You probably spend a lot of energy trying to reach new people. More collectors, more buyers, more followers.
That’s not wrong, but it means you might be overlooking the people who are already in your corner, who already love your work, and who would genuinely help you sell it if you gave them the opening.
Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to sell art. And the people most likely to spread that word aren’t strangers. They’re your buyers, your regulars, your biggest fans.
[ See Followers to Collectors ]
They’re the ones who DM you, show up at your openings, and brag about knowing you to their friends.
This post is about how to activate them. I’ll cover who they are, why they want to help, and how to make it easy — with both physical tools and digital ones — so that the ask doesn’t feel awkward.
Who your obvious salespeople are
This isn’t just for artists who have collectors. If anyone has ever responded enthusiastically to your work, this applies to you.
Think about the people who regularly show up at your events and actually engage, not just for the free wine and cheese. The followers who comment, share, or DM you. The friends and family members who brag about knowing you. Anyone who has ever said “I showed your work to a friend” or “I just love what you do.”
Honestly, anyone who loves you and wants the best for you.
It doesn’t matter whether they’ve bought from you. What matters is whether they believe in you.
They already want to help, they just haven't been asked
Here’s what 25 years of working with artists has taught me: people think it is genuinely cool to know an artist. They can’t imagine living your life.
And the ones who love your work? They enjoy being the person who introduces it to someone else.
It’s a gift to them. They get to be the person with great taste, the one who’s on the inside. Don’t discount this. I’ve seen it repeatedly with my own non-artist friends.
The reframe is this. You’re not asking for a favor. You’re inviting them to be part of what you’re building, to do something they probably already want to do but didn’t know how.
The relationship has to come first
None of this works if you’ve aren’t showing up as THE ARTIST in their lives.
People notice if they only hear from you when you want something. Stay in touch through your newsletter, personal notes, postcards, DMs. Show up for them too.
The relationship can’t be transactional.
So many people avoid the follow-up. Not because they don’t care, but because it doesn’t feel urgent and gets kicked down the road. That’s a mistake.
Consistent follow-up, with those who already know and support you, is the most direct route to reliable sales and real opportunities. I hear this repeatedly from my artist-clients.
Assuming you’re already staying in touch, here’s how you make it easy for people to spread the word.
Make it easy: the tangible
Ask those you have identified if they could help spread the word by sharing postcards with your art (and name!) on the front. Suggest they could leave some at a coffee shop, a little library in their neighborhood, the office break room.
A postcard with your art and your name is reinforcing name and image recognition every time someone sees it.
I shared a variety of artist postcards and gave some tips in this Instagram video.
Similarly, you could have note cards printed with the original work owned by a collector. They’re proud of what they own and would surely be delighted to send correspondence with their art on it. Every note card introduces your work to someone new.
Turn it into a party by suggesting an unveiling. Collectors love to show off a new acquisition, and an intimate gathering of friends is a natural setting for you to say a few words about the piece. You aren’t selling anything. You’re just making connections.
And if someone has deep community ties and loves to host, a home show is worth considering. One of my clients sold 14 paintings at her sister’s home in another city, with 75 people in attendance. Don’t underestimate it.
Make it easy: the digital
The fan who shares your post or forwards your email is doing the same thing as the one leaving postcards around town. Pay attention to them.
DMs especially. Someone who messages you privately is more invested than someone who likes a post or leaves a generic comment. That’s a relationship worth tending.
Of course, you mustn’t assume that all of your content is worth sharing. The most-shared content is inspiring, educational, or entertaining. I don’t want you to make content only with this purpose in mind, but pay attention to what is being shared of yours and what you are sharing.
You can take this a step further by creating ready-to-share graphics. An announcement that says “Join me at <this artist’s> opening on Friday” with your art and the event details makes it almost effortless for someone to share it in their stories.
Remove the friction. People will help if you make it easy.
How to ask without it feeling awkward
If you’ve done all of the above, the ask is not that hard.
The best moment to ask is right after a genuine exchange. They just bought something, expressed enthusiasm at an opening, or responded warmly to something you sent. You are fresh on their mind.
Whenever possible, ask in person or on the phone so they can hear the warmth in your voice.
Make it one specific request. Don’t give them a menu of options that require a decision.
- Could you bring a friend to my opening?
- Would you share this on your stories?
- Do you know anyone who might want an invitation?
Then hand them exactly what they need to follow through: the link, the postcard, the graphic.
This is personal, specific, and relational. It is not posting to your feed and asking people to like your posts or vote for your work in a competition. That’s broadcasting. This is something else entirely.
You don’t need a big audience or a long collector list. You need a few people who genuinely believe in what you’re making and the willingness to let them help.
This post was originally published September 15, 2016 and updated on March 15, 2020. It has been updated again with the original comments intact.
19 thoughts on “The obvious salespeople you’re not using (270)”
Great article, Alyson, and thank you for featuring my painting! I like all the ideas, particularly treating your collectors like royalty. It’s because of them that we can continue painting and creating!
Thanks for all that you do for artists,
Holly
Happy to feature your art, Holly. Thank you for sharing it.
You have inspired me to think deeply on this subject, and a new idea has popped up for me on this subject. Since I broke my leg in 3 places and cut the muscles on the other leg it has made me come up with new ways to get my art out there which is probably a real good idea. I keep creating new art but getting it out there for people to see while I’m healing has been my issue, but this article has made me use my creative ability for promoting my art better and even more creatively. Thank you Alyson! I will let you know how this is working and take pictures for others to see what’s possibly when you just have to keep creating and get your work out there.
Sorry to hear about your legs, Patrice, but happy to know that this has inspired you.
Thanks for these ideas. Whenever a collector purchases a piece of art, I send them a set of note cards about a month after the sale with a note from me thanking them for the purchase and asking how they are enjoying the artwork in their home.
