Early in my career as quiltmaker, I sold my work.

I took commissions, I did juried craft shows, and I was the only quilter in a fine arts co-op with a storefront.

I saw my share of objections to sales. I still see them today. And, today, with the coronavirus changing our sales process, you might even see more objections.

The price is too high. I need to talk to my spouse first. I can’t make a decision today. I need to look at other items. I need to touch the fabric or see it in person. I’m not sure I have space in my house.

I’m sure you’ve heard some of those and others.

Here are some ideas on how to get past buyer objections so you can get to the sale.

Anticipate objections

Whatever the objection, you can think of it as an opportunity to educate your buyer.

Look at the most common objections you get and address them early in the sales process.

For example, if you are often asked how to hang your art, talk about that before it comes up. If your sales are wholesale, explain your terms. If someone wants to see if your art fits in their space, let them know if this is/is not possible. If someone wants a different color, are you amenable to reproducing your work? You may even have written material that answers some of these questions with the display of your work at a show or gallery.

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Periodically I offer a complementary webinar titled “5 Smart Ways to Make Money Now in Your Creative Arts Business.”

Before I delve into the five strategies, I spend some time talking about your mindset and knowing your value. From my experience working with creative entrepreneurs, I often find they struggle with determining a value for their work and then charging for it.

Here are some tips for dealing with your worth:

Know exactly what you are charging and why.

Are you challenged by what to charge for your services?

Many creatives are in this same place. You tend to undercharge because you don’t know what to charge. You look at what others are charging and figure it must be right.

Do you ever wonder how that person came up with her price? She probably did what you did: looked around at what others were charging and figured it was right.

Take the time to go back and determine how long it takes you to accomplish your work. Consider what your expenses are – overhead, taxes, materials, etc. Then determine what you need to make on an hourly basis to meet your expenses and make a profit.

Only then will you know if your price is right.

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Several weeks back I was at a gallery opening with some creative women, and they were each sharing what they did. After hearing one woman say she was a mixed media artist and another say she was a photograph, the third said, “I’m just a longarm quilter.”

Why did this person’s passion become a “just a?” I know those of us who grew up in the 60s with the women’s liberation movement remember hearing people saying “just a housewife,” and thinking I would never be know as “just a.” There is so much more to us.

And, I know she is not the only one who says “just a” and then has second thoughts about what she said.

When I started to reflect on what she said, I wondered where she placed her value. Did she value herself and her work to the same degree as the mixed media artist and the photographer? How did she value her work? If that is where you fit in this equation, take some time to go back and look at what your value is and why you might refer to your passion and profession as “just a.”

The other thought is that she was scared to think bigger. We have all been there. Stepping into something bigger is scary. We wonder if we can really do it, if we have what it takes. And, of course, the answer is yes.

So the next time you start to say you are just a, stop and think about what you are saying to yourself and leave out the “just.”

Maybe you had an aha moment when you realized you dropped the “just” and learned to confidently establish your title in the creative arts? I would love to hear how ICAP helped you in that area?

See the ICAP blog at http://www.creativeartsprofessionals.com/weblog/