Why do I feel guilty or uncomfortable about running sales or negotiating?

These feelings are totally normal on the psychological side of pricing—all artists and photographers struggle with them. Fears about charging what you’re worth, appearing too salesy, or cheapening your work are common and sometimes come back even after you’ve worked through them. The solution is to take off your creative hat and put on your entrepreneur hat. When you realize that pricing range, negotiation, and sales are just mathematics—proven equations that work—there’s no room for emotion. You’re building a business, and these are simply the tools successful businesses use. Museums run gift shops, galleries negotiate constantly, and retailers run sales because these strategies work.

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Asked by an artist struggling with pricing psychology · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2022-06-06