Sell Who and What You Are

I speak with a lot of artists about their businesses (hopefully, with many more to come).  Too often, the stories are the same.  That is until they break out with "When I toured with "Wicked" last Summer..."!  Or that they have a Masters in Speech Pathology, a PhD in Neuropsychology, are a graduate of The Culinary Institute, have an MFA, MBA, MD, JD, etc.  When I ask why something so interesting and singular is not front and center, the response I so often get is that it really has nothing to do with their creative business.

Your clients are buying art, yes, but they are also buying the artist behind it.  The sum of your life experience bears on everything that you do.  To divorce those experiences from your business because you think they have no place robs your business of texture and context.

Vicente Wolf tells an amazing story of a time when he was in Ethiopia and saw a tribeswoman wearing an unbelievable necklace that had in it bottle caps, pen caps, pieces of discarded metal and other miscellanous items someone would find along a road.  There is a picture of her in his book, Crossing Boundaries, (which any one who considers themselves a designer should own).  Needless to say, when he offered to buy the necklace, she thought he was nuts.  It was just something she made and she liked, but valuable?  No way.  Of course, he bought the necklace and incorporated it into one of his designs where it looks like the art that it is.

What you hold yourself out to be may not be what your potential client sees (and loves).  If you think literal experience is all that matters, you belie the humanity behind your art.  Clients enjoy doing business with terrific brands whose businesses are run well.  However, in the vast majority of cases (and for ALL creative businesses), people do business with people.  The best businesses I know of make a connection on a human level first, brand level second.

Comments

[Becka Knight]

LOVED this. We are currently undergoing a big change on our blog where we are incorporating so much more about ourselves and life as well as our work. I'm so excited for it and this just adds fuel to my fire :)

[Mark Kingsdorf - The Queen of Hearts]

As a wedding planner who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, I try to keep that information front and center as so much of my background really helps when working with clients on designing a menu and also the flow of the reception...

Great post!

[Christine]

How do you always know to write exactly what I need to hear? Wow. This is fabulous!

[Kristy R.]

Such spot on insight into the creative business! I am additionally intrigued by businesses making these human connections on a global level vs. regional. Would love to hear your thoughts...

[Tracey Kumer-Moore]

I loved this post Sean and I did exactly that by rewriting and tweaking my bio to reveal much more of who I am and the person behind Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge.

People want to always connect with people and feel a common bond on an emotional level whether one is designing their home, cooking them a meal or helping them create a life celebration.

[Carrie Lane {storied events}]

Thank you. Your words have not only reinforced the foundation from which I built my business, but reassured me that every chance and gut feeling I had to build my business was well worth my time.

My company was founded three years ago and is strong, growing and based on my history and experiences. Clients want to know what you can bring to the table. They want to know my connections, where I have been and where I intend to go. My clients pay for those experiences and connections. Note: I do not take commissions or referral fees.

Thank you, again. You have reassured my belief in knowing if you are yourself, proud of your history and accomplishments, you can sell who you are, and in turn produce a product worthy of your standards and beyond your clients expectations.