"Art is making something out of nothing and selling it." - who said this?
You're at the show. People are interested in your work they are about to leave (empty handed!!). And they turn and say,
do you have a card?
Your reply: Sorry, I don't want to be bothered when I'm not at the show. I'm here now. What can I do for you?
do you have a website?
Your reply: the show is my livelihood, what can I do for you?
how can we get in touch with you for a piece for our anniversary/new family room/cottage when it is time?
Your reply: how about now?
I have seen this scenario many, many times. The people walk away dazed and confused, and empty-handed. This may seem extreme, but you know it is factual. Do you have business cards? Do you always have them on you?
At the show they can carry them off and have a tangible piece from you that may bring them back today because you've written your booth # on it. Away from the show they are a visual memory jog about you and your work. A good card is the cheapest viral marketing and advertising you can do.
Here are a few cards I've picked up recently that show some very good basics:
What's missing from this card? Nothing I can think of. How about you?
Front of Wendy Bedolla's card
Back
And, we need to have our house painted - great card, no?
Do you have a business card? Can you show it to us here?
Comments
I just got this email/video link in my mailbox -- not specifically for artists, but some good tips for networking and using your business card to do that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWDCrsyMiN0
Back in July I handed out business cards to those who asked for one. Nobody took one off the table. In exchange, I asked for their email address or phone if they expressed an interest in a future purchase or commissioned painting. Since then, I've completed 4 commissioned paintings from the July show and all contacts came from the email address on the cards or via my website.
Even if you don’t sell on-line I would at the very least provide a card with basic contact information and a link to something like a Facebook page. Update the page with upcoming shows and other relevant information – I really think people will respond to (and remember) much sooner doing this then handing them a printed show schedule.
I think a business card is used not only for the customer to contact us – but also for us to keep in contact with them. By giving the customer a link/way to follow our product (Facebook or similar) we can keep in contact with them – we don’t need to wait/hope they find us again. The first step in doing that is to give them the information they need – one of the best ways is through a business card they ask for.
I stopped handing out show lists a few years ago, it felt more like a free pass out of the booth than a card, especially if you will be in the same metro area soon ""oh good, I can see you next week" and they just forget about it.
I don't have an online store but I do have images on my site - certainly not all of my pieces. I note what they were interested in on the back of the card with the price, and then tell them that they should email or call me, mention what show they saw me at and that I can send pictures of the items that are similar and currently available.
I give people who ask for a card, a show list instead. Does anyone else do that?
I really have two issues. First of all, I want them to buy NOW. I don’t want them to walk away feeling satisfied that they have complimented me by asking for a card.
At the same time, I seldom do two shows in the same area. I will do more in the Chicago area just because I live here, though I find customers here are not very motivated to drive even 20 miles to attend a different show.
Though I may not get business that same year from the show list, I find people look for me the next year (assuming I do that same show again).
The second issue is I don’t sell online. So why bother having a card? It seems to work for those of you who have more expensive pieces, where people need to think and look at their walls, for example: but I can’t see how it would work for me. I am a jeweler. Thus far (and I’ve been doing shows for 26 years) I have strenuously resisted selling online. I don’t really have multiples (except of really small items that would be a real pain to pack and ship for the money they’d yield). If I sell a one of a kind piece at a show, then I’d have to take it down off the website. Or make and save pieces just to sell online, which really does not appeal to me. I don’t know how other people handle this. (And, I really hate packing and shipping. If you are conscientious about it, it really takes way too much time.)
When I tell people that I don’t sell online, and why (short version), that doesn’t make them buy now, either. I think, at least for an impulse purchase like jewelry, if people are not prepared to buy now, they will not buy at all.
oops, and here is the rest of the family. http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/nobodoni/parma-typewriter-pro/
This is the closest thing I've found. The R is a little different, but the 4, 9, g, and other letters are just about the same.
http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/nobodoni/parma-typewriter-pro/bold/
I actually think I just used a similar font to this. I can blow it up quite large and I will see if it compares. At least there are some numbers and a W in it, that helps a lot.
I may take you up on that :-) Any idea what the font is on the long card on page 6 of this thread? That's the 2x7 card with the blue doors. I can't find it. I had it on CS4 but lost the software when a hard drive crashed and burned. I have the most current PS CS but it's not on there. there's a chance it may have been on a CD of fonts I picked up and it may still be around. The reason I used it was that it "worked" with the building, or I thought it did :-) I'm changing out the back image and the inside one. I won't be able to look for the CD until next week, with another show coming up this weekend.
I'm struggling with the readability issue on my card right now. Somewhere along the way, I lost the font I used on the wall of a building for my folding card and the new one just doesn't look right and prints blocky. Now I know why graphic designers get paid well.
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