Want to get feedback on your website?
Go enlist the Feedback Army!
While talking with Kim Beasley (my webmaster extraordinaire and the woman that did the Ask About WordPress for Artists call – it’s free – do you have your copy?) I learned about the Feedback Army and thought I should share this new info with the group!
For $15, you can get 10 anonymous reviews of your website and better understand what someone “sees” when they visit. While they aren’t manufacturers, feedback from someone who isn’t familiar with what you do could be quite valuable. SO… if you want to give it a try, head to www.FeedbackArmy.com
Here’s to your creative success and effective website!
– Tara Reed
Who else wants to be ENCHANTING?
When you think of the word Enchanting, who or what do you think of? Someone you met at a party that was just so interesting, sincere and … well… enchanting? Perhaps you’ve dated or even married someone enchanting. Bought a house from an enchanter? Car from an enchantress?
In Guy Kawasaki’s new book – shipping on March 8 – he will teach you about Enchantment – The Art of Changing hearts, Minds, and Actions.
I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of the book and have had the pleasure of reading it over the past few days. Guy Kawasaki is the former chief evangelist of Apple and author of other books I’ve read including Reality Check and The Macintosh Way.
Kawasaki says that enchantment isn’t about learning to manipulate people to get your way, but rather to transform situation and relationships.
When I first looked at the table of contents I will admit I wasn’t sure this book was for me – or us – since it seemed like it might speak more to larger companies than solo-preneurs. There are a few sections I skimmed because that was the case but if you dismiss this book on that basis, you are missing some great material!
Guy talks about core values and actions that enchanting people have in common – things like being likeable, trustworthy and transparent – as well as how to achieve those things. How to overcome resistance to ideas, use technology and become an all around enchanting person. You will learn effective marketing strategies, negotiating strategies, presentation strategies and more. All in easy-to-consume bite size pieces – easy to read and entertaining.
As I sat down to write this post I grabbed the book and looked at the pages – I’m a person who folds down pages I want to go back to and wow were a lot of pages turned down! This book is much, much more than how to get people to like you. It’s how to get them to like you, become enchanted by you and how to use that for the benefit of all – your business, your life and for the benefit of each person you are enchanting.
I highly recommend you look at this book and add it to your business bookshelf.
In the spirit of full disclosure – which is highly recommended in this book and something I always do for you – if you click on the links in this blog post I will earn a commission if you make a purchase. LEARN MORE ABOUT ENCHANTMENT OF AMAZON.COM If you don’t want me to make some change on your purchase, go directly to Amazon or your favorite retailer and search for it. Hopefully you will be fine with it and know that your clicks are appreciated and help me keep all the free info coming!
Here’s to your creative – and enchanting – success!
– Tara Reed
Trade Shows are Coming – some advice from an experienced exhibitor for artists wanting to walk the shows
I feel like Paul Revere – “The trade shows are coming! The trade shows are coming!” Well, in reality, 1 down and 3 to go! Hopefully the Atlanta Gift Show was a huge success for the artists who exhibited. Next up, CHA then SURTEX in May and the Licensing Expo in June. So there will be many discussions and questions about how to decide which show would be best for your business, how to go about learning about the shows, what to do you if you attend a show, etc.
To me, the most important thing is to be extremely conscious and considerate of the exhibitors and their time and investment in any of the particular shows. I’ve exhibited at more than 11 shows and have seen some crazy things. I’m not an agent for others yet some artists want me to spend a lot of time looking at their portfolio and telling them what to do. (That is what coaches are for, and not on a show floor.) Or others want to take my promotional materials and say to me, “So I can do mine just like yours”. That isn’t really a complement, it’s copying. Or one time and artist literally stood in front of my booth, rocking back and forth on his shoes saying, “Yup. I’ll be in a booth one day and you will have to compete with me.”
I don’t think most artists are mean-spirited in what they do or how they act, they just don’t know better. They get such tunnel vision about why they are there and wanting to learn that they forget the exhibitors have spent a lot of time, money and effort to be there – and not so someone can block your booth rocking back and forth on their shoes. 
