THE INSPIRATION PLACE PODCAST
Miriam Schulman:
Well, hello. This is your host, artist Miriam Schulman. And you’re listening to episode number 100 of The Inspiration Place podcast. Holy cow. And I am so honored that you’re here with me today. We’re talking all about taking inspired action and why selling art is all about your energy.
But before we dive into that, and I do have a special guest who’s joining me in this conversation, since this is episode number 100, this calls for a little celebration. And what’s a celebration without a party? Not only are we talking all about a very important topic today, but I’ve got something incredibly exciting to share with you. In honor of my 100th episode, I wanted to create something extra special. That’s why I’m giving one person the opportunity to get one full hour of art coaching from me. And as the winner, you can decide if you want art business coaching or feedback on your art. Or if you just want to chat like two old friends, I’m game for that as well. Sound good? Okay.
The details and all the rules are in the show notes, schulmanart.com/100. But, I’m also sharing the details of the contest at the end of this episode. So, make sure you stay until the very end to find out.
In today’s episode, you’ll discover why selling art is all about your energy, why the fastest way to generating more income from your art is charging higher prices, and why you need a goal beyond the goal. Joining me in this important conversation is a truly amazing guest. Today’s guest is a renown Hay House author, serial entrepreneur, a business growth strategist specializing in mindset and messaging, and a mother of three who helps female entrepreneurs increase their intention, impact, and income with grace and ease. With work that has been featured in Forbes, The Guardian, and on BBC, she helps her global client base create powerful messaging that converts browsers into buyers and builds a tribe of super fans for their businesses. She runs a number of retreats and events, including Limitless Live, an annual one-day event which connects, inspires, and motivates women into taking themselves and their businesses to the next level of success. Please welcome to The Inspiration Place Suzy Ashworth.
Suzy Ashworth:
Woo, woo, woo!
Miriam Schulman:
Hey, Suzy. And you look naked again, like your braids are …
Suzy Ashworth:
I’ve got close on just [crosstalk 00:04:08].
Miriam Schulman:
Suzy, by the way, has a rocking body. That was actually my first question on here, before we get in today’s content. How do you do it?
Suzy Ashworth:
Aw.
Miriam Schulman:
She’s in her bathing suit like in all her posts. Oh my God. I would never.
Suzy Ashworth:
I have been living in like 31, 32 degree heat for 16 months. After a while, you’re like, “Just let it all hang out,” you know? You just got to [crosstalk 00:04:30] out.
Miriam Schulman:
But there’s nothing that hangs out with your body. It’s like such a banging body. It’s so thin.
Suzy Ashworth:
Well, it’s my genes.
Miriam Schulman:
Ah.
Suzy Ashworth:
I wish I had some special potion, but it’s my genes, so shoot me.
Miriam Schulman:
Well, that’s her story because my mother is a size two, and I am not a size two. All right. So maybe I got the other genes from other family members.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah, maybe father.
Miriam Schulman:
Yeah, maybe. I know you just moved to Spain.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yes.
Miriam Schulman:
You were recently in Tulum. I’ve never asked you, why Tulum? Why Spain? Tell me your story around that.
Suzy Ashworth:
I was in Tulum for a retreat. We were actually living in Puerto Escondido, which is on the east. Is it on the east coast in-
Miriam Schulman:
Oh, right. You were not in Tulum. You were in Mexico. My bad.
Suzy Ashworth:
We were in Mexico in Puerto Escondido, which is like a sleepy beach town on the Pacific Ocean. It’s like the third best surfing town in the world. We were there because my husband said, “Do you fancy a gap year?” I was like, “Hell to the yeah.” We kind of did finger in the air, where can we go, and Mexico came up trumps, mainly because it enabled me to still be able to work whilst we were there. So I could work from 6, 7 o’clock in the morning till 2 o’clock in the afternoon and then have play time with the family. So, that is how we ended up in Mexico.
We first went to La Paz. We met an amazing, really sexy, gorgeous Mexican guy at beach bar who was like … He convinced me that I was going to be surfing every single day and just drinking margaritas. I don’t drink. I definitely don’t surf. But, he said, “If you like it here, you should check out Puerto. It’s much more authentic. There are … ” No offense, Miriam, but this is what he said. “There are less American tourists, so you’re going to get much more of a Mexican feel. So, we took his advice, actually. The first time we went, I arrived with my two eldest kids first and off the back of his recommendation. So, we just turned up cold and we’re like, “Okay, Puerto, look after us,” and it did. It was incredible.
