Sales Problems Are Exposure Problems, Not Style Issues
A gallery owner argues that artists' lack of sales is almost never due to their aesthetic choices but rather an exposure problem. The article introduces the concept of a 'sales ratio' driven by foot traffic and audience volume. Artists are urged to stop tinkering with their style and instead focus on increasing outreach to the right venues and audiences. The piece advises auditing venues, increasing submission volume, and avoiding peer validation. It concludes that there is a market for every artist's work as it is, but they must aggressively pursue visibility.
Key facts
- Sales volume is directly driven by foot traffic over a five to ten-year period.
- The sales ratio is a concrete number: total audience, attracted viewers, converted buyers.
- Artists do not have direct control over the conversion percentage.
- Tinkering with style is described as a 'comfortable lie' and avoidance of marketing.
- Changing artistic vision to chase hypothetical buyers dilutes the work's strength.
- Artists should audit venues to ensure they attract target demographics.
- Increasing outreach volume includes submitting to more galleries, juried shows, and online platforms.
- Other artists are not buyers; stop seeking their validation.
Entities
—