But don’t take my word for it – here is some great advice a fellow artist shared with a new artist wanting to learn what to do or not to do when walking a show.
She refers to SURTEX and a few of the details are specific to that show but overall, the advice is sound for any show.
I’ve done a booth at Surtex for a long time and mentored a number of aspiring artists. I remember how many questions I had and how eager I was. May I offer you and other new artists an arm around the shoulder about this? If you’re a newbie, there are so many ways you can step on toes without meaning to.
Sometimes when we’re so full of enthusiasm and want to learn so much, we can accidentally do things that make us seem rude and offensive. This happens often at Surtex. You may not realize it but those of us in the booths have spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours preparation to be there. We MUST make it pay. We are there to meet present clients and prospective ones. Our money and sweat has paid for that huge venue and brought those people into the building.
So while I know you’d never try to take advantage, you can understand why we ask you to walk down the middle of the aisle and not approach our booths. We don’t want people taking photos because we have struggled to dream up something that’s ours- we don’t want you to copy it. You must find your own vision, dream up your own wonderful and unique booth, not copy mine.
We exhibitors would ask you not to walk over and engage us in conversation unless we make the move first because if you are standing at our booth, proper show etiquette means that nobody else will approach us. Others do not know this is just a friendly, non-business conversation and if we’re just having a pleasant chat, prospective clients will walk by because that is politeness in this industry. They will not interrupt what might be a business meeting. You may unintentionally be wrecking our show. We may be wishing you’d leave but too polite to ask and make it awkward.
The same with portfolios. It is absolutely a no-no to start looking at another artist’s portfolio unless they invite you. Sometimes artists look through another artist’s portfolio to steal ideas. Of course that is probably the last thing you’d do. But if you innocently start looking through a portfolio, you are likely to have the artist respond by asking you to stop immediately. This happened to me a dozen times last year and after the first time or two I’m afraid I wasn’t particularly sensitive in the way I said it.
As to the $150 fee to walk the show, if you are planning to go you should pay it and consider it a cheap education. That’s only fair. We who have paid thousands for our booths have asked the show organizers to do this to make it more fair. Why should we pay all those fees so that others can walk in and take photos, meet clients, peek through our samples… all for free? If you look at it from the exhibitors’ point of view (and we after all are the ones who fund the whole show) why would we put out all that energy and money so that others can have it for nothing? I know that’s not the intention, but it’s how you will look at it when you have a booth, too. We are not major corporations, we are small design shops for the most part, individuals just like you. And we have to make it pay.
If you pay the $150 fee, you should wander the show and look at everything. Walk those aisles for hours. Smile and some of us will chat with you when it’s quiet and we can do so. But for the most part you are there to observe and learn. Don’t take photos, don’t approach busy people, and for heavens’ sakes don’t bring your portfolio and plan to whip it out and make a deal in the aisle. Bring a little stack of business cards and your most comfortable shoes, a notebook and pencil. If you see an agent you are interested in, note their name and you can contact them after the show. If there’s an artist you admire, write their name down and send them a kind email when you get home. This way you’ll build a reputation for being appropriate and considerate. You may make some valuable contacts and you’ll have gotten a good education.
I hope I haven’t offended anyone. I am only trying to offer you the advice someone should have offered me when I was starting out.
I wish you joy and success walking the show. If you come to Surtex, wave at me from the middle of the aisle and smile and if I can I will step out and greet you.
Thank you so much for letting me share this (you know who you are!) and I, too, wish everyone a great 2011. We all want to do what we love, be successful and get the economy and industry back to where it was. Let’s be professional, optimistic and work hard to make it happen!
– Tara Reed
Catch a creative wave by listening to the Ask Drew and Maria Brophy replay – it’s free!
Another great call with our latest art licensing experts – artist Drew Brophy and his wife / business mind, Maria. There were 80+ artists listening live – were you one of them?
Here is what we covered…
- How Drew Brophy got into art and licensing
- What’s the most important thing you’ve done to connect with/market to customers in your niche to create a fan base?
