NETWORKING
Networking is a major element in any successful business, especially in today’s global economy. It is a skill that is vital to all points of a career, from the newcomer to the established veteran. You may be the best artist since Leonardo da Vinci, but if no one knows about you, you will not be able to make a living doing what you love.
There is a wealth of knowledge written about networking. I suggest reading as much as you can about the topic and continue to look for new information and advice on networking. You can always learn something new, no matter how long you’ve been in business.
Speaking About Yourself
Some of us are introverts and some are extroverts. It is certainly easier for people who have the gift of gab to talk about themselves and what they do versus others who are not comfortable speaking about themselves. I have always been blessed with the ability to speak with others about many different topics, including my own work, and I’ve never struggled with public speaking. But I hone and improve my communication skills each and every time I use them. I believe effective communication is essential to most businesses. Even if you are not comfortable in the beginning, by practicing and perfecting speaking about yourself, you will find it becomes easier and aids in building your business. If you are very uncomfortable speaking in groups, consider taking a communications or public speaking course at a community college.
Networking Groups
A computer network consists of at least two computers connected through phone lines or fiber optic cables to share information. This is basically the same for people; it takes two or more of us to network and share information and knowledge. Networking organizations can be professional clubs, faith-based groups, philanthropic groups or school groups, just to name a few. Where there’s a group of people, there is an opportunity to network.
Most networking systems max out at around 150 people or so. Imagine how many contacts you would have if you were in a networking system of 150 people and each person told all of his or her acquaintances about you. Wow! Th at would be a lot of people, but honestly that is not very realistic.
NETWORKING GUIDELINES
Here are some basic guidelines for networking in any line of work. Once you learn these basic rules, you can apply them to your own market locally and perhaps even nationally.
1. Use your existing network. Start by contacting all extended family members, friends and ex-colleagues. Get the word out that you are a decorative painter and ask if anyone has a contact that might be able to offer you business advice. People are more likely to be generous with their time if you ask them for their consult.
2. Focus on trade groups: Join the organizations that fit you best and don’t waste your or other peoples’ time on an industry or club that is not in your focus group. To achieve the best results, consider volunteering on one of the group committees as a way to meet members.
3. Cultivate contacts: People will not risk their reputations for someone they do not know. For new contacts to be effective, you need to build solid relationships. Get to know them before asking for a job or help. Business relationships have to be a win-win situation, especially for your contact to want to recommend you or use you again. Try putting your contacts’ needs before your own.
4. Be willing to help others: Both parties must be able to receive and give information for networking to be truly effective. Don’t be self-serving and think only of how others can help you. Make an effort to help those you network with by sharing contacts and information with them. Remember, if you scratch someone else’s back, they are more likely to scratch yours.
5. Maintain your network: Even when you are very busy, you need to cultivate new leads for work through your network sources. It can take months to get from an original contact to finally starting a job. Keep the network flowing so there are different clients in different stages of the queue. This will keep your workload steady. It should go from networking, to contact, to appointment, to estimating, to designing, to approval of designs, to contract, to scheduling, to purchasing, to painting (about time, eh!) to final approval of project, to billing, to payment received, to thank you card or gift.
ARTIST’S INSIGHT
I go to the grocery store after work still dressed in the paint spattered clothes I wear on the job. I got tried of getting looks of disdain from other shoppers because of the way I was dressed, so I took a bad situation and turned it into a networking moment. I had shirts printed with “I am not a slob, I am a professional decorative painter” in large type on the back. Now I get work when I go grocery shopping, or at least people talk about me and what I do, and there are no more disparaging looks!
People tend to think of networking as going to a trade show or business meetings, but what you need to realize is you have the possibility to build your network everywhere, all the time.
—Cynthia Davis
You’ll likely start small, with a few of these contacts offering you a chance to bid on a job. Once you do the job and the client is happy, he or she will tell friends about you and that is how your network builds.
You can be involved in more than one networking system, so imagine what that can do for your business— perhaps more work than you could ever do, tons of money, instant success and fame. Your dream comes true. At least that’s what I thought. In the early years of my business, I sought advice from a wide variety of sources (especially any free consult) including family, friends and colleagues. They advised me to put together a professional portfolio of my work, create a professional business card and letterhead, and then go out and press the flesh anywhere and everywhere.
Even though I felt comfortable speaking about myself in front of others, I was a little apprehensive when talking about myself in settings where I knew no one. In the early to middle years of my career, I tried to join networking clubs like the Rotary Club, my local home builders association, American Society of Interior Designers, chamber of commerce and various business networking clubs. I usually quit all of these in less than a year.
I went mainly for one reason, to increase my business. Instead of focusing on what the clubs or organization were mainly there for (helping others), I focused on how they could help me. I became discouraged after passing out some cards and talking to a few people and then not receiving any job offers.
When I attended the meetings, I sat in a corner by myself and didn’t make any real serious attempts to engage in conversation with anyone. I did not join committees because I did not want to waste my time if I was not getting any work out of this. I thought I would get work by simply attending these meetings. Wrong. Like everything in life, you get out of it what you put into it.
