This week’s interview is with Utah-based wildlife artist Joel Pilcher. His charcoal drawings are incredibly realistic, but the thing I loved most about this interview was hearing how much of a marketing guy he is.

I’m going to spoil this interview for you a little bit to give you the details of Joel’s backend systems because that’s what I was really curious about when questioning him. About 90% of Joel’s income comes from print sales through Printify. He markets, advertises, and asks his customers to buy his products. Pair those business efforts with an outstanding art product, it’s no wonder he’s killin’ it with sales.

Joel’s doing what he loves and making great money to support his wife and 5 kids.

Also, a little tip that he shared with me after we stopped recording, he runs print sales (20% off prints) to launch every single new painting he puts out and he’s done it so consistently that his customers look forward to it. There’s so much to gain from listening to this chat, so let’s get to it.

Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Joel Pilcher.

By the way, I’m offering a special holiday promotion to join the Academy FREE for the entire month of December: www.ArtistAcademy.co

Join today and pay nothing to learn the 4th quarter sales strategies to help boost your holiday sales!

Jodi Trujillo is an artist currently living and working in Hawaii doing paint parties, murals, and illustrations. Jodi is part of our Artist Academy $100k club and gives so much to our group with her specialty advice within the paint party and illustration industry.

I teach a lot, but I also have figured out firsthand how beneficial it is to learn from artists, like Jodi, who have done the thing I want to do.

Let me know what you think of this special Quit Your Day Job interview with Jodi Trujillo.

In this week’s episode I’m diving into sales strategies to make some extra money this holiday season. With winter wonderland windows being a hit this time of year to getting those extra handful of christmas print sales, now is the time to focus a bit of effort on your marketing plan.

Let’s start with window painting… I imagine you listened to the previous episode with Scot Campbell (the window painting MASTER) and you thought, alright I’ll try this. But where do you start? Say you muster up the courage to approach a business and hand them a flyer but they say “no,” then the next person says “no,” and on and on.

In this episode, I’ll not only be giving you pitching tips and things to say when you come up against objections (because, yes, there will be objections), but how to pitch and price yourself to get that “yes” from a first time customer.

Here are a couple of examples:

Objection: I don’t want to cover my windows because my business relies on people being able to look inside to see what I offer.

Answer: Here’s a design that focuses on framing your store windows with a snowy border to emphasize what you offer. It only takes up a small amount of space while adding a fun/festive look to your storefront. This is one of the most cost efficient options as well. Would you want to keep it classic white or add color?

Objection: I’m not sure if your product (insert print, original painting, canvas of some kind, etc…) will look good in my home.

Answer: How about I take just a minute to mock it up on your wall so you can see if it’s the right fit? I would just need you to take a quick photo of your wall and send it to me. This helps to determine if the colors match, what size of canvas you would need to order now or in the future, etc..

Listen to hear more tips on how to increase your holiday sales!

Download the free holiday window painting template and supply list: Holiday Window Painting

I’ll share a list of painting hacks to make your life easier. Some of these tips are ones that I use but most are a collective of Artist Academy members sharing their knowledge and experience. Ten artist brains are better than one!

Here’s a brief list of some of the hacks, but you’ll need to listen to this to get the full explanation of each:

1. Photos are everything.
   Spending time taking and editing your photos to display your art in the best possible form will pay off. Good lighting, clear images taken on a quality device (I use my iPhone 12 to photograph and record all videos), etc..
   
   A photo of you holding your painting in dim lighting sitting in your kitchen says: “I do this as a hobby. Please don’t pay me very much.”
   
   A clear photo of you (wearing something presentable) standing next to your painting (that is sitting on an easel) with a professional background and great lighting says: “I am a professional. You can sign up to be on my waiting list.”
   
   
2. SEO - Search Engine Optimization
   What do you do and how would you describe your art? = Key Words
   
   Examples: Missouri muralist, logo artist, painter, Springfield artist, interior mural, exterior mural, landscape, modern mural, midwest muralist, mural artist, painter for hire, custom art, high-end art, children’s room art, kids' room decor, nursery mural…
   
   Include these words within your website in places like within your artist statement on the “about” or “contact” page.
   
   Label your photos on your computer with these words and upload them into your website.
   
   Tip: Get featured on other websites that already have a better Google search result than you. Magazines, local businesses, galleries, etc.. Use their already optimized websites to show up on Google.
   
   
3. Keep your website menu/navigation options minimal and to the point.
   KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid
   
   We all create so many different things: murals, originals, prints, pet portraits, landscapes, art lessons, logos, etc… Simplify the options.
   
   What do you WANT to do the MOST? Put those few options in the forefront.
   
   
4. How can people work with you?
   
   What are the steps they need to take in order for someone to commission you to do a job? Explain those steps quickly and clearly so customers are ready to give you what you need in order to give them a quote.
   
   
5. Easy Checkout
   Make your checkout process EASY by integrating things like Apple Pay (1 click pay) and quick shipping options. Shopify is the best online selling platform for small businesses with an easy checkout process.