3 Great Things To Include With Your Outgoing Orders

3 things you definitely want to include in your pencil portrait shipment

• An explanation of how to care for the art properly, encouraging them to call you with any questions or concerns.

• Your Business Card (at least 2. One for the client, one for them to give a friend)

• A Thank You Card or Note - Mine serves two purposes, as a thank you and gives the customer a discount on a future order. I have two cards - one for $10 off a future order, and another for $50 off a future order, that I use as business flow dictates (in other words, if I am overloaded with work, I don't give a $50 discount, I give the $10 card)

Ask questions to improve customer service

Pencil artists, there many ways you can improve your service to customers that don't cost you anything. One way is to know how your shipper works. Being educated about how your particular shipping method determines prices can help your customers.

Today, I had a customer email me from the United Kingdom. It is typical for me to give a quote and explain that I would need to check with the shipping company I use for the current price for mailing to the UK. But today I explained a bit more to the client -- that the UPS shipping rate is affected by many factors, including fuel prices at the time of shipment, and whether the destination mailing address is deemed Residential or Business. (Some rural addresses have surcharges because they are out in "the boonies")

It occurred to me that the customer might work in a town (at a Business zoned address) and could live at a rural address. In that case, the client could save a lot of money by having the artwork mailed to her at her work address.

So I mentioned this to the client and advised her "So if you have an office in one area and live in another area/code, and wouldn't mind which one the art gets delivered to, let me know both and I can check to see if either one gives you any kind of decrease in charge."

It's as easy as asking a question to get more information to be able to help somebody. With an international shipment, a little tweak like this could result in a much lower charge for your client. Of course they'll remember you for that, even if it doesn't help them in the end, at least you cared enough to look into it.

Always act in your customers' best interests.

Pre-Scheduling Your Twitter Posts

Scheduled Tweets - Maybe you don't know what this is. It's a Twitter thing, and even if you use Twitter, you may not be aware of it. But there are sites that help a Twitter user (usually a marketing/PR person) to pre-write their Twitter posts and schedule them to run at designated times. If you see certain people on Twitter all the time, you may think at first they have no life. Maybe they don't, but the odds are, they could just have pre-scheduled their Twitter entries.

It seems brilliant at first. What a great idea it is to spend about 20 minutes a day setting up your Twitter posts, then having them post automatically for you at certain intervals you set.

However, a problem that's inherent in these pre-tweets is that they can't take into account stuff going on in the world. The events of the past few weeks have really made me aware of this flaw. For instance, when Osama Bin Laden was killed, everybody on Twitter was discussing it. Automatic Twitter entries that talked about "how to decorate the perfect cupcake" were out of place. I can't remember if the Twitter posts were actually about decorating cupcakes, but there were Twitter entries that were out of place.

Similarly, when a majority of people are on Twitter discussing approximately 200 people missing and unaccounted for after a tornado hit Joplin, Missouri, I again saw the sales and marketing tweets that were badly timed. I realized then that automatic tweets would be something I would never do. You never know what might happen in the world, and your auto-tweets could be terribly inappropriate.

UPDATE: I tried Triberr

11 Ways to Fail Fantastically at Social Marketing

Bore people. Keep your accounts completely void of personality.

Some people think that you have to be "all business," but (especially for artists) people really want to know about you. Your life may seem boring to you, but to our reader, the fact that you're sharpening your pencils or buying art supplies might be very interesting. Add a dash of humor. Combine a little business with a little personal flair.

Read more on my Squidoo lens

How To Backfire Using Facebook

I use Facebook. I've made mistakes (nobody's perfect after all) but fortunately from just observing what other people do, I've been able to avoid making too many mistakes.

One thing I've observed that is a sales backfire is someone using their personal Facebook account for business. I mean outright SALES. A person who uses Facebook this way can even turn off dear friends.

Here's an example of how that works - er...fails.

Your Facebook friend mentions her mother's birthday is coming up, and she posts this:

"My mom's birthday is coming up! She's going to be 60! We are planning a big party because it's also the weekend of my parents' 35th wedding anniversary! We're so excited!"

As a pencil portrait artist, of course you see a lot of potential here to "make a sale." As you know, as pencil portrait artists, our portraits DO make great birthday and anniversary gifts. Sure would be great to point that out, wouldn't it? [Warning! Warning! Do NOT do this!] But hold up, Sparky! Your friend did not ask for gift ideas for the occasion.

