Van Gogh Only Sold ONE Painting? 🎨💸
(Depending on whom you ask) Famed artist Vincent van Gogh sold only ONE painting during his lifetime.
Some say he sold a few; and/or that he bartered others for food or supplies.
What is fully known: After he died, his sister-in-law, Jo, helped create interest in his name, and got the bulk of Vincent’s art known to the wider world. Jo is the reason why we know the Van Gogh name to this day.
If you want to be great at what you do AND make great money from it — being a great artist AND an entrepreneur — there are four areas you must master.
1) Your field.
Be great at what you do. Bring something skill- or product- or service-wise to the table that can’t be easily replaced or duplicated.
You don’t need to be a uniquely talented artist to do this. A discipline as simple as reading 20 books in your field will have you knowing more than 98% of the population on that topic (including the professionals who do it for a living).
This is the only point for the artist side of you. The rest are for business…
2) Marketing.
Marketing is, put simply, the relationship between you and your audience.
Finding the right people, cultivating the connection, and nurturing it. Getting people to know you and not letting them forget you.
The marketing mandate is why Apple, Google and Amazon spend millions of dollars on marketing. It’s why Nike spent $463,470.32 per HOUR in the financial year 2023 (4 Bn on the year, for $51 Billion in revenue).
You don’t have to have that kind of budget, but you DO need a strategy for constantly staying in front of your audience. I know marketers who make 20–100 new ads EVERY WEEK for ONE offering to find the ones that perform best.
Your marketing WILL cost money. And, if your math is right, you should be happy to spend it.
3) Copywriting.
Not this: ©
“Copy” is the verbiage used to persuade and influence people to take action (to click / download / buy).
CopyWRITING is the skill of putting these words together to be read, watched or listened to (what you say in a sales video or from a stage when pitching is also “copy”).
You or someone on your team MUST be good at this. It’s the bridge that turns attention (marketing) into money (my next point).
It’s like meeting a hot girl / guy at a networking event. Your looks got their attention; your conversation determines what happens next.
Saying the right things to the right people at the right time is a skill. That’s why copywriting is an entire business unto itself.
Copywriting is one of my “money skills,” (along with “regular” writing; speaking 1-to-1; speaking to audiences). You either need it, or need to be close to someone who has it.
4) Sales.
Sales turn an interested person into a customer or client.
They give you the money, you give them the product or service.
Sales can happen ONLY when parts 1–3 are done, and done correctly. Otherwise, you’ll have no one to sell to.
Selling is, funny enough, the simplest part of this process.
Not always easy, but simple.
You know they’re the right person.
They know you have what they want.
The conversation has them open to your offer.
You ask for the sale and collect the money.
Then you give them what they paid for.
Hopefully, if you’re good, they do it again and bring friends (referrals).
[Repeat buyers and referrals: Your BEST and EASIEST money.]
These are the “core four” skills you need. I’ve simplified them, of course. There are 100+ books, courses and conferences out there on each of these points.
Here’s the fastest route: Come to Work On Your Game University and let someone who’s already read the books, knows what you need to know, can explain it, and help you apply it to your business, work with you directly to produce the results you want.
Schedule a call with us here: http://www.WorkOnYourGameUniversity.com/apply
