Copy these business tactics from Andy Warhol

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When it comes to marketing and selling art, there is still a lot to learn from the greatest artists in history. One of these inspiring artists is, of course, Andy Warhol. Not only was he an amazing artist, he was also famous for his methods of (re)production used in ‘The Factory’, his studio, where a skilled staff produced silkscreens according to Warhol’s ideas and instructions. Copy these business tactics from Andy Warhol and see if it can positively influence your creative business as well.

Copy Andy Warhol's business tactics to boost your sales and market your art

Using ‘upselling’ to get more business from one customer

At some point, everyone was able to own a portrait painted by Warhol for twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars. In most cases, a non-refundable deposit of ten thousand dollars was enough. If Andy thought he could sell a client more canvases, he made several portraits. The second piece would cost fifteen thousand dollars, the third ten thousand, and the fourth five thousand. These cheaper portraits were very popular amongst collectors; it was a great way to own a Warhol for a relatively cheap price.

How you can use this: Offer new fans the possibility of buying your pieces with a bulk discount to stimulate repeated orders and the possibility of becoming a collector.

Organizing meetups to get customers in

Andy usually came in the office around noon to ask one of the most important questions of the day: who’s coming for lunch?

Warhol and his staff organized ritual lunches on a daily basis, ensuring that the following characters never lacked:

- two-society figures,
- an aspiring Hollywood star,
- a European title of nobility,
- and the victim.

The latter was a potential customer. Andy’s employees knew exactly who were in town and performed endless phone calls to invite people for lunch. If the lunch generated no immediate results, the clients were invited again, and they then ensured that there were even bigger celebrities present.

How you can use this: Throw regular events at your studio or at a public place to have your current customers convince new customers of how great your work is, and to connect the people you care about with people you’ve recently met.

Using Affiliate Marketing to generate word of mouth

Andy paid his employees low wages, but gave them a commission whenever they personally brought in new customers. Most of his assistants were quick and efficient workers; they wanted to go out as soon as possible to promote Andy and his work.

How you can use this: Give your customers a discount on their next purchase whenever they bring a friend into your shop, or hand out two discount coupons with every order; one for the buyer, and one for one of their friends.

Posted by Debbie in Selling