Don’t Miss a Connection at Your Next Event
When attending an art festival, I enjoy watching the exhibitors interact with their visitors. I’m always a little bit curious as to why there are always a few artists who don’t seem interested in engaging with the attendees. Many creative marketing efforts focus heavily on social media, blogs, and other online promotion. But even in a world where relationships often begin online, face time with prospective collectors is the easiest way to make a connection. Exhibiting at an arts festival or having an art show or open studio is a great way to do this.
It might not seem realistic to connect with every single visitor. Some attendees will be people simply out for a day’s outing with no real interest in purchasing art. Others may be legitimate collectors who don’t consider your work a fit for what they want. And, some people do prefer to simply browse or look at work without having you on top of them while they are looking at your work. Does this mean that you should stay far away from them or avoid them? It never hurts to make a connection with a visitor, regardless of their motivations. Even if they aren’t interested in your work at the moment, the interaction could lead to an opportunity in the future.
A good practice is to plan in advance to connect with as many individual guests as possible. Here are some ways to make valuable connections at your next art event.
Provide a way for visitors to give you their contact information.
Encourage people to sign your guestbook and give contact information so that you can stay in touch. Try holding a drawing for a small piece of art for those who have provided their information to you to encourage participation. Select a winner after the event is over and announce it on social media. Encourage anyone who entered to look on social media to find the results. You will still have the person’s contact information to follow-up, in case they don’t visit your profile online, but you will likely get more visitors to your account as well.
Strive to create a natural conversation.
Instead of bombarding people with information, make it easy for them to interact with you. One trick is to sit on a stool rather than in a chair. It won’t seem like your standing over them as they browse. And, when they are ready to talk, you will be at eye level. It won’t be awkward for them to have to ask you to stand up or lean down to you every time they have a question.
Can you display a piece that elicits conversation among the audience? At one event this summer, I observed a ceramic artist using a unique display of functional art to do this. The piece was displayed at the front of the booth. Another customer saw me looking at it and explained that she bought one last year and loved it. Other people were chiming in and admiring the work as well. The artist did not have to say one word as the customers were selling themselves on her work.
Prepare in advance to speak about your art.
Preparing your artist statement is a great way to do this. Small talk is fine, but it’s even better if you can have a discussion that will help someone connect to your work. Writing in advance about your work will give you the natural ability to converse about it with viewers.
Be mindful of different personalities.
Pay attention and gauge the interest level of the visitor. This will give you clues as to how to proceed with them. Do they seem open to discussion or do they appear to want to keep to themselves? Body language cues and eye contact can help you to figure out how to proceed. And, most people don’t want to be sold to, so make sure that you are asking questions rather than just promoting your work.
Take notes.
If you have a particularly engaging conversation with someone, make note of it after they leave the booth. If they contact you after the show, you will remember the discussion and be better prepared to serve them. Or, better yet, when you follow-up with them, you can personalize your note with a reference to your conversation.
After the event.
Take some time to review your notes. Update your contact management system with any new customers. What worked well for you at the event? How can you improve for next time? Use your notes to send thoughtful follow-up emails or hand-written notes to people who purchased or spent time with you in your booth.
Use these ideas as you prepare for your next event and get ready to make some solid connections.
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