When you sell something in an auction, DPW suggests that you reach out to the winning bidder directly. Since the relationship between buyer and artist is so important, I’m curious if anyone would like to share an example of what they communicate in that first contact.
Thanks for any and all advice!
I say:
Dear [Buyer’s name],
Thank you so much for your winning bid on my painting, “Title of Painting” on Daily Paintworks. By now you should have received a notification and payment instructions from DPW. I look forward to shipping your painting as soon as payment is received. Thank you, again.
Best regards,
Many of the buyers I had/have, paid before I could send an email! So I try to do one that says something such as:
Thank you for your interest in my artwork & congrats on purchase (winning bid) of piece “xyz.” I will seal & package this for shipment - you will get an email when it leaves.
Thank you again!
Regards,
If it’s a repeat buyer, I try to acknowledge their return!
Most of my buyers have paid up straight away, so I usually start by thanking the buyer for their purchase of (Painting Title). Then I then let them know how soon I intend to ship it- it’s usually the next day, but sometimes I’m delayed by bad weather/other commitments. I then inform them I will email again with the tracking number once the parcel is on its way, so they can track its progress (I always, always send under “tracked and signed for” option.) This has proved useful as one buyer was out when the postman came by, and was able to look up and see that the parcel was waiting for them at their local depot. They were able to collect it without a problem. Phew…
I then give a rough estimate of shipping time, thank them again, and sign off. If it’s a returning customer, I tend to add an extra line in somewhere to say I appreciate their continued support.
On the two occasions that buyers took a while to pay, I think my email was something along the lines of- “Hi, I just wanted to remind you that you won an auction for (Painting Title) on Daily Paintworks. Thanks for your purchase! You should have recieved an email with instructions on how to pay- if you’re having any trouble, please let me know so I can contact support and help you get it sorted. Thanks in advance.”
Thanks so much for the useful responses!
I send an email thanking them for purchasing my painting plus I give information such as the date it will be sent out by Priority Mail with insurance and a signature requirement.
So far so good.
Mary Ellen