Making the Sale: Interview with Katie Coston

For many artists, creating great work is the easy part. It's selling their work that gets difficult. So we asked Katie Coston, a professional, full-time potter, to share some tips for increasing your sales at Indie Craft Parade or other venues. Katie's one-of-a-kind pieces sell extremely well at her shows. But it's not pure artistic talent that's brought Katie and Illyria Pottery success. Her winning personality and experience keep her customers coming back. Indie Craft Parade: How do you first engage people when they come to your booth or to a show?

Katie: Engage customers just like you would engage with anyone anywhere. Be friendly and genuine. If they are coming to your booth, remember that something has drawn them. Maybe it's you. Maybe it's your work. If they seem like a "leave me a alone, and let me shop" kind of person, I usually tell them to let me know if they have any questions, and I get busy doing something else.

Katie's Booth at 2010 Indie Craft Parade

Indie Craft Parade: Generally people don't like being pressured into buying things, but as the artist, you have to make the sale. How do you convince people they need your goods without being too pushy?

Katie: I strongly dislike pressure from sales people. Actually, if a sales person is hovering, I tend not to buy. Since that's how I feel, I assume others are similar. I like to welcome people, and then let them shop. If they seem interested in something, I'll often come back and mention an alluring feature or interesting fact about the piece they're holding. Micah (my husband) and I work as a team, and he can get away with "chatting people up" (as our British friends would have it) more than I can. He knows about the process and has been involved enough to have a connection with each piece. His personality is naturally social, and it works for me to have him talk about my work, since I don't want to sound like I'm singing my own praises. If you're on your own, I guess you'll need to find a middle ground, and/or bring a friend along who loves your work. It's better to not make the sale the first time around than to give your customers a reason to not come back.

Indie Craft Parade: You have a lot of repeat customers that come to your shows, visit your online site, etc. How did you develop that faithful following?

Katie: We try to always keep things fresh--our displays, pieces, and even venues. Certain things are standard, but we don't like to stagnate. If I have something that's been around, I get rid of it anyway I can. Who wants to come to your next show and see the same things you had last time? Be personal and real. Show genuine interest in the individual and not their wallet. Get to know your customers and find out what excites them.

Indie Craft Parade: Any other tips you like to share?

Katie: Selling can be difficult. A good solution is to be just as creative in your marketing and selling as you are in your creating! Have a wide variety of pieces in a broad range of prices. I aim to always have something available for that college kid who can only spend $10 or that mom who can't go over $20. I do have customers that will by $100+ pieces, but I try to be realistic and have options for various needs, tastes and budgets. With each item ask yourself, "Would I buy this piece for this price?." Be honest! Chances are a lot of other people think like you do.

Thanks, Katie! Be sure to check out her work and online shop at Illyria Pottery.

Perfecting your Art: Interview with Cory Godbey

The world of arts and craft is competitive, and it takes a great deal of time and effort to make your work stand out. That progression can be long and difficult, sometimes fraught with criticism and even rejection. But for the people willing to stick it out, the end is rewarding. We've brought you an interview with Cory Godbey, a Greenville artist who's spent a number of years making a name for himself in the illustration community. Having experienced both the ups and downs of perfecting his art, Cory understands the dedication and perseverance required of a professional artist. Still on the journey (but having come a long way) he has shared some advice and encouragement for artists who are continually striving to improve their work.

Indie Craft Parade: As a professional artist, you've worked for a number of years on perfecting your techniques and personal style. What do you think was the most important thing to focus on during those growing years?

Cory: For me it's always been a matter of working hard. Working hard and wanting it. It's also competing with yourself, I believe. Of course you can get discouraged looking at all the awesome things everyone else on the internet is doing. But remember to keep your head down, be professional, and work at it like nothing else matters. I'm still growing, I'm able to do things now that I know I couldn't a year ago. Same for last year and the year before. I don't think any true professional "arrives." They're constantly pushing themselves; they don't sit back and coast.

