What would it like to stand in the shoes of someone who buys art without the knowledge you have of the art world?  Suzuki Roshi in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind talks about entering each situation as if for the first time.  That kind of knowledge is helpful because it will show you where the gaps are in your plan for a successful and sustainable art business.  The typical buyer of art, not big time collectors, don't have your expertise.  They buy art because it speaks to them but they often need to be educated.

I recently had two experiences that spoke to the same issue, "making the buyer work too hard".  The first was at the Art Students League's annual Art Walk.  I found an artist whose work I loved.  I took a card thinking that if I wanted to I could see more work online.  When I got home and pulled out the card I found a phone number and an e-mail address but no website.  I Googled the artist and all that came up were some notations about some work that had been in a gallery show.  The problem here is that the artist didn't have a way of keeping me engaged.  She didn't as they say, "keep me on the hook".  There's no way for me to get info on future shows because she doesn't have any way of notifying the public.  I don't want to work that hard.

The other artist I met at the East End Aurora Arts District quarterly Art Walk.  I saw a piece of work and it just so happens that the artist was standing right there.  I had a wonderful discussion about art marketing and then came strike number one...she didn't have a business card.  She thought it was amusing in a sheepish manner, but that was not a good thing.  I asked her if she had a website and she said, NO...strike number two.  She told me she has a MySpace page and gave me the address.  When I got home what I found on the paper was an e-mail address and when I went to MySpace, to see the work I would have to join, strike number three.  If I wanted to see more of her work I would have to get a MySpace account, I liked her work but not enough to go through that process.  It's disappointing because I believe her work is unique and I'd be inclined to buy a piece of work, but I don't want to work that hard.

Are you making potential buyers work too hard?  How can you ease the process so the hardest thing they have to do is write you a check?