Now we’re in Spain because we remembered how good it feels to travel. I say we. I spent four years away from home when I was between 19 and 23. I remembered, and we were ready to leave Mexico, but we weren’t ready to end the adventure. The kids have been learning Spanish. We’ve been learning Spanish, but badly. Spain is close to England, but it’s warm. And Valencia is … Again, we kind of googled it. Where’s good to live in Spain that isn’t Barcelona? Valencia came up trump, so we came to Valencia. And it’s amazing. I’ve got really good vibes about it.
Miriam Schulman:
You look very happy and very much at home. And even this workspace is branded. What the heck? Did you decorate your workspace there? Oh, you did.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah.
Miriam Schulman:
Ah. Ah. Got it.
Suzy Ashworth:
They knew that we were coming so they sorted it out for us.
Miriam Schulman:
Very nice. I have met Suzy in real life twice, once in New York. So, the statuesque, beautiful woman came in, and I remember you were wearing this … What’s it called, the Chinese style dress with the high collar and … It was a white dress with … Clearly I’m taken with you. Anyway, she made a very big impression on me that first time.
Then, we also got to hang out together in Columbia in Medellin. You just reminded me of a funny story. You don’t drink, and neither do I. You had ordered a virgin mojito. I was like, “Okay, yeah, I want one of those.” So, I ordered one. I was one inch into the drink. I was like, “I think there’s alcohol in mine.” You were like, “No, no, no, no, no.” I was like, “No, no, no, no. There really is alcohol in this.” I was ready to crawl on the next guy’s lap. It turned out the waiter did come over and say, “Oh, ma’am, I’m so sorry, but we served you the wrong drink.”
Suzy Ashworth:
You can trust your taste buds whereas I clearly-
Miriam Schulman:
No, it wasn’t the taste. It was because I felt the alcohol immediately. I was like, “This is why I don’t drink.” I was ready to throw my marriage vows out the window. Not that I’d do that. Okay, we better get to the content. All right. Anyway.
Suzy Ashworth:
Letting it all hang out there, Miriam.
Miriam Schulman:
No way. I know. Let’s behave ourselves. We’re going to talk about today’s topic. I have downloaded your audio, which I know you have a pretty [inaudible 00:09:20] for it. Suzyashworth.com/energetics.
Suzy Ashworth:
The team have done well there. Thank you.
Miriam Schulman:
Yeah, right. So, we’re going to walk through that together. Who is your typical client that you usually serve, other coaches or …
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah, it’s other coaches. It’s service-based online business owners who want to make a big impact. And generally speaking, I work with business coaches. There are some creatives in there, too. It’s people with online courses, and programs, and coaches.
Miriam Schulman:
I listen to this, and we’re going to walk through it together. I will translate it for my artists because everything you said I like, “Yes, yes, and hell yes.” Then, I may have jotted some things down wrong, which is great because that way you can correct me. All right. There’s seven steps here for those of you who are taking notes. I think I wrote down step one is permission?
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah.
Miriam Schulman:
Talk to me.
Suzy Ashworth:
The biggest thing when it comes to charging what you want to charge for whatever it is you’re selling is, first of all, giving yourself permission to want what you want when you want it and then receive what you want to receive when you want to receive it. That permission piece is so important. I think that one of the biggest things that holds women back in business in general is we still … We revert back into the child archetype a lot. So it’s funny because we spend a lot of time mothering and being maternal in whatever way, shape, or form. But when it comes to our business, it’s like, “Am I allowed to do this? Is it okay if I can do that?” Which is very much being in the child archetype. So, I want you to really, really step into it’s safe for me to charge what I want, and I don’t have to ask anybody else’s permission. I get to give myself permission because I’m the grown-up. This is my business, and I’m the boss.
Miriam Schulman:
Right, so it’s not … Also what this looks like a lot for artists is going on to Etsy and seeing what other people are doing or thinking … One of my pet peeves. The other thing is artists who feel because they’re just starting out, and I know you have this with your world as well, that they think they can’t charge it because they’re not, air quotes, Suzy Ashworth or, air quotes, Miriam Schulman.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah. The way that I work, obviously, is very much with energetics. I talk a lot about 3D thinking and 5D thinking. 3D thinking is very linear. It’s like there is a start, there is a middle, and there is an end, and that’s how we … When we’re in a corporate, you start at the bottom and you work your way up. When you’re at school, you start in year one and then you work your way up. Actually, in business, when we allow ourselves to step out of that 3D linear thinking and into 5D thinking where anything is possible …
Also, rather than thinking about time in a linear way I teach my clients to think about it in a vertical way. I’m kind of going straight into this, so I don’t know whether this sounds a little bit crazy. But, it is past, present, and future all stacked on top of each other. You can absolutely choose to step into or allow yourself to be the expert now and, again, ties back into the position piece. So, you don’t have to have sold 20 paintings in order to be worthy of raising your prices. You can actually tune into what is it that I need in order for this to be a profitable living for me. Well, I need to be earning 5,000 a month. I have time to paint three pictures, so I am gunning to charge at least 1,750 per picture. You can do that now.