I put very little effort into my attempt to enmesh myself into the professional networking clubs and organizations, and that is what I got out of them—very little.
Now I am only involved in organizations that closely align with my personal, spiritual and professional interest.
Before you join a networking organization, find a group you believe in and want to be actively involved with. It is only by getting to know the people in the organization and helping them that ultimately you can help yourself.
If you are doing it right, networking isn’t something that takes a lot of extra time in your life. It will easily blend into your daily activities and relationships. If you see everyone as a potential contact, you can network during any common daily occurrence from waiting in line at the bank, to working out at the gym or going to PTA meetings.
Successful networking is a two-way street. Your company receives help from others by offering to help others.
Local Networking
Local networking is where you will have the greatest impact on your business. This is a process that should start as soon as you conceive the idea for your business and never end. In advertising, it is said that a message must be seen or heard an average of six times or more before it sinks in. Networking is the same. Do not simply mention your business to someone once and expect results. This is work and you have to expose yourself over and over and over to everyone you know to get the message to sink in.
On the local networking level, I am involved with my church, my children’s schools, a faux finishers guild and my local Stencil Artisan League, Inc. (SALI) chapter. It took me awhile to learn what I wanted to be involved in and why. Here are some local networking systems I strongly recommend:
Use your established groups. In the beginning (and throughout the rest of your career), use your already established network of family, friends, coworkers and ex-colleagues to spread the word about your business.
Belong to programs involving your children, like their schools’ Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and cross promote your business occasionally as you get to know the other members and become more involved with them.
Be active in your church and its programs and cross promote as you do in your children’s school or sports programs. Always have business cards available to pass out on any occasion.
Try a young business leaders networking organization in your city or any charitable organization you believe in. Do some research with your chamber of commerce to find programs that are already set up in your community and pick one that feels comfortable. Be careful not to overextend yourself and then not be able to be involved in any of these organizations because you are spread too thin.
Establish business-to-business relationships. After you establish personal contacts, use your new business contacts to acquire additional, newer business contacts. By business contacts, I mean interior decorators, home builders, general contractors and any other type of business that you may work with or share similar clientele with. Over time (in my case this took years, not months), you build up a solid base of interbusiness relationships that you constantly nurture and deepen. People recommend people who they trust and like and who do what they say they will do when they say they will do it without the least bit of hassle or complaining.
Try your home builders association as a way to meet new contacts who you can benefit and in turn they may be able to help you. They may do some charitable projects; if so, volunteer to be on a committee that may need your skills as a muralist. The more involved you are, the more contacts you make.
Interior designers and architects have many different organizations and functions that either you can belong to or speak at as an expert on decorative painting.
Try a trade group. Join your local Stencil Artisan League, Inc. (SALI), Society of Decorative Painters (SDP) or Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) chapters, or any other artistic trade-related organization. Each one of these groups deals with the decorative painter in slightly different ways, and like everything else I mentioned, you get out of it what you put in to it.
TRADE GROUPS FOR MURALISTS
There are many different trade groups available for muralists. These are great places to network on a local, regional and national level. The Professional Decorative Painters Association is a new group forming as I write this book. I am on its board of directors along with contributors Pascal Amblard, Sean Crosby, Pierre Finkelstein and Nicola Vigini. More information is available at www.pdpa.org. Here are some other, long established groups:
• Stencil Artisans League, Incorporated (SALI) was organized in 1983 and is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the art of stenciling and related decorative painting.
SALI is now focused on the whole field of decorative painting, from stenciling to faux finishes, plasters, concrete products, murals, and any other form of artistic painting. Membership provides opportunities for artistic and professional growth through education, certification, public awareness and networking. I feel it offers the widest degree of knowledge in our field without being influenced by any specific products or manufacturers. Its Web site is www.sali.org.
• Society of Decorative Painters (SDP) started in 1972 to foster interest in and create recognition of decorative painting around the world. It’s also a great resource center for all aspects of decorative painting. SDP is a very large international organization that has local, regional and national functions. They deal more with the fine art aspects of using a brush and learning many valuable ways to paint in smaller detail. Rebecca Baer, a contributor to this book, is a very well-known leader in this field and her painting style in the book represents part of what SDP teaches. They have many talented teachers who can show you how to paint fur on an animal, feathers on a bird or realistic flowers. I feel muralists can advance their speed and techniques by becoming involved with this organization. Its Web site is www.decorativepainters.org.
• Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) was established in 1885 to help regulate and improve standards and working conditions in the painting industry. When I first started in this trade, I read the PDCA magazine to get a good general knowledge of how to prep and basecoat my projects. I especially liked the articles on wood graining, marbling and other decorative painting techniques. Its Web site is www.pdca.org.
ARTIST’S INSIGHT
I started my painting career in 1975 and by the mid to late 1980’s I had built up my name locally to the point where I was looked upon as a leader in this cottage industry called faux finishing (at this time some people still called it fox finishing). I was always looking for new and different revenue streams, and many people wanted me to teach what I knew. I was reluctant to agree because I feared I would be teaching my own competition, and I did not want to diminish my market share. Susan Theil, a friend of mine, told me about the Stencil Artisan League, Inc. (SALI), a group of stencilers that she had been associating with on a regional and national level. She had decided to open a local chapter in Cincinnati. I decided to teach stenciling for the chapter, but no faux finishes.
