony of it all.
I was ready to close the business and return to working a job where my
checkbook was fat and healthy and I could write a check for a
top-of-the-line slabroller without a moment's hesitation! What a rush I
got from that fantasy!
But I love my work and can't imagine doing anything else (that is until I
become a full time clay person). So I decided to learn from the "pros".
I did two things:
* I went to conferences AS A CONSUMER and CAREFULLY watched and listened to
the sales presentations of people I respected, and
* I sought the help of professional sales people via motivational tapes .
Hey wait a second. Hear me out.
I discovered that Brian Tracy and other motivational speakers are
professionals, just like you and I. They are NOT the stereotypical sleaze
bags with white belts and white shoes who lie through their teeth. Instead
they are very intelligent people who understand the human psyche and
figured out how to communicate AROUND the Human Resistance that we all put
up to Parting-with-Our-Money. They learned (and are willing to SHARE) how
to survive those hurtful attacks we all direct at salespeople (yup, we all
do it).
Here's what I learned:
* My work (as highminded and humanitarian as I believe it to be) is
nevertheless a BUSINESS. "business" is NOT a bad word. Neither is
"sales".
I was getting hurt because I had the [mistaken] belief that to be
effective, I had to insert a bit of my person and a chunk of my heart into
every device I sold and every hour of training I dispensed. In effect, I
was drawing a big red button on my chest that says "punch me here".
I now realize that I can be an effective and caring person AND be an
effective Salesperson as well. My Business is separate from my Person. In
fact, learning some basic sales skills actually improved my general
communication skills.
Also, I realized that it was my own internal stereotype (Selling = Sleazy
Ethics = Lower Calling) that was preventing me from building an effective
BUSINESS. My ivory tower academic training made it difficult for me to
reconcile a business with humantarian (and artistic) intent.
I am NOW learning to be a good salesperson and GUESS WHAT: my personal and
business ethics have not changed at all. In fact, the feedback I am
getting from my clients is that my presentations are much clearer and to
the point. My sales are increasing. I work less and therefore have more
time to spend developing my other artist skills. I don't get migraines
anymore ... except when I drink too much vino . And I am back to being
a more likeable person ... especially to myself.
Eydie
Still learning after all these years.
____________________________________________________________________________
__
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.
Gayle Bair on thu 10 aug 00
Tom,
There is another side to look at besides "inside".
One may be selling in the wrong market. I have
done this frequently. One would think I have learned
to market more carefully but I must be a slow learner
or I just feel compelled to bleed a bit longer with my
hit and miss show experiences.
I know one of my problems has been a tendency to move
every 3 years or so. We move just when I begin to establish
myself as an artist in an area!
I think the internet might be one solution to this
type of problem.
Gayle- working on designing tiled garden art.
Snip>
I don't mean to be negative but I don't subscribe to the "ain't
it awful" "no one appreciates me" mentality. If I make something that
doesn't sell, I look inside.
Tom Sawyer
tgschs10.msn.com
____________________________________________________________________________
__
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.
Dave Murphy on thu 10 aug 00
Dear Tom:
The scruples that I was a'meanin was we aren't selling drugs or our bodies
kind of scruples not pot scruples. Actually, it is my experience that
everything will sell eventually if you put it out there often enough. I
remember one little humble bowl that I had dragged around for a couple of
years. It wasn't a great bowl but it was a nice bowl of a useful size. I
could not understand why it was still hanging around. A seasoned potter
ventured that the owner had simply not shown up yet! Alas all the
toothbrush holder owners had! Who knows>
Barbara Murphy
Waterloo County Pottery
Waterloo, Ontario
----- Original Message -----
From: tgschs10
To:
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 12:36 AM
Subject: Re: the great favor-the pain and lesson of selling direct
> Dave,
> Respectively I disagree; money is not the easiest thing to make; nor is
> pottery or painting or music or any other thing. To make money you must
> produce what the public in their collective wisdom considers worth
spending
> their money on. Scruples don't keep most people from making money, rather
it
> is talent. I don't mean to be negative but I don't subscribe to the "ain't
> it awful" "no one appreciates me" mentality. If I make something that
> doesn't sell, I look inside.
> Tom Sawyer
> tgschs10.msn.com
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> 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.
>
Gary Elfring on fri 11 aug 00
>Dave,
>Respectively I disagree; money is not the easiest thing to make; nor is
>pottery or painting or music or any other thing. To make money you must
>produce what the public in their collective wisdom considers worth spending
>their money on.
I don't think that's what Dave was trying to say at all. I come from an
engineering background. I ran a consulting firm, then later switched to
marketing consumer and business software. Along the way I had to learn
a new skill- selling.
My software firm hires artists all the time, and I can tell you that
there are thousands and thousands of very talented artists, living
near me, *none* of whom make a living or even *use* their talent. They
claim there is no market for their talent, but I hire them and then sell
the results of their talent.
My point in all this is that your artistic talent is not enough. To make
a living, you need to be able to sell your art. Selling is a different
skill, and one that can be learned. (If an engineer can learn it, an artist
certainly can!) You don't have to produce what the public wants, you just
have to be able to *sell* what you produce. (Does the public really want
Coke, Pepsi, RC Cola, WalMart Cola, etc? No, just one of those would do.
We've been sold/marketed the rest.)
You can sell the public most anything you want, if you do it in the right
way. You do have to approach the selling side of things as a business-
consider how to market your art, how to price it accordingly, how to
display it, how to make people *want* it. You also have to learn how to
close a sale- at a show or fair people need to buy it now, since you
won't be there the next day.
Elfring Fonts, Inc Bar Codes, MICR, and decorative fonts for Windows
http://www.elfring.com
Gayle Bair on fri 11 aug 00
Gary, you are absolutely right!
Ok now you put your foot into it!
Now you need to give us a tutorial on
selling!
Gayle Bair- who admittedly was not in a
selling mood last week!
Snip>
My point in all this is that your artistic talent is not enough. To make
a living, you need to be able to sell your art. Selling is a different
skill, and one that can be learned. (If an engineer can learn it, an artist
certainly can!) You don't have to produce what the public wants, you just
have to be able to *sell* what you produce.
Snip>
You can sell the public most anything you want, if you do it in the right
way. You do have to approach the selling side of things as a business-
consider how to market your art, how to price it accordingly, how to
display it, how to make people *want* it. You also have to learn how to
close a sale- at a show or fair people need to buy it now, since you
won't be there the next day.
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