Energize your business: with effective marketing routines

Art Business News, Nov, 2007 by Alyson B. Stanfield

Everyone is busy. Everyone has to juggle a personal life, creative time and work. Think about any person who has ever wanted to sell a product or service: he or she has to devote marketing and business time in order to survive. And, we're all given the same amount of time. There is no getting around it. In case no one has ever told you, I'll break it to you right now: There will never be enough time to get everything done. Never. You'll always find more that you want to do, which is exactly how you'll get distracted and lose focus.

If your business is going to become what you envision it to be, you have to work hard while practicing greater self-discipline. People who succeed do not succeed simply because they are the best at what they do. The reasons are far more complicated than that. People achieve their goals because they have a combination of passion, commitment, focus, self-confidence and fortitude. They just know how to get things done. In this column, I will focus on marketing routines that are valuable to the success of any business.

Good habits and routines free your mind. When you're worried about when you're going to have time to run an errand or how you can possibly fit exercise into your schedule, you're taking up too much brainpower. That brainpower should be spent on your business. When you devote yourself to specific rituals, there are no arguments. You've made the commitments and recognize how all of the puzzle pieces of your life fit together. You know where you have to focus in order to excel.

Your routines are your own. No one can tell you what your routines should be because they have to fit your personality and lifestyle. I will, however, give you some ideas for specific marketing habits and routines that you can incorporate into your art business. You undoubtedly know most of these, but are you practicing them?

Don't forget the basks.

Begin every e-mail you send with Dear or just the person's name, and sign your full name at the end. Where have our manners gone? I am amazed at the rude e-mails I receive from people who do neither and expect a response from me. These are common courtesies that have become sloppy or ignored in a virtual world. Disregard for the recipient is always bad marketing, and you can never take it back.

Remember: Knowledge is power.

Read at least one business book and as many art magazines as you can consume each month. Knowledge is power, and all good marketers know to keep an eye on the competition.

Stay in touch.

Send at least five handwritten notes each week. Every card that goes out should be designed with images of your art, your gallery logo or artists in your stable. Sincere, handwritten notes set you apart from those who rely solely on e-mail.

Network.

Have coffee with at least one artist, businessperson, collector or other key contact each week. You need this interaction in order to stay connected to something bigger than yourself--the art world and the community.

Build your mailing list.

Update your mailing list. Whether you do this daily, weekly or monthly depends on the amount of business you are generating. Your goal is to make it a routine before the list becomes unwieldy or overwhelming. In between updates, keep a file with names to be added when the time comes. A qualified mailing list is the most valuable asset to any business, so expanding it should always be on your mind.

Look at the big picture.

Review your goals at the beginning of each week or month. Go back to your marketing plan to decide what needs to be done now and what can wait. Always focus on the most critical items.

Plan, and prioritize.

For increased productivity, plan the following day before you leave the office each evening. Write down three to five items that absolutely must be done the next day, and see that those items are tackled first. Once they're marked off your list, you are free to move on to things that are more fun and creative.

Keep an eye on your finances.

Reconcile your financial books once a week. As a business owner, you must have a comfortable relationship with your finances. It's also important that you see your financial picture as it is and not through rose-colored glasses. Adjust your marketing plan and goals as needed.

Chat frequently.

If you have a blog, post three blog entries each week. If you don't have a blog, get one! You also need to leave comments on five different blogs each week. Your frequency may vary, but the habit of blogging is key.

Stay organized.

Empty your inbox daily. Honestly, is there anything more frustrating than an overflowing inbox? The mere thought of such a mess makes you want to go into hiding. Come up with a system for your inbox that helps you file the messages you want to keep, and get rid of those that you never want to see again. I recommend David Allen's book "Getting Things Done" for organizing the various areas of your life and business.

Build relationships.

Invite one new person to your gallery or studio each week. Tell them you don't want to sell them anything--you just want to share your most recent discovery. Your goal is to build relationships and bring new faces into your space.