Briefly about the main point: The main reason talented artisans do not make sales is the mismatch between their products and market demands. Buyers pay only for things that solve their problems or meet their needs, not for the creator’s self-expression. To combine creativity with profit, you need to go through the “concept testing” (demand testing) phase, which usually takes from 2 to 5 years, or adapt your product to the tastes of your target audience (size grid, materials, style).
Very often, during personal consultations, I am asked the same question: “I am a beginner artisan, I love creating, I want to make a difference in this world, make it better, but I also want to sell my works. Please help me sell my works.”
Note that this proposal contains three interests. On one hand, the person wants to create — do something interesting for themselves. On the other hand, they want to do something important and needed for people. And on the third hand — to earn money. These three things are completely different and do not necessarily intersect.
Sometimes all three align. This is just a rare case; more often, it doesn’t happen. Moreover — these things can contradict each other. For example, you create what you enjoy, but your buyer doesn’t need that product because it doesn’t match their taste or interests. What will you do then?
Why didn’t the beautiful pajamas sell on Etsy?
Let me give an example of such contradiction. Once there was a girl, Tetyana. She wrote, I think, over 20 comments under different videos and begged very much for help. This was even before I started providing individual consultations. But since she flooded me with comments, I decided to help and advise her on what to do.
She sewed pajamas. She had a shop on Etsy. The pajamas are such, with straps, calico fabric, cute. She herself was a very sweet, slim girl. She photographed herself as a model. All this looked great. Zero sales. Nothing sold. When I looked at her pajamas, I saw they completely didn’t match the taste of the target audience. They are impossible to sell. Why? Three reasons.
Firstly, she produced them in one size — Extra Small. Very few women in America fit this size. In our country, 60% of women are full-figured. Selling size Small and Extra Small clothing simply makes no sense.
Secondly, the straps pajamas are called sexy pajamas. They should be sewn from silk. You can add something — straps, bows. But they must be made of silk. They should look sexy. And the poses in which the model is photographed should be appropriate. Because strap pajamas are a niche.
Thirdly. If you want to sew calico pajamas, please. You can sew long-sleeved pajamas. Calico pajamas sell very well. Tetyana said she doesn’t want and refuses to sew long-sleeved pajamas. Because she finds it uninteresting. She doesn’t like sewing long-sleeved pajamas.
I told her then: “Let’s make sexy pajamas. Photograph in a different style. Sew them from satin or shiny silk fabric.” I showed examples. Told her about the niches she could enter. She says, “This fabric is very expensive. Or I can’t get it. And I don’t know how to photograph like that.”
In short, she can’t, or doesn’t want, to adapt to demand. And because of these three reasons — the material and style of pajamas don’t match the target audience — it’s impossible to sell. The conflict between what the artist or craftsman wants and what the market wants turned out to be contradictory. It turns out there is no joy in sewing for oneself. On the other hand — no sales.
Art or money: How Picasso and Matisse found the balance?
I will say that I personally do many things, I have many hobbies. I can sew. I can knit. I can embroider. I can even draw. I don’t sell them because I don’t want to spoil my creativity. I want to paint or write what I want. I love films like “White Sun of the Desert”, “Vereshchagin’s Customs”. What does it matter to me whether people buy my painting or not? I don’t sell it. It’s my favorite activity, hobby. I don’t care at all whether my target audience likes it or not.
Very often artists do just that. Van Gogh created not to sell. Modigliani painted because of a calling, not for money. These artists didn’t sell a single painting during their lifetime.
On the other hand, Picasso, for example, was very interested in sales and understood its mechanics. And he was also a very famous, incredible artist. Just like Matisse. Very interested. And he adapted to the demand. And artists like Matisse and Picasso found their target audiences and managed to combine these things. But others, like Modigliani and Van Gogh, became famous only after their death.
I think there are many people who want to create and sell their art, but cannot sell. And those who seem to help them — such famous marketers — are not so many. Those who truly understand and can actually sell are not easy to find.
Purchasing psychology: Into what 3 categories do all products fall?
People buy what they need, not what you think they need. What does “they need” mean? Do you pay money for something you don’t need? Personally, I don’t. The psychology of the buyer is such that they don’t buy things they don’t need. Just because they want to or because it’s beautiful. They need to convince themselves. Then they make the purchase.
