Why do artists typically struggle with selling and merchandising?

Most artists and photographers are simply not trained in selling or merchandising—it’s not their background or skillset. They don’t think like retailers or salespeople. This creates a fundamental disconnect in how they present and sell their work. The solution is recognizing this gap and actively working to develop these skills. Study how products are sold in other industries, practice showing and describing your work, and understand that selling is a learnable skill separate from creating art. The fastest way to improve is to start doing it: conduct sales, do live videos, have conversations with buyers, and learn from each experience.

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Asked by synthesized-from-teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan and Nick · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-09-02