Miriam Schulman:
You can also paint one painting and charge $5,000 for it.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yes. Of course. Absolutely.
Miriam Schulman:
And it’s a heck of a lot easier to find one person to buy your painting … Because I know a lot of my listeners, their goal is to make 50,000 a year or $100,000 a year from their art. But, let’s just use the number 50,000. It is a lot easier to sell paintings a year and find 10 people who want those paintings at 5,000 each-
Suzy Ashworth:
100%.
Miriam Schulman:
… than it is to find 100 people to buy $500 paintings. Or worse, what I see most of artists doing, pricing art at $50. And they’re not the same size paintings. They’re smaller paintings. But, that’s a lot harder to find 1,000 people to buy art.
Suzy Ashworth:
It’s a numbers game.
Miriam Schulman:
Yeah. It’s a math problem, but it’s also people think volume, and volume is not the answer.
Suzy Ashworth:
No. Not if you’re looking for ease, not if you have a life outside of your painting, not if you don’t … It’s very common in the coaching world as well. People are sold the dream of stack them high, sell them cheap. And it’s like you can try and be Walmart, but is that really what you want to do?
Miriam Schulman:
If you’re an artist, you want to be Tiffany’s. You don’t want to be Target.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah.
Miriam Schulman:
Then, I don’t know if you talk about this at all because I don’t know this is in the seven steps. But, what I tell my clients is that Tiffany’s you know you’re going to get jewelry, right? And when you go to Target, you’re going to get jewelry. You’re going to get clothes. You’re going to get sporting goods. The fastest way to cheapen yourself when you’re not intentional-
Suzy Ashworth:
Perfectionist.
Miriam Schulman:
… about your niche … Yeah. The more niche you are, the easier it’s going to be to command those higher prices. When you have an Etsy shop that has portraits, and then handmade doilies, and, oh, by the way, you do stickers, too, then you’re Walmart.
Suzy Ashworth:
You’re talking about building a brand. You can be the go-to person so X, Y, and Z. So, I don’t know the different niches for you, but I want to be the go-to person for mindset and messaging or want some transformation or whatever it is. You want to become synonymous with one thing so it’s easy for people to remember that you are the person to go to.
Miriam Schulman:
I love that. All right. Let’s move on to step two. This is what I wrote down, which I may have mixed it up because I took handwritten notes and I was trying to sort it all out. But, I wrote that I can’t charge this because I’m not worth it.
Suzy Ashworth:
You have to detach your self-worth from what it is that you are charging. This is such a big one. So, so big. We talk about the £5,000 or $5,000 piece of art. And for somebody who if you haven’t grown up and money has been abundant or you are not used to receiving what to many people is a significant chunk of change for the work that you have done or in the past, for you to earn £5,000, you had to work nine hours a day five days a week for you to be, in inverted commas, worth that. Again, you’re just giving yourself permission to receive it.
What I want people to understand is that your worth is absolutely priceless. The moment you were born, nobody could put a price on your head. And for anyone who is a mother or anybody who is an auntie or has anything to do with young children, babies, can you imagine looking at a baby saying, “That baby’s not worth £5,000. That baby’s not worth …” You know? You can’t put a price on a baby. And that’s us, you know?
Miriam Schulman:
Yeah.
Suzy Ashworth:
We were that child. That is part of us. And I think that when you can understand, when you can appreciate and really embody that my services are not me, people are not paying for me as a human being, they are paying for the transformation that I helped facilitate. From an artist perspective, they are paying for … They’re paying for your time. They’re paying for the intention that you put behind. But, they’re also paying for the joy and they’re paying for the happiness.
Miriam Schulman:
What I teach my clients is that when somebody is considering investing in an artwork, whether it’s 2,000, 3,000 … whatever the numbers is, the decision that they’re making in their minds is not whether they think you the artist is worth it. They are deciding whether they are worthy investing $5,000 for a painting. That is what’s going on in their head.
Suzy Ashworth:
I absolutely agree with every single thing that you have just said. It is so true. From a coaching perspective, I say that exact same thing, actually, all of the time. What is interesting from a coaching perspective is that the moment … I had a client who started … She started this week. We had the sales call two weeks ago, and she put down an £8,000 deposit. The moment that she got off that call, she went to work. She raised her rates from 1,500 to 5,000. And before we got on the call, she’d sold her first £5,000 package. That is how she decided that she was worthy of investing in my top coaching package. And the moment that she decided in that, she more than doubled her rates and then had somebody say yes. She was able to hold the space for them to step into them knowing that they were worthy because she had decided that she was going to invest in me. It’s so beautiful.
