Selling to Galleries

Galleries and shops are a great way for makers to gain exposure by having their work displayed and potentially sold. They need quality stock in their shops that they can sell at a profit and by having your products on a sale or return basis, it eases the burden on their cash flow.

Here are my pointers for SUCCESS in selling your products to them:

S ubscribe to their emails – find out everything you can about them so you know when to approach them, how and what you can offer.

U nderstand they receive lots of inquiries so do your research before you contact them so you can sound knowledgeable.

C ompetition – you are competing with hundreds of artists so always be thinking what makes you stand out? Your service, packaging, delivery promise, follow up or simply the product? 

C reate – make sure you have enough stock of the products you promoting to the galleries. Or if bespoke, just make sure you have a variety of products for them to choose what they would like to stock. 

E xplore who will stock your work regularly. What a great excuse for a day trip to the seaside and rural little towns that so often have gift shops, coffee shops and little galleries that will sell your work.

Find out what they stock and if you build a rapport, approach the owner there and then. Or at the very least leave a card and/or small sample to leave and contact them within 48 hours.

S ocial Media – while you’re engaging with potential direct customers here, also learn about potential stockists who can be wholesale customers. Making friends and supporting others is the fastest route to success here.

S ales – after all of that hard work, take action. Call them and use the famous AIDCA technique to find out who their audience is, what they need and can give that to them.