I did this for four to five years, and at each class everyone wanted to know how to do my faux finishes. These were the secrets I did not want to share. At the time, faux methods were still relatively unknown to the majority of people. I was not the only person who did not like to share artistic knowledge. There is a steadfast tradition (dating back centuries) of decorative artisans dying without ever sharing their secret formulas or techniques.
Susan spoke so highly of the national SALI organization that I decided to go to my first SALI convention in 1996 and teach painting on glass and basic faux finishes. I was very impressed by the extremely organized event. There was tons of information and techniques being freely shared in a fun, caring atmosphere. I came home changed, and I decided to teach in my own market with that same attitude. Since that time, my reputation has grown locally and nationally, and my market share never diminished. Instead, my volume went up even though I have trained hundreds of people in my own territory. I now feel that with better-educated technicians and a more educated client base, the whole industry benefits.
—Gary Lord
These organizations will put you in touch with other people who have similar interests in the decorative painting trade. They can share their wealth of knowledge and personal business experiences to assist you in attaining your goals. For any of the organizations to be beneficial, you and the other members need to be open, honest, sharing, truthful and caring.
My city has a Faux Guild that meets monthly to discuss the trade, demonstrate new techniques and products, and basically drink wine and vent or rejoice in an understanding atmosphere with kindred spirits. Sometimes your spouse just doesn’t want to hear any more “shop talk,” and all of these venues are good places to release that tension to an understanding ear.
National Networking
Regional and national networking helps you in a different way than local networking. Instead of generating clients, it can help you generate creativity and show you how to develop new skills and techniques. It’s also a great way to stay tuned in to the latest products and trends.
Nationally, I am involved with the Professional Decorative Painters Association, SALI, the National Society of Decorative Painters, and Murals Plus.
As I mentioned in the Artist’s Insight on this page, I was amazed at how freely and honestly information was shared when I went to my first national SALI convention. Let’s face it, many of us feel threatened by revealing too much personal information to our direct local competitors. This usually comes through experience from the “school of hard knocks.” When you are involved in a less threatening environment, you are more apt to share and receive more valuable information.
Attend conventions. I strongly suggest attending the national convention for SALI, SDP, or PDCA. The networking at the conventions is fantastic, and you can also take classes, listen to seminars or explore an expo for what is new and unique to you in the field of your passion.
Take classes. Take classes around the country from a variety of artists whose work you respect. Many if not all of the artists in this book teach around the country at conventions, schools or in their own studios. If you like what you see of their style, call or e-mail and ask for more details about their classes. Their contact information is in this book.
Not only will you learn from these great artists, but you will network with all of the students in the class. At lunch or during the evening, the classroom is charged with the energy of learning and sharing the passion for painting. Often, in these types of settings, you can make lifelong friends who you can confide in and share your worries about work. You can also share your highs and lows with someone who understands where you are coming from. If you have never taken a class, do so. It will re-energize you and motivate you to move to the next level of your chosen career.
Global Networking
I think the largest way to network is online. You can reach people down the street or around the world, all while sitting in the comforts of your own home or office. I am in my 50s and I admit my children know way more about computers than I do. But I do know that computers and the Internet are currently an essential business tool and will become even more dominant in the future. There are thousands of decorative painting Web sites and forums that let you share and receive information from other decorative artists around the world. Do a search as specific as you like and you most likely will find something relevant. But be careful; I choose not to spend a lot of my time searching and reading information on these sites because it can be very addicting and then it takes time away from something else, usually my family.
Online communities. My friend Martin Allen Hirsch asked me to be a moderator on his Web site, MuralsPlus, so I agreed to look into it. The wealth of knowledge and how freely it is shared and the quick (almost instant) responses to any business, faux or mural question asked is staggering to me. The answers are diverse and leave you with many good options to think about. Often, information overlaps and reinforces the correct way to approach something. There are very smart, seasoned artists on this site who share their experiences with no reservation, in a noncondescend-ing manner. It does not matter if it takes you months to work up the courage to ask a question or if you’re just a new member who wants to know everything. Ask a lot of questions. There is an archive of invaluable information that addresses many different topics in very informative ways. Some people are on this site every day, posting many times in one day. I have only been on the site since May 2006, and as of February 2007, I have less than two hundred postings. I often read the questions and have no response because smart answers have already been given and there is no need to reply unless you feel like being chatty. Many of the forum participants have become good friends online and meet each other at conventions or attend classes around the country together.
Contributor Melanie Royals is another moderator on MuralsPlus. She also moderates on the Atrium Online. Contributors Randy Ingram and Brian Townsend are moderators on FauxTalk where they and many other moderators will address all kinds of painting-related questions.
No matter what level you’re at in your career, I highly suggest looking into some of these online forums. Find one that fits your personality and become involved. It is one of the most open and sharing networking systems I know of for this industry.