Miriam Schulman:
And this is another thing I tell my clients when they’re deciding whether or not to sign up with me. She decided that she was worth investing £8,000. She was trying to decide if Suzy’s worth it. She was trying to decide if she was worth it. When people join my coaching program, it’s the same thinking. They decide that they’re worth it. They’re saying yes to themselves.
Suzy Ashworth:
100%. And every time you say yes to yourself, you make it so much easier for somebody else to say yes to themselves. It’s such an amazing ripple effect.
Miriam Schulman:
Yes. By the way, I wanted to let you know that I do have room inside my Artist Incubator program. So if you’re lacking a solid strategy and winning mindset, and maybe you’re disappointed with your current art sales, I can help you. If you’ve been listening to this podcast and found my tips helpful, then maybe it’s time to take the next logical step and work with me on a deeper level.
The Artist Incubator program is for professional artists who want to take their art business to the next level. If you’re ready to invest in your art career and join a dynamic community of artist who are all doing the same thing, go to schulmanart.com/biz, as in biz, to apply now. Don’t worry. There’s no fee or commitment to apply. And those who qualify will get a free strategy call with me. Now back to the show.
So, let’s talk about step three. This is where we have a word substitution. But, you say create the package, and I just say create the art.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yes. Create the package is just decide what it is you want to sell. With the people that I work with, I always start with the end result. So maybe as an artist, the end result is how do you want somebody to feel when you’re looking at this piece of art. For me, it’s what is the transformation? Is it that you want them to be able to start a new business? Is it that you want them to have a huge mindset shift? Once they have decided on what end transformation is, I invite people to work backwards. What are the steps that this person needs to take in order to get that result.
And then as soon as you have the steps, I’d like it to be between three to five steps. That’s all that required. That’s the package. And it can be so much easier than what so many people make it. There’s a whole confusion about is this good enough, and do I need to go over here, and do I need to go over there, and it’s like always keep it simple, start with the end in mind, and then work backwards. And there’s your package. It’s there.
Miriam Schulman:
So for artists, it’s the same thing. You decide, “Okay, I’m going to have a $5,000 painting. What does that look like for me? What do I want that to be, really?” So, you start there instead of, “Oh, I’m going to make a small thing because I’m in scarcity mode. I don’t think anyone’s going to pay that for my art, so I’m going to make a very small thing,” and that’s why they’re struggling. Because like we said before, $50 paintings or even $100 paintings, to have to sell 5,000 paintings to get to your goal, that’s a pretty steep mountain to climb and so much easier to just say, “Okay. And what? I’m going to make a beautiful painting that’s $5,000.”
Suzy Ashworth:
The thing that I love about what you have just said is it’s just deciding.
Miriam Schulman:
Yes.
Suzy Ashworth:
Because what’s come into my mind when you’re talking about artists is I’m thinking about Tracey Emin. I’m thinking about the modern artists that have made millions from an unmade bed. Often, with my audience, they want to see an example of somebody having done it. And often, that then gives them the permission that they are looking for to emulate it. There are so many examples of such in my eyes. It’s like I would never pay that for it, but it doesn’t matter. The artist decided it was worth it. Then, they owned the fact that it was worth it. Energetically, they put out that it was worth it. Then, they attracted somebody, and you said, who was a match for that. Yet, you think it’s worth that. I think it’s worth that. I’m going to pay for it. That’s the way it works. You just have to decide.
Miriam Schulman:
I like to also compare art to bottles of wine. Because what a lot of artists don’t understand who are in scarcity mindset is people actually enjoying paying more for luxury items. And there is a value that gets communicated by that price tag simply because someone declared that this is a $20 bottle of wine, this is a $50 bottle of wine, and this is a $100 bottle of wine. There’s a lot of people who go into a liquor store and will choose a bottle of wine. Just say, “I want a $20 bottle of wine,” or whatever they decide is in their mind of what communicates quality. They’re not saying, “Where’s the cheapest wine?”
Suzy Ashworth:
No.
Miriam Schulman:
Right.
Suzy Ashworth:
I mean, some people do, but they’re not your customers.
Miriam Schulman:
Oh, no. No, no, no. Right.
Suzy Ashworth:
We don’t want them.
Miriam Schulman:
Well, with art, there’s so many reasons why people collect art, and we’ve talked about some of them on this podcast. But, it was a good price is never the reason.
