The 24-Hour Response. Written by Frank Juarez. Release June 7, 2013. When an opportunity knocks on your door do you answer it? How can you tell if it is an opportunity? Do you wait for someone to say, “hey, I have an opportunity for you”, or are you able to identify certain flags that may suggest an opportunity is starting to present itself? We often hear of great things happening at the right time and at the right moment or it is not what you know, but who you know. All of which is true. I have experienced them all. But, if there is a potential opportunity what do you do? This is the question that I would like to ask you. The lifespan of an opportunity can be a very short one. It may present itself one minute and become void the next. Here are some tips on how to nurture potential opportunities. The 24-Hour Response: over the past few years we have replaced traditional modes of communication with modern technology such as texting, facebooking, tweeting and event instagramming aka social media outlets. When was the last time you picked up the phone, wrote a letter, or sent a short Thank You email or card? Do you call right away? Wait a day? Wait a few days? The answer is not an easy one. Often times when opportunities present themselves the people behind those opportunities tend to be movers & shakers looking for the ‘right’ person/project and are interested in what you are about. The only way to see if an opportunity may exist is to inquire. First impression are important, however, follow through trumps the initial contact. Recently, I met a curator from NYC who is moving to Green Bay and she wanted to learn about the local art scene. So I gave her the Frank overview starting in Green Bay to Manitowoc to Sheboygan to Port Washington to Grafton to Cedarburg to Milwaukee. I am sure you are starting to get the picture as to where I am leading her. We met, answered questions, and the following day she sent me an email thanking me for my time and to keep her in the loop of any art happenings. A simple request. She seemed like a very nice person. She was inquisitive, eager to get sink her feet into the sand and to meet artists. I like that. If she had waited and emailed me a week or two weeks later, there is a chance that I would forget who she is. After all, we meet a lot of people daily, right? The fact that she communicated within 24-hours has left a greater impression and if there are opportunities there is a high probability that I would contact her. If her actions are any indication as to how she works, I might just be interested. If the right opportunity comes across my desktop, of course. The Business Card: A great business card can also leave a great impression. You could say that it is almost like submitting a resume. When there is an opportunity or an opening for a show the business card is a useful tool to begin the search. Poorly designed business cards can often lead to pile B, C, or D, however, a great business card will definitely find its way to pile A. If you meet someone for the first time, hit it off, follow through with an email you have a left a great impression. But, if you handed a well-designed, heavy stock business card and took all of the aforementioned steps then you have left an even greater impression. P.S. if you are a college graduate student I recommend to use a personal email such as with your first and last name versus your school email or a cutesy alias name. Looks more professional and easy to remember. P.S.S. make sure all provided links are in working order. The Inquiry: if you are unable to determine if an opportunity exists, why not ask? It is okay to show interest. It is okay to create an awareness of what you are doing as an artist. What is more important is being able to start new relationships. As a gallery owner, I meet a lot of artists. When I meet them there have been times when they would ask if I would represent them. The first thing I ask them is what do you know about my gallery and the works I show. Followed by have you visited my gallery? I do have a vision for the gallery and what I enjoy promoting. Opportunities come in all different shapes and sizes. You never know where an opportunity may exist if you do not take that extra step. I was once told by an artist that gallery representation is like dating. You need to get to know the person first before you can begin asking those probing questions. After all, you may end up finding out that the person you would like to know more of hates onions. And, you LOVE onions! Where one opportunity closes, another one tends to open. You just have to be able to identify it. Visit frankjuarezpresentations.wordpress/writings/ for more sample writings.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:57:51 +0000
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