- How important do you feel your work connecting directly with consumers is to your ability to get licensing agreements?
- How important is it that you create art that will fit on certain products vs. just creating whatever you feel and letting art buyers decide what to do with it?
- How do you choose what a new designs to create?
- Where do you go or what do you look at to recharge your creative batteries?
- How do you stay motivated if things are slow?
- What gives you the most joy in what you do?
- How do you deal with rejection?
- Maria, what was your 1st year at licensing Drew’s work like? What was some of the things that you did to get Drew’s work visible.
- What are the most important first 3 steps to set me on the road to learning to license my art?
- How can you figure out which licensing market one’s style of artwork would be most appropriate and succesful in?
- How can one be sure he or she is getting a good “deal” when negotiating a first contract?
There wasn’t a lot of action on the Facebook page during the call but quite a few artists were tweeting away – here are a few of the comments:
“Loved listening to @mariabrophy and @DrewBrophy talk art, licensing biz and surfing! Thanks @ArtistTaraReed! #ask”
“@ArtistTaraReed @mariabrophy knowing that perfection does not have to be met for success…#ask”
“@ArtistTaraReed: @DrewBrophy talks abt being unemployed every Mon morning – u have 2 figure it out! < yes! #ask” Keeps us on our toes!”
“People want to be a part of your story as an artist” – @DrewBrophy #ask
“I love this call so much-I’ll be replaying it for inspiration! They are so grounded, relaxed, smart and thoughtful!”
If you missed the call, the mp3 replay is available for free at www.AskDrewBrophy.com.
Thank you Drew and Maria for sharing your experience and insights – truly appreciated by all!
– Tara Reed
P.S. Coming up next…
Wednesday, February 16, 2011: www.DebbieMumm.com/askDebbie/
Art Licensing guru Debbie Mumm got her start and stays true to her fabric and quilting design roots. Over the years she has expanded and built her business to include just about every product imaginable. This is an amazing opportunity to listen and learn from this talented artist and business woman – submit your questions for consideration!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011: www.AskTaraReed.com
So What?
“So what?” is a question you should ask yourself every time you write something that will be read by prospective or current clients.
People often fall into a trap of feature-marketing – telling about the features of a product or service and not telling why anyone should care about it. So the next time you work on a web page, a print ad or promotional piece to mail or take to a trade show I want you to pretend you are the person reading it and ask yourself “So what?” after every statement.
This is the first in the transition to free and Inner Circle content blog posts. When I add a new blog post to the ArtLicensingCommunity.com blog, I’ll give the first paragraph here and the image to indicate that it is an Inner Circle post. That let’s members know to head over for new information. Are you a member yet?
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
NOW is the time to start preparing for the 2011 art licensing trade shows…
Yes, the kids are just getting back in the groove at school and 2011 might seem far away. But this morning at breakfast my son reviewed the calendar and made it seem pretty quick to winter break… “3 full weeks, then a 4 day week, oh yeah! a 3 day week… etc.”
If you are planning to exhibit at any of the 2011 art licensing shows, there is no time like the present to begin planning your art, your booth, your strategies and more.
During the October 20, 2010 Art Licensing Info Monthly Ask Call, Paul Brent will be talking about how to plan your art collections for a trade show, as well as answering questions submitted by artists. To submit your question for consideration, about trade show prep or any other art licensing related topic, visit www.AskPaulBrent.com.
I just discovered this great video that SURTEX did during the 2010 show last May – it gives a great feel for what the show looks like as well as opinions from many exhibitors. (Including yours truly – although they spelled my name wrong, ooops!)
Here are dates and links for the 2011 shows (in date order) if you want to look at your options:
AmericasMart License & Design – January 14 – 16, 2011 – Atlanta, GA
CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) License & Design – January 29 – February 1, 2011 – Los Angeles, CA
SURTEX – May 15 -17, 2011 – New York, NY
Licensing Expo – June 14 – 16, 2011 – Las Vegas, NV
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. Don’t forget! We have two great products to help you put your best show foot forward – “How to Maximize Your Time and Investment in Trade Shows” eBook or the “Trade Show Tactics” teleseminar – buy both and save. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DETAILS.