Indie Craft Parade: Your work seems very popular and well-received. Have you always enjoyed that success? Can you describe some of your experiences before your work was accepted at the level you wanted?

Cory: Well I don't know about that! That's very kind of you to say. With my personal work I can never gauge what will be popular. For example with my prints or with a show, I can never tell which will be the best received or most popular. I just do the work I like. I'm my only guideline, if that makes sense.

One of my biggest hurdles was being declined to a certain annual of illustration. I had already made it into more "prestigious" books, but that didn't matter to me as much as being accepted into this particular book. I applied for the last 4 or 5 years, rejected each time until this past year. You know what? Each time the rejection only made me better. I did my best to keep myself professional, focused, and I just worked even harder for next year. I give this example because I want people to know if they're rejected from something, they should use that frustration to improve. Just take it and work harder. Let it motivate, not frustrate.

Indie Craft Parade: What advice would you give to artists and crafters who are struggling with moving their work to the next level?

Cory: The advice I give to anyone who asks me that is basically the same advice I've been given by friends and mentors; just keep doing it. It takes time, effort, and heart to be a professional--to work at a level that you're proud of. I'm still working towards that level. Just decide what it is you want and fire towards that with abandon.

Advice for our Vendors: Taking Online Payments

Although the world of craft fairs is largely run on cash, there are a few great ways for vendors to accept electronic payments from customers who just can't live without plastic. I want to share one of those with you today: Square App. I've personally used this method at art shows, and I can undoubtably say it's made made my experiences much easier. The Square App is simple, beautiful, and so easy to use. I really don't even need to say much about it. A portable credit card reader fits into the earphone jack of your smart phone or tablet, you swipe the customer's card for the amount of their goods, and you're paid the next day.

All of Square's vital information is located on their website, but that's about all there is to it. Payments are secure. You can even send email or text message receipts to your customers. And the best part about it, it's absolutely free to get started. Square charges a small fee per transaction made, but honestly, it's worth it to have the ability to take cards at your booth. Check it out!

Finding Inspiration: Interview with Annie Koelle

We want the Indie Craft Parade Blog to be a helpful resource for everyone in the arts and craft community. So we've decided to include a series of posts that will help both developing and seasoned artists with a variety of topics. We want to discuss things like creating a winning booth, effectively selling goods in person, establishing an online presence and the like. To share this information effectively, we're going to the people who do these things the best. We'll be interviewing (mostly) local artists to get their tips for making your products, branding, or general presence in the art world even better. Today, we're starting with Annie Koelle. She's a painter who presents gorgeous scenes from the natural world. In the 7 years or so I've known Annie, her work has never ceased to amaze me. Everything about her work is inspiring, so I asked her to share some thoughts on the topic of finding inspiration. Sometimes artists burn out or get discouraged when trying to develop new ideas or styles. Annie is continually producing new pieces, and she has graciously shared with us her approach for keeping her work fresh.

To see more pictures of her work, check out this post from 17 Dove Street that features one of Annie's recent shows, hosted in a garden.

Indie Craft Parade:

Frequently artists and crafters are at a loss for new inspiration--either new artists don't know how to branch out or seasoned crafters get burned out. You're always working on show material, how do you keep your work new and fresh?

Annie:

I'm always viewing the world as an artist, always on the look out for inspiring things--which is why my work is a reflection of everyday things I appreciate. I'm constantly searching for ideas to run with. I look in decorating magazines, the living breathing growing world, fashion catalogs and magazines (I have several binders of clippings), blogs, artists past and present, poetry, music, and antique stores. And a million other things I'm sure. I also make little composition sketches to remember a painting layout. Usually I will come back to them and decide they are silly. Most of the time I don't use them, but it ends up leading on to other great ideas. I have no regrets ever in recording fleeting ideas. Take an idea and run with it in all possible directions. Don't worry about playing it safe. Always be harvesting ideas!

PIndie CraftParade: Although you do a wide variety art/craft genres and styles, every piece you do is decidedly "Annie." Can you share any tips for artists trying to show their personality or put consistency in their work?