All right, my friend. I’m interrupting this interview because I skipped step four, and I don’t want to leave you in suspense. What was happening that you could not hear in the background is my cat was having an epic cat fight. Like epic. So, my daughter interrupted the interview twice. She wanted to let me know. I could hear the cat crying and getting upset outside with the cat fight. And as soon as the interview was over, I had to make sure my cat was still alive, which she is. Thank God. She’s totally fine. But, step four is very important.
To review where we are right now, step one, permission; step two, your price list; step three, create the art; and step four is divine self-expression. It’s all about allowing the true you, your own identity to step in. So when you’re creating your art, the true you needs to show up. The more you get this, the more you step into your own authenticity when you are creating your art, not only will it feel better because you are expressing your truest self, but you will magnetically attract more collectors to your art. All right. Now back to the interview.
So step five, make the invention. Talk to me.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah, ask for the sale.
Miriam Schulman:
Yes. Yes.
Suzy Ashworth:
Ask for the sale again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Many people don’t want to ask for the sale because they are afraid of interrupting. I don’t want to be inconvenient. I don’t want to inconvenience you. I don’t want you to think badly of me. I don’t want you to judge me. I don’t want you to think I’m being greedy. There’s all of these stories that stop people from asking for the sale. I want you to stop thinking about it from a sales perspective, and I want you to think about it as making an offering, making an invention which somebody gets to either accept or decline. And it has nothing to do with who you are as a person. It’s just an invitation.
Miriam Schulman:
I also teach my clients that it’s never no until they say no.
Suzy Ashworth:
Not yet. Well, I don’t even believe in no.
Miriam Schulman:
And also not yet. Right.
Suzy Ashworth:
It’s just not yet. It’s not this time.
Miriam Schulman:
But, some of my clients will take, oh, she didn’t right back. It’s like, okay, make her say no to you. Make her say no. It’s not no until you’ve heard no.
Suzy Ashworth:
And even then it’s not no. The whole point about somebody not writing back … And this is why you have to ask, and ask, and ask, and ask, and ask, and ask is because we are all busy.
Miriam Schulman:
Yes.
Suzy Ashworth:
We are all so freaking busy. I have people who have to ask me [inaudible 00:28:16]. I’ll even say yes, and then I will ghost. I mean, it’s not that I’m ghosting. It’s just that I’m being distracted by my three children, and my business, and my husband, and the dog, and I’m losing. It’s like, “Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry,” when we pick things up. So, you have to keep on asking. And know that if you want to be in business, if you want to be an artist that makes money, it’s also part of the job to keep making the invention.
Miriam Schulman:
Also, and I know you believe in this, too, so I would love to dig deeper, is not to do it so passively.
Suzy Ashworth:
Oh, no.
Miriam Schulman:
Let’s talk about that. I wish everyone could see your face right now, the face Suzy just made. It’s like you smelled something bad.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah. Felt something underneath my nose.
Miriam Schulman:
Right. Let’s talk about it.
Suzy Ashworth:
Be explicit. It is our job to make it easy for people to say yes. And if you are pussyfooting around and you are kind of being ambiguous about making the offer, you know what? People feel uncomfortable. So any kind of sale, it doesn’t matter what you are selling, is an exchange of confidence and energy from one person to another.
Miriam Schulman:
Yes.
Suzy Ashworth:
And if you are a little bit timid and like, “Excuse me. I’ve got this amazing picture,” it’s like no. Hi. I spent time and energy, and look at this. Look at how amazing this is. This is what I have for you today. It’s that you want to buy something from somebody who energetically feels strong, like what a strong auric feel, like feel … You want it to feel pleasurable. If they feel protective of you, that’s not pleasurable. So, be explicit. Be bold.
Miriam Schulman:
Absolutely. And what really works is the more you communicate, the more you’ll sell. And the more you communicate with confidence … You can call it confidence. You can call it vibration. That is what people are magnetically attracted to. That is what they want. They are buying your confidence.
Then, the other thing I would say, it’s not just about being confident in all your communications but really being willing to do a one-to-one ask. By the way, Suzy just rolled her eyes just … We’re not saying not to send out the bulk emails and the bulk everything else. But, let’s talk about especially when you’re selling something that’s high ticket. Whether it’s a coaching package or a $5,000 painting, you got to pick up the phone.
Suzy Ashworth:
Personalization is such a big and important piece of the puzzle that so many people forget about. We’re taught automation, and you want to be hands off, and you want to just send out the email. But actually, that personal touch … Hey, I’ve created something or, hey, I’m working on something. I’m thinking that it would be a good fit for you. Are you interested in taking a look? Would you like to see? Would you want to find out more about it? That actually goes such a long way.