P.P.S. I also recommend Khristian Howell’s “Confessions of a First Timer” – her insightful eBook about her very first trade show experience. I got some great tips too! THIS IS MY AFFILIATE LINK.
A first timer's experience at the CHA Winter Show | guest post by Jen Goode
I just returned home from an eventful, exhausting and extraordinary experience attending my first CHA Show. The event was hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, and WOW what a show it was!
The show floor consisted of approximately 185,000 sq ft of display area with 592 exhibitors. There were demos happening in every direction – booths filled with people networking, working on make-and-take projects and general craft chit chat. The whole place was over flowing with craft supplies of all shapes and sizes from fabric and stamps to cutters and glitter. For a long time crafter and creative enthusiast, this place was heaven! It was creativity potential on overdrive.
The License and Design section was appropriately placed in the middle of the show floor, almost like a little show within the show. There were artists ranging in style, technique and experience as well as business model and specialty. I had no idea there were so many ways to sell one’s own art creations. From surface design to product design, the license and design section was filled with amazing talent.
I was able to get a hold of an exhibitor pass so I could help a few friends set up their booths. Since I was only walking the show this time, I made a point to stop and introduce myself to nearly all the other exhibitors in the section and offer to help during set up. If you’re looking to make new friends, extending a helpful hand is a good place to start. I was so amazed at the people in this group. Everyone was so friendly and eager to welcome a new comer. I felt at home almost immediately.
The show offered a number of opportunities for artists to promote themselves and their work:
Show reception open to all attendees – a great networking opportunity if you know who will be there or plan to meet with someone in advance. Not everyone attends this event.
Press kits – all attending designers can submit a press kit at no charge. I didn’t know about this ahead of time so at the last minute decided to drop off the postcards I had brought to hand out to those contact I met. I was pleased to see that by the end of the show all my cards had been picked up. There was also an award for the best press kit won by Denise Bosler.
Designer showcase – this event is only for a few hours on night but seemed to be a great opportunity to display work for a small fee. Each designer created a table displayed exhibit while press, buyers and manufacturers browsed through the room.
Classes and workshops – there are a number of classes offered for a while range of topics. An “all class” ticket was well worth the purchase. Not only are these classes great for information, they’re another good opportunity to meet pros in the industry.
Designer meeting – the License and Design portion of CHA has it’s own governing board and official organization which helps to provide the promotion and opportunities for the member designers. There was an official meeting to hear about how the group is doing, future goals. The Plaid New Horizon awards returned for this show, so the winners were announced at this meeting as well: Brenda Pinnick , Tiffany Windsor and Linda Jacobson.
An attendee standing just outside the License and Design section of CHA
I went to this show with the single goal of meeting people in the industry. I did not pre-set meetings – I had no preconceived ideas of who I would meet nor what I would learn let alone what we would talk about. I just wanted to come away with a better view of the industry and what it might have to offer for my art career. I ended up coming home having made new friends, a better understanding and clearer perspective of the industry and how the manufacturers work together with designers and what I want to do moving forward. I also gained a strong appreciation for the organization behind this fantastic event. CHA is wonderful and I’m so very glad to have had the opportunity to participate this year. Watch for it, next year I’m hoping you’ll see JGoode Designs offering art licensing amongst the fabulous booths to browse!
If you need inspiration, would like to network with like minded people, want to mingle amongst your peers or are looking for motivation to move along in your career, I can think of no better place than in the Licensing and Design section of the CHA winter show. Those who participated are an outstanding group and I am honored to have had the opportunity to be around them for the last 5 days.
