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Meeting the Client

Ernesta, 1914 By Cecilia Beaux The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

he nature of commissioning a portrait can be extremely daunting for nearly everyone who's never done it before—and for many who have. It's very, very difficult to part with a large sum of money (and "large" is always subjective, and always defined by a given individual), for something that the buyer hasn't seen, and to be told that the down payment is, yes, non-refundable.

I think we've all had the experience of hearing someone say, "Oh, so-and-so had a portrait painted—it doesn't even look like the person." If any part of a prior experience—on the part of the potential client, or anyone they've ever known—has been unsuccessful, you'll face an underlying prejudice that you'll need to counter. If the potential client is entirely new to the subject of portraiture, then you'll only have to counter something akin to abject terror.

What this means most is that you really must establish a solid level of trust, a confidence in your abilities that will be part of the relationship you'll have from that point forward. Your sensitivity and perception about what each person needs in order to trust you will be a critical guide for you, and you'll become better at making these judgments with each new experience.

The First Contact

The first contact you'll have with a potential client can occur in a number of ways: a telephone call, personal contact during a show or exhibit, a referral from a prior client, or in response to any advertising/marketing/ mailing you initiate. Regardless of the nature of the first encounter, people will fall into one of two groups: those who know your work, and those who do not.

If a potential client can answer "yes" to three questions about your portraits, there's little else to fret about:

• Are you comfortable with the degree of likeness to expect from the artist?
• Do you like the artist's style?
• Does the price work for you?

A "No" to any one of the three is a deal-breaker, and it's important to find out the answers as early as possible. Otherwise, both of you will have wasted a good amount of time and energy.

I think it makes sense to address the questions in the reverse order.

The Pricing Question's

When you take the first phone call, you'll want to establish a warm and professional manner. Find out what the caller is interested in, how they came to call you (make a note on this as it's important when you look at evaluating your marketing efforts), and who the subject of the portrait will be. People commission portraits for important reasons—love, honor, recognition, respect—and are generally interested in expressing something about the subject. Begin immediately to let the caller know you are interested in the subject and in conveying something important about him or her (or them).

You'll want to address this critical issue during the first conversation:

"I am not sure if you are familiar with my current price structure, but my portraits begin at $ xx."

In most cases, the degree of "gasp" factor, if there is one, will be immediately evident, generally marked by deafening silence, or "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" It doesn't matter if your portraits start at $200 or $2000, there will always be someone who will have that reaction. There is no amount of smooth sales talk that will change the reaction, so your best response is to encourage the caller to explore portrait prices in general, and to feel free to call you back if you can be of any further assistance.

Find out the answer to the price question before you spend 30 minutes of the phone, and most certainly before you arrange a meeting. You may not know why the "gasp" response occurred—it might be because the caller clearly does not, and doesn't ever expect to have the money to hire you. But it might be simply that the caller is completely unfamiliar with portrait prices. After all, everyone who's ever read a Sunday paper has an idea of what washing machines cost…because they are constantly barraged by advertising. I think it's part of the portrait painter's responsibility to help educate potential clients about the marketplace.

If, instead of the "gasp", you hear, "How do prices work for more than one subject?" or, "What size would that be?", you're on positive ground, and will want to cover just a few more points before moving on to arranging a meeting:

• Pricing and payment policies: briefly describe your policies, including contract, down-payment, installment payments, non-refundability, etc.
•Turnaround time: let your caller know how long your delivery times run from the first sitting.

The Question of Style

Introduce the notion of a face-to-face meeting by asking, "Are you familiar with my work?" Regardless of the answer, you can respond, "I'd really like to show you some of my most recent portraits."

Whenever possible, I want to talk to clients face-to-face before we commit to the commission—I need to know if I am the right artist for them, and whether they are clients I can satisfy. I do not want to find out halfway through the job that, oh by the way, be sure to get the roses in the Waterford vase on the piano shawl on the Persian carpet in front of the brocade drapes and the organza sill. If I do not think that we are a good match, I never hesitate to refer clients to an artist who I think might meet their needs. (I have learned this, by the way, the hard way.)

The Face-to-Face Meeting

So you and your potential client have agreed to meet. Where? If your studio space is a messy wreck (nothing wrong with that if it works for you), without a sitting area, viewing space, and a comfortable setting, you'll need to find an alternative location. The options are to meet at the client's home or office, or in a convenient public place.

If it works out, I think it's really helpful to meet on the client's turf. Not only does that maximize convenience for the client, you'll get a strong feeling for what he or she likes. In the home, you can note how they use or don't use color and how far their artistic comfort level extends beyond the literal. If in the office, you have the opportunity to observe many things, including where they choose to meet and whether there are others in the meeting.

If you will be arranging a meeting in 'neutral' territory, a nice hotel lobby, coffee shop, or other public setting can work well. Restaurant lunches don't work very well, because there are constant interruptions, and limited space to show your materials.

What to wear? This might sound like a silly consideration at first blush, but I think it's important. It's a universal human trait to feel comfortable with people who are most like us. Remember that comfort is part of trust, and that trust is essential. If you are making a presentation to a law firm, ladies and gentlemen, please wear a suit or equivalent appropriate business wear. If you are to err, err on the conservative side. If you are meeting with a mom in her home, dress as if you were going to a business or nice dressy casual lunch. Paint-stained blue jeans, old sneakers and your work shirt are what you wear in the privacy of your own studio. (And only if you aren't expecting a client visit!) .

Do not assume that because you are an "artist", you can push the envelope. Flamboyant dress is fine for your avant-garde gallery opening, but not for commissioned portraiture. You think you can't afford proper clothing? Of course you can. Just explore the resale shops.

The Likeness Question

It's important for every client to understand that you will not be producing a painted photograph. I often ask my clients jokingly to raise their right hands and repeat after me: "This is painting, not a photograph." They laugh with me, but they get the point.

Every commissioned portrait represents a collaboration between client and painter. You are being hired not to be a copying machine, but to bring your interpretation to the canvas, one that can be delivered only by an artist's hand. It's not possible to overestimate how important it is that your client shares this conviction. I have over the years occasionally met potential clients who think they want a painted portrait, when what they really want is a lovely photograph. To that end, I keep a referral file of good local photographers. One of the most effective ways to demonstrate the manner in which you paint the portrait is to have a strong self-portrait in your portfolio.

When you do meet, you'll want to bring along: portfolio of work; business cards; pricing list; an original sample if you can manage it; and a copy of whatever your pricing/payment policies, contract, or letter of agreement—happen to be.

And you should pay for the coffee.

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