Sell big or sell lots

When I was running the gallery in Las Vegas, I had two high performers. One of them was only interested in selling big-ticket items and couldn't be bothered with the small run-of-the-mill pieces. He had a great sense of who might be able to afford those. The other one didn't care whether the piece in question was $50, $50,000, or even $500,000. He just wanted to sell.

Which of the two made the most money at the end of the year? Neither. They both made about the same amount. The real question is which of them was the most valuable asset to the gallery? The second one, because he wrote up many more orders, had a bigger client base as a result, and got lots of repeat business.

One thing you must never forget is that big sales often start out as small sales. They're a test to see how well the customer is treated, and if they feel important and valued, even though the sale amount is insignificant. Never dismiss the guy who wants to buy a $25 poster because he may well come back later and buy the $20,000 piece that caught his eye in the first place.

#sales #artsales #sellingart