I end with this little snippet of the CHA Winter Show event opening parade…
Rebranding of a Tiger by Paul Brent
The guest blog post by Paul Brent, Branding: The Tiger and the Gate Crashers , on December 15th was so well received, Paul is offering more thoughts on the matter as the drama unfolds. While the situation is a mess for those personally involved, it does provide some interesting insights and talking points as we all consider our own brands… here is what Paul has to say:
If Tiger Woods would be so inclined, I would offer him this advice from someone who has been observing the branding phenomenon for the past twenty years, “Just change you image to fit reality, Tiger.”
While the golfing industry and several of Tiger’s endorsement partners need a squeaky-clean family-man image, there are plenty of products and entities that would be perfect for Tiger Woods new image. To begin with, alcoholic beverages and energy drink with caffeine and all of those other activities that promise heightened performance both on and off the golf course. A Tiger posing as the Captain or sipping malt liquor with an attractive blond on his arm would be a winning combination. The city of Las Vegas should contract with Tiger to be a spokesperson. Who better to say, “What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. I should have played in Las Vegas.” What customer of those products wouldn’t believe in his endorsement?
Brand building and brand management is a personal journey that all licensing properties and artists have to deal with, as Tiger does. Well, maybe you do not have to deal with it so dramatically and not in the eyes of the world. As you develop who you are as an artist, whether a designer of scrapbooking supplies and children’s wear, or t-shirts and surfboards you need to fit the image of someone who relates to their market and consequently the customers who buy your licensed products.
Christian Reese Lassen and Mary Engelbreit are two artists who embody their artwork and who are brands their customers and fans can relate to yet are very different. Lassen, the surfer who paints the ocean and tropical sunsets has veered from his popular under and over ocean scenes painted in exacting detail to many other subjects and a much looser palette knife style. His fans have followed along.
Mary Engelbreit has had a magazine devoted to home decorating and home style recipes. Her loving characterizations of vintage children with charming quips attract a totally different group of fans. Mary has kept true to her initial image and has not changed her style or outlook. Will she allow herself room to grow and change?
Personally, I have progressed in licensing from a watercolor style that has been called “breezy” by one reviewer in the Wall Street Journal to oil and more tightly rendered watercolors with digital enhancement, all the while keeping close to my coastal roots. I feel that my changes can be considered evolution rather than radical change. Many times a new subject matter or new media use was precipitated by a personal experience, sometimes just a wild idea or my take on an incoming trend. Each time I introduce a new collection I think of the story behind the art and how I can talk to customers about the new work. This adds to the value of the artwork and makes them understand how I relate to the art I create.
So, who are you as a brand and an artist? Does your image allow you room to grow or are you constricted into a limited market due to how you define yourself? How you change as an artist and a brand are part of the natural change of life itself. Let’s hope we all manage our changes better than Tiger.
Here’s to your ever evolving brand to help you build your creative future!
– Tara
disclosure: Paul Brent nor I have any vested interest in Tiger Woods, Christian Reese Lassen or Mary Engelbreit – they are simply used as examples in the context of branding.
Branding: The Tiger and the Gate Crashers – Blog post by Paul Brent
If anyone has experience in branding and especially building a brand based on an individual and lifestyle, especially in art licensing, Paul Brent is the go-to guy! Paul will be sharing his in-depth knowledge on the subject of branding, to be unveiled at ArtLicensingInfo.com in early 2010. For now, here are some timely thoughts from Paul and lessons to be learned from recent current events.
Well, it seems that today’s news is constantly bringing us examples of how branding works. Licensing artists can all learn from current events how not to build a brand and how to destroy one. The White House gate crashers have sought recognition and brand building by succeeding in their audacious attempt to attend a White House reception. Their brand is now firmly entrenched in the public’s mind. We can only hope that they have a plan for how this will help them secure their place in reality TV or result in jail time.
Licensing artists can learn that audacious acts need to be well planned and researched. Sometimes the risk is warranted other times it can backfire. In the early 90’s I was working with an individual who had a trained Florida panther and who was doing educational presentations with the panther to bring attention to their plight. I painted a portrait of the panther and arranged to have the panther appear in my booth at two trade shows. I did have to clear this with show management and the facilities management. The panther behaved and we were certainly recognized at those shows. Everyone in attendance knew there was a panther on the floor. If the panther had misbehaved the whole gamble could have misfired. Luckily the panther and trainer lived up to expectations and built my name recognition at a time when I needed something spectacular for people to remember me. So when planning an occurrence of this type be sure to think out all of the possible rewards and drawbacks before proceeding. I am not sure that the gate crashers were this astute.
