It seems I can never leave well-enough alone. I took another listen to last week’s episode and I was compelled to do a little follow-up.
So this is the nitty-gritty details you need to actually close the sale. This is a long overdue discussion. Dare I say it? This is possibly the most relevant of all the episodes. (I always think that though, so you be the judge!)
It’s definitely another 8 minutes that can change everything. Grab your earbuds!
Aloha and enjoy!
PS: Speaking of changing everything…I would love another review or two over on iTunes. Show me a little love, please? Share the love. Let’s make sure other artists are Finding Loving Homes for Their Art, too!
This podcast is now available on many apps! iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, GooglePlay, and IHeart. Of course, I still want your comments, so listen anywhere, but please come here to share when you are inspired by the podcasts.
Hi Mckenna – I see (hear) we’re into the new podcast episodes. I really look forward to them each week and listen whilst I’m doing something boring like washing the dishes as it gives me something really thought provoking to consider for my work.
So, what happens if you “talk past the sale” and you miss the moment when your customer has decided in their own mind that they want a piece? Is it possible to lose the sale at that point? It can be surprisingly difficult (well, at least amongst my customers) to tell when that moment has arrived. You need to have good observational skills to see the confirmation in their eyes! Usually they follow up with “I’ll take it!” which is quite straightforward (rather than “do you ship?” which I wouldn’t get in my situation. If I need to say something, it’s usually “Shall I wrap that for you?”
This puts me in mind of a funny anecdote from a long time ago when I was new to face to face selling. A couple who’d bought a piece continued to linger looking at a much larger piece. The label had a typo and said £0! “We’ll take it” they said and I laughed heartily at the joke. It was some 15 minutes later after a lot of crossed wires that I understood that they really wanted to buy it and I was able to tell them the actual price!
Great question! Talking “past the sale” can mean they lose their growing “just get it” instinct and that critical moment of “surrendering” to their desires. When making an “important” decision, we all go through the yes/no/maybe cycle. Sometimes we repeat that cycle for a long time. Getting ourselves to “yes” is not simple. Staying there is even harder.
You nailed it. As a bystander, it’s not easy to know when the moment has arrived. Sometimes, it’s just a long silence from the customer. They just stare and become quiet and motionless, but their eyes keep darting around the piece. Eyes are a key place to put your focus. If they start looking away from the piece, they are often losing the battle with their more stringent self who always says no. And so, the moment they are settling in on the piece… go for it. Just ask. Because they can begin the yes/no/maybe cycle in a heartbeat. They may end up giving up and want to “think about it.” (Which as you know is not the same as saying no, so it’s still possible they will buy now.)
My next podcast is all about the myriad ways that we can ask for the sale. And yes, you are right! The next podcast is the first I have recorded in months as I am now “caught up” from the patreon experiment. It’s exciting to be recording again!
Your anecdote reminds me of all the times that artists have shared the story of pricing miss-communications. They say an amount as 950 and the person says, “I’ll take it!” not realizing the amount was nine hundred and fifty. OOPS! That never turns into a sale! LOL.
Thanks for that response and explanation, Mckenna. I think what I’m taking away from this is that you need to be really in tune with how your customer is thinking and feeling which means you need to be 100% focused and have all your antennae stretched out to glean the very subtle signs that someone is falling in love with a piece of your art. If you’re talking too much, not listening or doing something else, you may not be “there” to support and encourage their decision. At the same time, you need to give them space to think clearly. It’s a very difficult balance to strike!