Why do art sales work as a business strategy, and when should I use them?

Art sales work as closing tactics, not as everyday pricing strategies. Every business—from car companies to mattress stores—uses sales because they work. Think about Black Friday: people literally stampede stores for deals. Sales work because they get people who have been following you to finally take action. Someone may have had a wall space in mind or thought about buying your piece for months, but the combination of incentive and scarcity makes them decide ‘I just gotta do this now.’ This isn’t questionable—sales work 100% when run correctly with the right incentive, scarcity, and mindset. Quarter four (the holiday season) is particularly important because it’s the biggest sales period of the year.

---

Asked by general teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-08-21