Communicating with Art Customers

Communicating with art customers can be a tricky thing. As artists we might assume that everyone else (non-artists) understands what we’re talking about or what’s to be expected. When it comes to commissions, making that assumption can lead to sticky situations.

Most people understand very little about what artists do. It’s up to you to explain it to them. (Photo credit: 123RF.com Image ID:
76663338 Copyright: sifotography)

Frankly, there are a lot of people out there who are astonished that they actually have to pay for artwork. They don’t view your skill and expertise as valuable. They acknowledge that art is something you like to do and because you like doing it, you should do it for free. Little do they know that long before the Renaissance period (14^th-17^th century) artists had patrons. Patrons who, yep, you guessed it…PAID THEM for their work.

That alone should tell you that it’s up to you to educate them.

If you’re putting yourself out there to create artwork for people, eventually you’ll end up communicating with art customers. For a lot of these people, they’ve never been an art customer before. It doesn’t hurt to speak in layman’s terms so that they understand. Spell it out for them. They need to know that the materials you use cost money. The skills that you have are unique to you. Your time is valuable and so is the effort you put into each project. If they have a better understanding, you eliminate most, if not all misunderstandings and headaches.

Think about it. If you take your car in for service, or if you having a plumbing issue, or an electrical issue, or a medical issue, none of those professionals will just do the work without explaining what they’re going to do first. They come out and tell you what the problem is and how they plan to fix the issue. They break down the cost of materials and labor. As a professional artist, you need to do the same in terms of explaining the hows and whys of your approach to their project.

So how can you communicate as clearly as possible with your customers?

First and foremost, although not necessary, having a contract that clearly outlines your process definitely helps. Having the customer sign off absolutely helps to avoid misunderstandings, not to mention them taking advantage of you in terms of doing a gazillion revisions.

Second, it’s safer to assume they don’t know a thing about how artists work. Explain each step of your process to them. Even if they do understand a little in dealing with other artists, they don’t know yourprocess. Every artist works differently so it doesn’t hurt to explain.

Third, be very clear on all things dealing with money. How much do they have to put down as a deposit? At what point can they cancel and still get their deposit back (or partial deposit)? When does the remaining balance need to be paid? How many complimentary revisions will you do? How much do you charge for each excessive revision?

Yes, you will still run into nightmarish customers from time to time. But communicating with art customers as clearly as possible can greatly reduce those instances. And while contracts are not necessary, they can cut down on the customers taking advantage of you or bullying you. They not only help remind the customer that what you do is real work but also what both of your expectations are of each other. The worst thing you can do is to assume that they know what’s going on and how you work. As the one who does know, the responsibility of informing them clearly so that they are on the same page falls upon you, the artist.

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