The Art of Sales

Sales is an interesting art.

I refer to it as an art because if you pay close enough attention, you learn that it's quite an intricate onion with layers and layers of techniques and methodology to any particular approach. For some it's second nature and they can sell fire in hell, while others have difficulty rising to the occasion.

It's an essential tool for success in that all aspects of your life require a sales technique. We are constantly selling our ideas and opinions to our friends, colleagues and whomever we engage with in discussion. We sell ourselves everyday for a sense of recognition, be it to others or even ourselves. And for most, we need to sell our work, whether it be in a figurative sense where we push our ideas, campaigns, and/or policies, or in a literal sense where it's sold as a commodity in the form of goods or services.

For an artist, this can be a tricky subject because a lot of us aspire to become artists in order to break away from the socioeconomic norms and structures of the 'working world'. The endless possibilities brought forth by a blank canvas, a banging instrumental, a plot idea - that's what we thrive on. But at the end of the day if we want this to be a focal point in our lives, which most of us do, you need to be able to somehow sell your art to the world. This unadulterated, pure expression of yourself must appeal to someone else enough for them to want to purchase it from you. Albeit, there are those that create art for their own fulfillment. Not to be sold, not to be judged by others, not to be auctioned off for millions one day - but rather, to get a sense of self-fulfillment. These, in my opinion, are the truest form of artists - last of a dying breed, if they even still exist.

I, unfortunately am not as selfless and pure. I have a rather different agenda in mind. One that includes a hope of one day profiting off of my passion and I do not feel guilty about this, nor do I think it stains my work in any way. Struggling artists have to eat, and if I can exchange a dollar for sharing my insight on the struggles and triumphs of living and growing in the 21st century, I'm open to that exchange.

My struggle at the moment however, is with selling my art in a figurative sense. I am nowhere near completing the task of my initial project, but the more I share with the world that I am an aspiring writer, the more I hear the question "Oh, so you're a writer? What do you write?" - Ay, there's the rub.

I feel as though this question is hardest to answer for a writer.

A painter, sculptor, any sort of visual artist simply displays their work and it's interpreted by others in a way that appeals to them and the piece often sells itself. Mind you, the back story behind a painting often goes hand-in-hand with the piece, but the visual element works half the battle.

Similarly, a musician releases their finished song out into the world wide web, and it's instantly available for streaming, sharing, download and comments. In a matter of minutes, momentum can be gained and a conversation can be sparked discussing any and all aspects of the song. In all fairness, this has also been a factor in the demise of album sales over the past decade, but to that same notion it has made the fans and artists equally accountable for the outcome of a record. Artists like Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Lil' Wayne, and arguably one of the first artists born out of the power of social media, Drake, have all benefited from the free-share medium of the internet. What this has proven is that if you stay true to yourself and your art form, your supporters will remain just that - supporters. If you show and prove that you are committed to delivering something of authentic value, your passion for the music will be reciprocated by your audience.

Writers however have a higher mountain to climb in order to reach these summits. Unlike other artists, a writer require a deposit of high value from their audience before even proving their worth. Some might argue that this commitment is more valuable than a monetary exchange - we need your time. We cant just flash a page full of words in front of someone and expect them to respond the same way they would to a song, a dance, theatrical skits, or painting. We need a captive audience, willing to devote some time and attention to our work and absorb the message.

At the end of the day, it's a harder sell and for that reason your work needs to be that much more on point and your pitch needs to be that much more enticing. Even before letting your work do the work, you need to put in the time and effort to persuade this potential reader that your product will be worth their time. In order to successfully accomplish any of this, you need to whole-heartedly believe in your craft, which ultimately means you need to pour your heart and soul into everything you write. In the end credibility will shine brighter than anything else, and we all know "real recognizes real".