Tiger Woods gives us another lesson in brand management. I have often said that you are your brand in art licensing. In Tiger’s case that extends into marriage partners, family and sexual partners. His brand was built to match his sport where family values predominate in a conservative, business leader demographic of fans. It is too bad he did not live up to his fabricated image and has damaged, possibly irreversibly, one of the greatest brands of all times.
While few licensing artists achieve the celebrity of Tiger, we all must insure that what we promote about ourselves rings true. I once knew a talented artist who painted what would sell but dismissed her work to people who know her, belittling her work and making negative comments about her customers who bought it. While I never heard of that getting back to her customers I think it could have been a potential time bomb for her career in art licensing.
It is far safer to stick with a truthful image of yourself and your art and not risk the pitfalls of negative press. Some of the most negative comments I hear about artists from manufacturers are late delivery, difficulty in contract negations and relentless control issues concerning quality and color. Developing a good working relationship and being reasonable, not a pushover, is going to serve a licensing artist well especially over the years as design directors and manufacturers licensing directors change jobs in the industry. We have many times made lasting friends with individuals who then bring us along as they change jobs and we certainly enjoy the referrals they give to others within the industry.
So just because you are not in the media’s eye, you, too, can learn from our newsworthy celebrities about how to achieve success in art licensing.
– Paul Brent, www.AskPaulBrent.com
I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to be in the media’s eye in the way that Tiger or the Gate Crashers are! Thank you Paul for letting me share your insights on the blog. If you are interested in learning more about building your brand, be sure to watch the blog or eNewsletter for more information about Paul’s upcoming “branding project”. For now, it’s * TOP SECRET *!
Here’s to your branding success!
– Tara
The Art Licensing Trade Show Season is about to begin…
It’s that time of year again folks! I want to mount my virtual horse and ride through the cyber-streets shouting like Paul Revere, “The art licensing trade shows are coming! The art licensing trade shows are coming!”
SO… are you going?
Here’s what is coming up and links to the sites:
Atlanta Gift Show – License & Design Section Jan. 8 – 12, 2010 Atlanta, GA
CHA – License & Design January 24 – 27, 2010 Anaheim, CA
SURTEX May 16 – 18, 2010 New York, NY
Licensing Expo June 8-10, 2010 Las Vegas, NV
All four of these shows are catering to artists who license their art, at different times, in different ways and different locations. Only you can decide which will be the best fit for you and your business.
I am sticking with SURTEX again this year (this will be my 6th year here, 7th year exhibiting anywhere) and as I sent off my second payment installment this week I reflected on how scary year 1 was.
I had no idea if what I was doing was the right thing to do. There weren’t any blogs (that I’m aware of) to turn to for help. My friend and I just ponied up cash, took our best guess and jumped in.
Did I make back the money I spent from deals I got at that first show? Absolutely not. But I went into it with the intention to be committed to investing in exhibiting for at least 2-3 years before deciding if I’d continue or stop. (Obviously I’ve continued.)
I’ve learned a thing or two along the way…
Like, don’t put so much on the walls of your booth that a person can’t see the trees for the forest. Bigger is better. The goal of your walls is to get manufacturers to pause so you can strike up a conversation.
And don’t eat or talk on your cell phone in your booth if at all possible. And if you HAVE to, duck and hide and eat quickly!
If you are exhibiting at a show and want to learn more detailed information to make your investment in exhibiting pay off, check out my eBook and the Trade Show Tactics teleseminar replay from a live call I did last year. The cost is minimal compared to the cost of a booth and travel – I’m told it’s well worth every penny! But just like the shows, only you can decide if it is for you… CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Here’s to a successful and low-stress show season!
– Tara
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