Mary: Now you need to tell them how to use those cards to help promote you (not in those words, of course).
Are the cards of the piece they own?
The cards I send are reproductions of the artwork they purchased. Hmmm. I never thought about adding instructions on promoting me. Suggestions?
I had a friend years ago in Laguna Beach, CA.
He started painting women, and his work was
quite different than most at the time.
Orlando A. Botero was his name.
He invited my wife and I to an unveiling at his home.
At the time his work was smaller than 16 x 20.
Then he started doing large paintings in the same style.
They were 8 feet by 6 feet. The unveiling of these was at a gallery.
They were covered with velvet drapes, which come off when
the initial gathering had settled. There were speeches and a buildup.
He was a showman, charming, handsome, soft…
not overly pushy like many at openings. I watched him and regardless
of how many people were there, he introduced himself to every person.
It was impressive. Another artist friend in Laguna Beach, Carlo Wahlbeck,
had a show in Beverly Hills, I drove the work there the few pieces left I brought back.
Like Orlando, he nearly always sold out, a charming showman
$52000 was the check and I was extremely
impressed… no work was over $800 each, I thought I could get there.
Still working at it, people, collectors too… say they love my work. I just can’t seem to get anyone to buy it. Collector shows do work for the best of sales people, I apparently do not fit the mold, despite reading blogs in the morning, hearing talks and getting in there eye. There is something missing, I think it is me.
Dear Stephan…Maybe you are trying too hard. Just be your wonderful self and those people who pick up on it will be your collectors.
This made me sad, Stephen. Are you doing the “keeping the list warm” part?
Reading and hearing isn’t “doing” so I have to ask.
you made me sad too Stephen – i went and had a look – your work is good – accomplished – (so you dont have to worry about that being the issue ) – chin up dude – selling art is hard – its part of the challenge – there is a facebook page ‘art business’ where a few artist go to talk about the more technical issues of selling art online – perhaps you could pick up some helpful information there
Thanks For the ideas. I have postcards printed for each larger exhibition. In addition I place postcards from previous shows and they usually disappear during the course of the evening. Your idea of making boxes for collectors/buyers is very good idea.
Thanks, Margit. I hope you can run with that idea.
This is a great post and a good reminder to keep our most valuable clients – our existing ones – top of mind. I just mailed out a birthday card to a collector today (a postcard of a new piece). I love the note cards to the new buyer idea! I hadn’t thought of that. My mother, who was a fantastic sales woman, always said you have to ask for the sale. Good advice.
You always have great ideas! I have followed you every since I first read your articles in Art Business News. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for a great post with good advice on keeping in touch with collectors. I was thinking about creating creating greeting cards (with images of my new works) to send to my collectors as Christmas presents.
Thanks again!
I am a jewelry artist and will be celebrating my 25th year next month. I have had an annual week long sale every October just as the Chicago air gets crisp and the leaves turn color. The start of sweater weather brings out happy customers. Two years ago, I began inviting 30 longtime and other important customers to come shop on a Sunday for a preview day to my sale. The sale continues by appointment all week and ends with an Open House the following Sunday. The “First Dibs Day” has been a huge success each year. The customers loved it and some came back again with friends during the rest of the sale, which was so appreciated.
This year, I sent printed invitations using images of 5 different necklace designs. Each invitation had the necklace I thought each person would resonate with the most. I am working on gift bags for this preview day since this year is a special celebration. The bags are filled with fun, hand decorated or ribboned boxes, each containing small treats, like a jewelry polishing cloth, magnets with photos of my work (fridge jewelry!) a cake shaped box that will be filled with homebaked treats to take home as they enjoy doing each year, and last, a short personal note from me. I hope the small gifts will let them know I celebrate them and all they’ve done to support me over the years. I feel like I’m throwing them a thank you party! They buy a lot of jewelry on this first day, and many have been coming for all 25 years. There are a few fun quotes posted at my sales, one of which says “I have enough jewelry” …said no one EVER.
Great post and lots of great ideas here. I’ve dabbled in them all but need to reconsider. I used to have a “Jewel VIP Club” and had a party at a store (clothing, jewelry, shoes) and the store has a special discount for anyone that bought one of my pieces during that event. It worked great! But then my business got too much to handle with all the wholesale stuff and I lost track of my VIP group. I do have guest sign in books from my small private shows and receipts, so this is making me think I need to revive that group and have a special party for them. Maybe I could share with them my new direction, getting back to my roots of selling my work as art. Maybe some of them would have some great ideas. I have some long time supporters. Some have bought from me. Some have not. The ones that have not still have really supported me and come to all my events years ago. I need to tap into all those people as I feel I’ve totally neglected them. I just need to wrap my head around this and figure out how to have a thank you party, special invitation only, to all those who’ve supported me for 12 years. I also have done notecards, wrapped them in a ribbon and given them to guests at events or sent out as a thank you. But I think I will get boxes for them now and list them as art pieces instead of the collection they came from. So I can fancy that up real easily as I make more new artwork. Great ideas here. Love Myra’s suggestion about the 1st Dibs. As soon as I get a body of work into an exhibit I would love to do that. A preview party. Also, it makes me sad to hear what Stephen wrote. Stephen you are not alone. Sometimes I just don’t understand at all why people do not buy my pillows. They’re pretty. They all love them. But selling them is the hardest. That’s why I’ve opted for Alyson’s ACSS course to get back to selling them as art. People understand the price pt then and I need to still work on why they’re not your ordinary pillow…why they’re my art…everything that goes into them. Thanks for all this food for thought!!
Great ideas! I have a lot of repeat customers so I’ll be thinking about how to honor them specially.