I think two launches ago I made £60,000 before I’d even opened the doors just by personal outreach in people’s Facebook Messenger. So whatever the mode of communication or the platform that you are using with your clients or potential clients, engage. Have these two-way conversations not only when you’re selling, but definitely when you are selling.
Miriam Schulman:
Like if somebody comments on your Instagram post-
Suzy Ashworth:
Yes.
Miriam Schulman:
… engage them in a direct one-to-one message.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yes.
Miriam Schulman:
When people are buying art, they want that piece of the artist. That is the main reason why people buy art, is because they feel connected to you. So, you want to invite them. Like you say, invite them to have a connection with you. And you’re not going to do that by keeping everybody at an arm’s distance.
Suzy Ashworth:
[crosstalk 00:32:35].
Miriam Schulman:
I mean, I know there’s creepy guys on Instagram. We’re not going to talk about that right now. But, I’m sure you get those creepy guy messages, too, yeah?
Suzy Ashworth:
Do you know what? I never get it.
Miriam Schulman:
What?
Suzy Ashworth:
I never get any. I never get any weirdos. I [crosstalk 00:32:47]-
Miriam Schulman:
I will send you some creepy messages so you don’t feel left out.
Suzy Ashworth:
I do feel left out. People are like, “I had this random and that random.” And I’m like, “What’s wrong with me?”
Miriam Schulman:
God. You might after this episode. Step six, holding space.
Suzy Ashworth:
I’m not sure how relevant this is to your audience. Actually, no. It is still relevant. Once you’ve made the-
Miriam Schulman:
It’s all relevant. That’s why I’m talking about it.
Suzy Ashworth:
Once you’ve made the invitation, be quiet. Be really, really quiet. Do not try to fill in the space with justification, justifying why it’s the prize. Don’t try and explain. We’re not in the game or persuading anybody of anything. And the more comfortable when you are having a one-to-one conversation you can get with really allowing the person to process whatever it is that they need to process before they take the next step, the more art you will sell.
Miriam Schulman:
Yes. What I teach, it’s actually very similar, more than you think. So when you’re having the conversation … And just to create some ease around this, let’s pretend it’s an in-person conversation, so pre or post COVID. You’re having a conversation around your art. Telling isn’t selling. You really need to ask questions and then let your collectors talk themselves into why they need your art. If you’re doing your job properly, you are asking the right questions. And give them that space to come to that decision on their own. Let them come to it. You help them along that way. You’re a guide. But, it is not about pushy sales techniques. It’s all about, like you said, holding the space to allow them to come to that.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah. You should be talking 20% of the time, and your potential client is speaking 80% of the time.
Miriam Schulman:
Yeah. Yep, yep, and yep. You didn’t know that selling art was the same.
Suzy Ashworth:
I didn’t know.
Miriam Schulman:
You didn’t know, right? Step seven, I don’t remember what this was, but I’m sure it’s relevant. Next steps. What did you mean by that?
Suzy Ashworth:
The next step is once you have asked for the sale, you’ve made the invention, I’m assuming that you’ve got a yes, you let them know what the process is. Quite often, when somebody gets a yes, they don’t completely close the sales because you haven’t said, “Okay, here’s the contract,” or, “Let me take your credit card details. Let me take the deposit.” You finish the sale. So many people are like … They get the yes, and then they’re like … They put the phone done or they walk out and it’s like … Then the person is left there thinking, “I don’t know what to do next.” And in that space that they then have comes the confusion, or comes the second-guessing, or should I … Do I really like this? The logical mind comes in, and they start talking themselves out of the thing they’ve just said yes to. So, always finish it up by letting people know, taking the details. Taking the details, sending the contract, or whatever the next step is for you that really puts a pin in it.
Miriam Schulman:
An example with selling your art is that somebody wants your art, but now you haven’t said, “How would you like to pay? Cash or check?” It’s like that final step, and you’re waiting for them. So, I’ve seen artists do this. They’re waiting for the art buyer to say, “Here’s my credit card.” You still have to have that conversation and be their guide like, “Okay. Would you like me to write this up for you now? How would you like to take delivery on it?” Test closing questions. Then, there’s really closing the deal. It can be in a question form, like this or that. Changing the conversation from yes or no, whether they want that artwork, to how exactly are they going to take delivery on it.
Suzy Ashworth:
Exactly.
Miriam Schulman:
See, I told you.
Suzy Ashworth:
One through seven.
