Inside Jonas Gerard's studio
On Saturdays the Ninja and I take time off from making money online to play music together in an art studio near us. (That’s right, we step away from our computers.) Our friend, artist Jonas Gerard, opens up his studio and invites visitors to come and watch him paint, and join him on a journey.
It’s fun. It’s lively. It’s performance art and music, and the show is free to all visitors.
People crowd in to see him, mesmerized by the creative process in action. One of the things I find so interesting is watching the way someone decides to purchase one of Jonas’s works of art.
I’m learning a thing or two about how a top-selling artist runs his business. And as always, I’m learning about key correlations between a successful brick-and-mortar business and an internet biz.
Consider this. Jonas Gerard’s paintings go for thousands of dollars, and he’s even selling in this economic downturn.
How does he do it?
Well, for starters he lays out a beautiful spread with wine and cheese and crackers. But that’s not all he does. The appetizers are only a part of creating an entire environment.
An environment conducive to sales.
The decision process your customers go through to buy your product or service online isn’t that much different from the art lovers in Jonas’s studio.
He begins with a story and an invitation.
Before he starts he tells his audience that they’re about to join him on a journey into the unknown. He doesn’t plan or premeditate his free-form paintings (although he’s had long periods of producing commercial art too).
He tells them this is about trusting in the creative force, simply moving over and letting it come through him onto the canvas.
We crank up the P.A. and play his favorite Arab Jazz on dumbek and flute while he dances in front of his canvas and dips and flings his paint-drenched brushes until something amazing emerges. Jonas always paints to music, and his vivid colors and moody landscapes capture the fluid sounds and motion.
When he’s finished, he changes the lighting just so, and the new painting seems to come alive before our eyes. The crowd erupts in joyful smiles and applause.
What happens next?
You know how art is. Everyone has their preferences and favorites, the images that catch your eye or speak to your heart. Fans of Jonas’s art are often moved to come up and thank him.
One woman, with tears in her eyes, told him, “your art has changed my life.”
I had seen her earlier, watching him paint. (I get a bird’s-eye view of the crowd. It’s great.) She’d spent an hour or so strolling around, gazing at the paintings. Clearly, they spoke to her.
Then she made a spur of the moment decision.
An emotional decision.
People may spout off a list of rationales when asked why they chose such-and-such product over another one. Your customers might do some comparison shopping, analyzing a similar product or service.
However, when people buy, it’s because they’ve made an emotional decision.
How do you connect with your customers online? Think of your internet business as an open art studio.
Here’s the takeaway:
Create an environment conducive to sales. Okay, so you can’t serve wine and cheese, but you can encourage comments. You can make your customer feel comfortable. Let them nibble on good information that will wet their whistles. Create a scene that promises more will be revealed, and then have fun revealing it.
Tell a story and invite them to join you. This is important, because so many other open studios are beckoning. What makes your particular story worth staying for? What invitation can you offer? Jonas’s promise is that nobody in the room has any idea what is about to happen on that canvas. Your product or service is an as-yet-undiscovered surprise for your customer.
Bear in mind that people make an emotional connection first, then buy. You’ve got what they were looking for. Maybe they didn’t even know that before they found you. Something you said or some product you offer strikes their fancy. What is it? Think about your service or product. How will it fulfill their lives? Make that emotional connection and your customers will trust you.
Like the people who venture into Jonas’s studio on Saturdays, they’ll want to be included in the dance and in the journey of discovery.