"Yay! I can create a beautiful portrait to commemorate this occasion! My portraits make great gifts for weddings AND anniversaries!"

If I could add sound effects to my blog, right here I'd put the sound of an aircraft going down in flames with a spiral of black smoke coming out of the engines.

Business "experts" might even advise you to work in your sales pitch into a personal conversation. On the other hand, why not just be a friend instead of a salesperson . People on your list probably already know you do pencil portraits and art. Or whatever it is you sell or do. They already know!

By blasting that stuff in there, even though you tried to seem conversational, you have failed. Your friend just wants you to be a friend.

This is similar to your friend inviting you into their house to a party, and you bringing your portfolio and shoving it in peoples' faces without your friend even inviting you to bring your portfolio. They invited YOU, not your portfolio. Appreciate that. Do you think you would ever be invited to another party at her house again after being so pushy? Most likely not. No "sale" is worth losing a friend.

The best response is something along the lines of "How wonderful that your parents have had such a long and happy marriage! If I can help you with anything for the party, let me know!"
Of course, don't offer to help with the party if you really can't help...but your friend is really just looking for some affirmation of how great the party and event will be, and she's clearly proud of her family.

If there is a secret to success on Twitter or Facebook, it's as easy as just being a friend and being appreciative. Work on being positive, but never be fake with compliments. If you say their kids are adorable, you better mean it. As ridiculous as it seems people keep trying to fake sincerity. It never works!

Let your business promotion happen naturally, do not force it. If you want a business promotion page, then set up a SEPARATE fan page for your art business. These pages are free to set up on Facebook.

Questions or comments on this topic? You can leave them here or feel free to contact me on Twitter @DarlaDixon.

Your website makes me want to hurl.

Pardon me, but it's time to be blunt.

I have been looking at a few artist's websites today, and I've been disappointed by what I've seen. It's not that the art on the websites was bad...their art is good.

It's that the artists are talented, I know they're talented, because I've either seen their art in person or browsed their portfolio -- but their websites don't reflect that. Their websites are full of gaudy colors, show artwork unfinished, have links that don't work, play obnoxious music in a repetitive, nerve-wracking loop.

What I see is talented artists trying to do their own websites. I created my own website, but I started it back when I didn't have much artwork to do. It's fine to fiddle around and learn to make a website when there's no business -- but, if you have art clients, you should be doing art, not struggling to create a website. Pay or barter a deal with someone who can set up your website. Let them do what they're good at doing, so you can do what you're good at doing.

It almost makes me sick to my stomach when the website doesn't reflect the artist's skills well. One artist in particular is probably the most talented artist I've ever met, and her website had me groaning, "Why? Whyyyyy?" It's very painful to see such poor representation on the web.

If your website doesn't represent you well, then it might be more appropriate to have have an Etsy shop or a free page on Fine Art America or Art Wanted.

Some artwork questions

Hi Darla, I absolutely love your artwork, and learned so much from reading your blogs.

I had a question, on your drawings with the dark backgrounds, what do you use to get the dark background and not have it smear all over your picture while you are drawing it in?

I use a sheet of paper, usually a sheet of typing/computer paper - I avoid paper with anything printed on it, in case the print or design rubs off. I do the background last. Some artists work mainly left to right if they are right handed, that helps too. But I generally draw the subject then I do the background. That's just my preference.

To keep white areas you want to stay white, you can use a product called liquid masque. You'll find it in art stores or art supply catalogs - It's not very common to find in a store. I've never used it but have always wanted to try it!

and if you just use regular pencil, how do you get it soooo smooth looking? with no pencil lines? It looks amazing.

Try sharpening your pencil really long, and then shade with the side of the pencil, instead of the point. Try the Tombow Mono Homograph pencils, if you haven't tried them. I love them. Then smooth it with chamois.

also when you sell your drawings, what is the average size of the paper you use, is it like 8 x 10 size or larger generally?

I prefer 11x14 paper and I generally make the image area about 8x10. It's a pretty good size but allows enough paper for the framer to work with. I like a bit of edge around the artwork myself!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. :D

You're welcome, check out http://www.squidoo.com/pencildrawingsupplies and http://squidoo.com/pencilportraitmoduleslist for more info!