Give a credit

[Mike McCarty]

Here's an idea that's not fully baked. There's probably more than one good reason not to do this.

You've just finished a rather expensive portrait of Ms. Gotrocks' granddaughter and you'd like to thank her for the business. Here's what: spend a $100 and get her a pre-paid credit card with the image of the painting of her granddaughter on the card. It's the newest thing, credit cards with your image on it.

How thrilled would she be? Free money, plus a reminder of the painting ever time she whips it out. She will probably show it to all her friends, and when the money runs out she may even add money to it so she can keep on whipping.

Here's a web site of one of the companies that offer the service, there are others:

http://www.smartmoney.com/consumer/i...050627&pgnum=2

George said to Jerry Seinfeld one day: "Do you ever get down on your knees and thank God that you have access to my dementia?" I forget what Jerry's answer was.

[Carol Norton]

Mike, you are one creative dude! I absolutely love the idea. That could be a whole lot of advertising for very little. (Of course, it depends upon how much the commission was!)

[Tricia Migdoll]

It's clever, but in a rather tacky way. Too gimicky.
I guess it would depend on how seriously you would like your work to be taken.

( only in America)

[Michele Rushworth]

I give my clients half a dozen nicely printed notecards with their image on the front and my contact info on the back. That way they can frame one for grandma and send the rest to out of town friends. They're kind of upscale looking and are in nice gold lined envelopes. Anyway, that's just what I do as a follow up thank you, and as a way of possibly rounding up some future business.

[Mike McCarty]

Here's an idea that's not fully baked.

This may fall into the category -- just because I can do it doesn't mean I should do it.

I think Michele's idea is a better one.

[Michele Rushworth]

Although..... I've never gotten a commission that way, but hey, maybe someday!

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Originally Posted by Michele Rushworth

I give my clients half a dozen nicely printed notecards with their image on the front and my contact info on the back.

Michele,

What a fantastic idea. But how do you only get half a dozen printed? Are you using a high quality printer at home with special paper?

It seems the minimum to have something printed on a press in 4 color is usually a high number (500) and would be cost prohibitive (for me).

thanks for sharing your great ideas,

Joan

[Michele Rushworth]

I use an Epson R300 inkjet printer (which costs around $100) at home, with Costco photo paper (costs around $20 for 125 sheets). I use this printer and paper to print thank you cards, notecards for clients, 8x10 printouts for my portfolio, samples of my work to mail to prospective clients, my business cards and photo reference to paint from. In short, it's a real workhorse. The ink isn't cheap (I spend many times more than the cost of the printer on ink over the course of a year) but it's worth it to have complete control over the quality and quantity of what I print.