Annie:

I think that's something that develops over time, so have patience. I had a little bit of a head start, having been given art lessons as a youth, long before college. I can't say that a few years ago I was as consistent, but now I am confident in the mediums I'm working with, so I know how to successfully experiment with them. Also, it may be the subject matter, everything I work into a painting has a very personal connection to my life, past and present. Little things I appreciate such as the birds in my yard, the fig tree I pick from, or perhaps something associated with my childhood.  Here is a good tip: whatever sort of art it is, it must be an absolute overflow of yourself, that you present in a skillful, creative way. It has to be what you truly like, and it has to be good enough that you would hand over money for it --as if someone else had made it. Any sort of handmade thing, it had better be something you'd buy yourself and put in your house, wear out to a party, or hang on your wall. Strive for that! Think about it while you are planning and creating. I think that's the key, I'm finally sure (after years of trying) of what I really like, and I am beginning to figure out how to make art I would actually love to hang on my wall. But not always--can't knock it outta the park all the time. Sometimes its just about getting something out of your brain and into your hands.

Indie Craft Parade:

 Can you suggest any resources for artists looking for new inspiration?

Annie: Like I said, I find resources in a million places, but here are a few of my favorites.

Decorator magazines: I don't really read art magazines. The decor ones actually show you what people hang on their walls.

Pinterest: Follow my art inspiration board.

Poppytalk Blog

Dear Ada: I love the book list she has on the side.

FFFFound Image Bookmarking

Simply Lovely Blog

Where the Lovely Things Are: New Fave!

Worth a Thousand Words: Impressive Product Photography with Very Few Tools (Part 2)

In part one of this photo tip series, we discussed the importance of lighting and staging your products. To wrap things up, we're going to go over some simple principles concerning using your camera and editing your photos.

Working with Your Camera

Regardless of the model of camera you have, you can take good quality photos. Key to achieving this is simply getting to know how your camera works. Read the manual and play with the settings. Also, if you have a popular type of camera, there's a good chance you can find an online forum (such as this one) for trouble shooting.

Here are a couple of good principles to follow regardless the type of camera you shoot with:

1) Check your white balance settings. White balance refers to the neutral colors (such as whites or grays) in your photograph. You want to keep those colors true to real life, creating the most pleasing photos. The white balance is affected by the type of external lighting you have. If the white balance is not adjusted, the picture can appear discolored. See example below.

Adjusting the white balance is simple. Go into your camera's white balance settings and adjust the light setting to match the conditions you're shooting in.

2) Use a tripod. I don't care how steady you think you're hands are. Any movement in the camera will result in a lesser quality photo.

3) Keep the ISO on your camera low.  A lower ISO will slow down your shutter speed, but the image will be less grainy. Most digital cameras have an ISO adjustment. If yours does, keep it as low as possible for the kind of light you're shooting in.

Editing Your Photos

Before you upload your product photos right out of the camera, consider these suggestions to put the finishing touches on your photos.

1) Crop your photos. There's usually not a need for a lot of background or white space around your object. Make clear what's being sold, and keep the attention away from what's surrounding your product. Depending on the item you're shooting, it might be a good idea to keep the focus of the picture away from the direct center. Try to crop it on the 2/3 line for a pleasing effect.

2) Sharpen and brighten your images as necessary. If your photo turns out a little darker or less clear than you like, these are good ways to achieve the pleasing effects you want. I know that can sound a little daunting if you have no photo editing experience. So I highly recommend checking out Picnik. It's a free online photo editing program that will do most of the work for you. You can either play with your photos settings yourself or use the auto-fix feature that does a really good job. The program is easy to follow and quite fun when you see the end result.

Just a final word of advice, keep practicing and playing with your product photos. You'll soon find the exact look you want, and the process will become faster and easier as you go.

Indie Craft Experience Summer Market

There's a great indie craft show happening in Atlanta this weekend, the Indie Craft Experience Summer Market. Head over to Ambient Plus Studio from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm on June 11 and 12, admission is $5. More details here!