Miriam Schulman:
One through seven. Now, I also promised we would talk about the goal beyond the goal because you said this on your podcast. Which by the way, Suzy has an amazing podcast. I started listening to it, as I do for all my guests. I’ll listen to their podcast. I think, “Okay, I’m just going to listen to one just to do my homework.” And now I am a super fan.
Suzy Ashworth:
Aw. Thank you.
Miriam Schulman:
I am. I was like, “Oh! She has a new one.” So, the goal beyond the goal. Tell me what that means.
Suzy Ashworth:
This is a really powerful technique for me quite early on in my business when I started working with a mentor. I was looking to make £10,000 a month at that time. And I wasn’t hitting it consistently. When I shared with my mentor what my goal was, she was like, “Well, the reason that you’re not hitting it is because you are aiming for 10,000. And energetically, you’re not a match for that yet. What you need to do is stretch it. So if you want to be earning 10,000, I suggest you have a goal of 30,000.” I was like, “What? That’s ridiculous. I’m only just crossing the £5,000 mark.”
The reason that it was so important is not only do you set the goal, but energetically, you ask yourself, “Who do I need to be to be hitting 30,000? What do I need to do to be hitting 30,000?” You’re thinking, “How do I need to behave? What do I need to do? How do I need to think? How do I need to behave in order to hit that amount?” Then, you start taking action in alignment with the type of person who is receiving £30,000. Now, I did that, and four weeks later I had my first £26,000 month.
Miriam Schulman:
Wow.
Suzy Ashworth:
So from that point on, it then went up and down. I hadn’t quite mastered the energetics of it, but that was all I needed to know that that system worked. And now what I teach is just a slight extension of that. So you have your goal. You have your goal beyond your goal which you are aligning to. Then, as soon as you realize that you are going to hit your minimum standard … So again, we use the example of 10,000 a month. You set your goal for 30. As soon as you realize that that 10,000 a month is happening, then you, again, you stretch the 30,000 to 40,000.
A lot of the people that I work with to start with feel bad about not hitting their goals. They feel like, “Aw, I’m not worthy or I’m doing something wrong.” And I’m like, “Listen, I don’t want you to hit your goals. I want you to keep stretching, and stretching, and stretching.” The other reason that this is really important is that fear of what happens when you hit the goal often stops people from reaching it, so-
Miriam Schulman:
And you mean fear of success, right?
Suzy Ashworth:
Fear of success. So it’s like when I was going for 10,000, my mind had no way of processing what happens after you’ve hit the 10,000. So, it was stopping me from getting there. What I did was set myself an impossible goal of 30,000. Then what happened was I accelerated the speed at which I hit 10. It then wasn’t the goal to hit 30 because my mind didn’t know what would happen when I hit 30, so then you have to go for 40. Does that make sense?
Miriam Schulman:
Yeah. 100%. I think that’s why many of us plateau is we get to-
Suzy Ashworth:
Yes.
Miriam Schulman:
… this vibration, and now suddenly it feels easy and comfortable. For me personally, I was stuck at … And I’m going to say this number knowing full well that many of my listeners would give their eyeteeth for this. I was stuck at the $150,000 mark because that’s where I was energetically.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah. You have to stretch it. If you desire more … It’s great if you don’t want to earn any more. But if you desire more, then you have to allow your mind to expand into it. And it gets to be fun, and it gets to be easy. It’s like, “Oh, wow. I’ve hit 150. What would 200 be like? What would 250 be like?” Keep stretching it. Every time you know that you’re about to hit your minimum goal, you stretch. You just keep stretching. It’s fun.
Miriam Schulman:
Now that we know that selling art is all about your energy, do you have any tips for raising your energy? Because especially now, I think, with the pandemic, it’s very easy to fall into woe is me.
Suzy Ashworth:
I think the first one to stop keeping in that space is just a huge amount of appreciation. I am very, very appreciative for my life. I was very, very appreciative for the life that I was creating. So again, I spent months, and months, and months, and months trying to get to that £10,000 mark. But in my head, as soon as I started stretching for the 30, I began thinking and feeling like I’d already hit the 30. I began appreciating it before I had got it.
There’s a huge amount for you to be appreciative now in your life. I do an exercise called Love Bombing. I start on my toes and I work my way all the way up to my head where I’m like, “Thank you, toes. Toes, you are so amazing. You have taken me around this world so many times. I feel so grateful for you. Thank you, shins. You are incredible. I have never had shin splints once in my life, and we have run so many places. Knees, you never ever fail me. I am so appreciative of you.” I just love bomb my entire body.
So for those of you, if you’re listening to this and you’re like, “You know, I don’t feel like I have a huge amount to be grateful for. My business is suffering,” or, “This person is sick,” you can always be thankful for something. And that exercise of love bombing from your feet right to the top of your head before you get out of bed is a really amazing way to raise your energy and raise your vibration.
