The Biggest Mistake Artists Make at Art Shows

Dear Creatives,

I recently participated in two art shows, one in Atlanta and one in Charleston. Different markets, different artists, but there are a few lessons I learned from both that led to more sales in person and, surprisingly, online during and after the show. I’m getting into all of that later, but first let me teach you one specific sales technique that will prevent you from lowering your prices the minute someone hesitates on cost.

The offer-a-different-size-not-a-discount rule

I closed three sales because I used this move, and I want to give you the exact language. I think we often struggle with selling, after all, most of us just want to be artists, not salespeople, so I thought it might help to give you a specific situation and a specific script.

When somebody is clearly interested in a piece and clearly hesitating on cost, the worst thing you can do is offer to come down on the price. You devalue the work, you devalue every piece in the booth, and you train the buyer to expect haggling next time. The right move is to redirect the conversation from “price” to “size.” Same language pattern every time: “If this one isn’t quite right, I have an eleven by fourteen of a similar subject for $X. Want me to grab it?”

What this does: it moves the buyer’s brain from “I can’t afford this” (an objection that ends sales) to “the smaller one might fit my space better” (an objection that converts). The price is a real factor in their life, but you’ve given them another option without making it seem about money. That reframe closes sales that a discount would have just cheapened.

If they still hesitate at the smaller size, that’s the moment to offer a print similar to the original piece they were drawn to (if available). Same framing: “I also have a print of the one you liked, eight by ten, ready to take home today.” Not “if you can’t afford the original,” ever.

That's one piece of advice to help you close more sales, but I️ have lots more below including: the full three-week marketing arc I ran before both shows (what I posted, when, and why it converted), the booth I built for free out of my own living room, the Monday email template that's already turned three Friday browsers into commission conversations, and the post-show content calendar built to carry the momentum for a full week after the doors close.

If you have a show coming up this summer or fall, this is the playbook.