Let’s divide this psychology into three parts.
First part: Products that are truly needed
Toilet paper, toothpaste, a shelf-organizer in the kitchen. You understand yourself. Items we have no inspiration to buy. We, supposedly because we need them, buy these things.
Second part: Things we want but don’t need
For example, you need to buy a gift. You need to buy a gift, right? So you planned to buy a $20 or $30 item on Etsy. Let’s say, like a buyer. You went, started looking at your mom. Wow! Suddenly you saw stunning, cool earrings. Exactly her earrings. That’s her taste. You didn’t plan to spend $50, but you liked these earrings specifically. Suddenly, they became a necessity.
This category also includes impulsive products. When some Facebook ad pops up: “Buy this scraper to remove ice from your car.” I genuinely never thought I needed this scraper in life. It’s called an impulse purchase. If I think about it and don’t buy it immediately, next day I will no longer need it so much.
Third part: Things usually very expensive
Which we most often don’t need but convince ourselves over time that they are necessary. In short, after some time, long-term, we convince ourselves that I need this trampoline. And I need these dumbbells. So it’s no longer an impulse purchase. It happens gradually over time. We begin to understand that we need this item.
Practically, these are three main reasons why people mostly buy things. Note that the real reason “I want to buy this” somehow shifts in the person’s mind to “I need to buy this”.
Finding your target audience: How to convince a buyer that they need your item?
How to convince a buyer that they need your painting? That they need your pajamas? Believe me, the buyer couldn’t care less about your self-expression.
As I described earlier, there are situations where these things just don’t match, contradict each other. And you need to make a choice. Which way will you go? Toward what the market requests, or toward what you want?
Once again. First — it’s our hobby, creativity, self-expression. Second — it’s for earning. And there is also a third category — it’s a mission to make the world a better place. People mainly focus either on creativity or earning, or they want to combine both.
Let me give you advice on how to do this, but the path to it is not easy. It’s not a quick way.
You start with your creativity and, first, do a concept test. This is called testing your product. That is, you need to understand if there is any target audience at all for your product.
Let’s consider an example of an artist — say, a good artist who paints according to their mood. Artists often have a bad mood, and their paintings are dark, depressive. I would never hang such a painting on my wall at home.
This artist shouldn’t and won’t paint bright pink paintings, right? Or draw arches? They won’t do it. But who said there isn’t a buyer for such dark, heavy paintings? There is. You just need to find them.
And this takes time. You don’t adapt to the buyer; you find your target audience gradually. Usually, this process takes from two to five years. Often, these people involve a partner. A husband, wife, mother, father, brother, sister, friend, or another person involved in marketing research who helps find the target audience.
Conclusion
If you remember, in one of my videos I told about my aunt. My aunt makes dolls that sell for $20,000, $30,000, even $40,000. She would never be able to find her target audience or become a famous artist without her husband, Uncle Vova, who handles her promotion.
Thanks to him, she joined NIADA, participated in exhibitions, received feedback from critics. Gradually, she became very famous, one of the best artists. Her dolls are now recognized worldwide. But again, she never tailored her work to demand. And as a result, thanks to her husband’s marketing and business efforts, this happened.
In reality, this works in any field. It’s not quick. You focus on your creativity and, at the same time, through social media, exhibitions, and critics, you gradually find your target customer.
If many people want to buy this item and they say it’s really great, then you have proof of your concept that there is demand for this item. Then it makes sense to continue, expand, and seek this target audience.
- Why do good-quality handmade items often not sell?
Because the buyer doesn’t look at how much soul you put into the work. They are more interested: does this item need them here and now? If the product doesn’t fit their taste, lifestyle, or demand — they will simply pass by, even if the item is objectively good. - Is it really possible to earn from creativity and only do what you love?
Sometimes yes, but it’s more of an exception. Usually, you must choose: either adapt to demand and the market, or focus on creativity without expecting sales. There is also a third way — gradually find your “own” buyer, but it takes time and is not about quick results. - How do I understand if my product has a chance to sell?
Only through practical testing. Show your product to people and see if they are willing to pay for it, not just say “It’s very beautiful.” If real interest and purchases appear — there is demand. If not, you should either change your presentation or look for another audience.
I hope this article was useful and interesting for you.