Seeing yourself as the successful artist and the person that you want to be and writing that down, like really just imagining yourself in your most expansive self, standing and presenting at your art show or being invited to exhibit somewhere. Think about your most expansive self and think about how that feels. Get into the feeling of what it would be like. And if your mind says to you, “But, I don’t know what it would be like,” I want you to re-frame the opportunity and just ask yourself, “But what if I did know?” I want you to pretend like you were or that you are still a child.
You know when you come watch, you watch children playing and they will just for hours and hours, they’ll be the fireman. They’ll be the astronaut. They’ve got no idea what it’s like to be a fireman or an astronaut, but they make it happen. So, you can pretend to know what it feels like to sell a painting for $100,000. You absolutely can. Just close your ideas and imagine what it feels like in your body. You can imagine what it feels like to have that money in your back account or appear in your Stripe account. Imagine what it feels like to have all of your friends and family around you clapping and just celebrating your magnificent show. The more you imagine it, the better you feel.
Miriam Schulman:
By the way, I got goosebumps when you said that.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yeah. The better you feel, it changes the way that you behave. And it’s your behavior, what you’re doing on a daily basis, which will dictate the results that you get. So, just a couple of little tips there.
Miriam Schulman:
All right. That’s a perfect place to wrap you. Go get that audio, suzyashworth.com/energetics. It’s 100% free. Also join her free Facebook group Quantum Success Hub for Female Entrepreneurs.
Suzy Ashworth:
Yay!
Miriam Schulman:
All artists should see themselves as entrepreneurs, especially if you’re in the business of selling your art. I’m in that group, and there’s a lot of badasses in there. So, invite you to join that as well. All right, Suzy, do you have any last words for my listeners before we call this podcast complete?
Suzy Ashworth:
I’ll finish up by saying the same thing I finish up saying every single week, which is faith plus action equals miracles, so please believe in yourself. Take the action that’s needed, and be surprised by all of the magic that you can create.
Miriam Schulman:
Awesome. Mic drop. Thank you so much for joining me here today.
Suzy Ashworth:
Thank you.
Miriam Schulman:
Before we wrap up today, I just wanted to share with you all the details of how to enter the 100th episode contest. Here’s the deal, make a very short video, I’m talking less than a minute, telling me what you love most about The Inspiration Place podcast and why you would benefit from art business coaching. Post your video on Instagram and tag @schulmanart. In case you don’t know, you spell that S-C-H-U-L-M-A-N-A-R-T. Also, use the #theinspirationplace in the description. This can be on IG stories or in your IG feed. Of course, you only need to tag me on your stories. If it’s on the feed, that’s when you can use both the tag and the hashtag.
That’s the main ground rule, but here are some pointers for creating your entry. This is not going to be a technology contest. I’m not going to pick somebody just because they used a lot of fancy video facts. But if that’s your jam, go for it. Do whatever helps you express yourself the most.
I’m going to ask my team to help me select one winner based on your willingness to be vulnerable and your enthusiasm. You have until Monday, August 3rd, this is 2020, to post your video. We’re going to announce the winner on Monday, August 10th by putting it into the show notes right here. And of course we’re going to contact the winner. And of course I’ll be talking about it on social media because I’m going to be way too excited to keep that secret.
I know it’s a big step for you to put yourself out there, especially if you’ve never done video before, but I really want to encourage you to do this. Being an artist is all about showing up and being vulnerable and allowing your collectors to collect with you.
I also want to take a minute to thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for following me on this journey of creating this podcast. It’s truly one of the most favorite things I do inside of my business. And it’s really made the biggest impact in my ability to reach a bigger audience and connect with more artists, connect with you. It really has helped grow my business overall and help more people. So, thank you so much for letting me do what I love. I cannot wait to continue this podcast with more and more episodes about building your art business, and creating a confident and abundant mindset, and all the things you need to do to step out in a big way. So, I can’t wait to talk to you soon in the next 100 episodes.
Thank you for listening to The Inspiration Place podcast. Connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/schulmanart, on Instagram @schulmanart, and, of course, on schulmanart.com.
Miriam Schulman:
Hey there. If you liked this episode, then you have to check out the Artist Incubator program. It’s my private coaching program for professional artists who want to take their current art business to the next level. The program is by application only. To apply, go schulmanart.com/biz. That’s biz as in letter B, letter I, letter Z. If you qualify for a free strategy session, you’ll get my eyes on your business absolutely free, and we’ll discuss the steps you need to take to reach your goals and thrive.
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