You finished the project! You have money in the bank (hopefully in your business account)! YAY!
Congratulations are definitely in order (and I’m proud of you).
Now what?
I recommend sending a follow up email a week or 2 after your project is complete or a commission is turned over. This is a final opportunity to impress your clients with your professionalism. A lot of creative work comes from word of mouth referrals and it is an asset to have a reputation as a professional and responsive creative.
Things to Include in Final Communication:
Thank the client for hiring you
Send via email or snail mail if possible - We all do a lot of business via Instagram, Facebook, etc. but if you have your client’s email or physical address, that is the more professional way to send a final communication.
Call out any specific items you were thankful for - Did the client work out a logistical or site issue on your behalf? Did they show schedule flexibility when you caught a cold or had car trouble? Were they enthusiastic about the project? Were they simply a pleasure to communicate with?
Artist Contact Information
You should include all of your contact information
Phone
Email
Instagram
Facebook
Etc.
The Client may not need your Instagram or Facebook to contact you, but they DEFINITELY should have easy access to it for showing their friends and family. They invested in your work, so chances are they’d like to show you off.
If the Client is a corporate entity (ex. a mural in a place of business), employee turnover can make it difficult to keep track of information. You should consider sending this information in a PDF document. This increases the likelihood of it getting electronically filed with other information regarding the artwork.
Final Invoice Marked as Paid
If you did not give the client a final invoice, now is a good time to give them one marked as “Paid in Full” for their records.
This document only takes a few minutes to create but will level up the Client’s impression of you.
If you are a spoken word artist, writer, musician, etc. your work ends here. A professionally written thank you email or card with your contact information and a final “paid” invoice (if needed) is all that you really need to send.
For creatives completing physical artworks, you’ve got a couple more steps to complete before hitting SEND. I HIGHLY recommend compiling your contact information and all of the below items in a single PDF document for the client to save. We all know how easily things get lost in email, but a properly named PDF is easy to save and easy to find.
Warranty Information
Workmanship
It is industry standard to offer some kind of warranty with any large scale work. For public artwork, murals, large fiber pieces, etc. the larger the piece, the more opportunity for an unintended flaw or defect.
6 months is a common/appropriate warranty period for this kind of work.
Products Used
Some of the products used in creation of artwork have their own warranty (Ex. Sherwin Williams paint, MuralShield, etc.) that continue past any artist offered warranty.
Outline care instructions of the final artwork
Include specific Do’s and Don'ts for care and cleaning of the artwork.
Dust mop dirt and debris from an interior mural
Wipe down resin pieces with a microfiber cloth
Do NOT pressure wash a sidewalk mural
Proper “Operation” Instructions for Interactive Pieces
This can protect the artist from excessive warranty claims and repairs.
Prevents damage to the piece and your reputation.
Special “Decommissioning” Instructions
This is a rarely needed component; however, it is sometimes pertinent. A great example of this is Elizabeth Palmisano’s Wishes. As a Wish Keeper, you are required to give the Wish back to Elizabeth if you no longer want it. You are not allowed to dispose of wishes (trash, bonfire, throwing it in a lake… all against the rules).
Want to learn how to bring more professionalism to your art? Check out our classes HERE.
Have a specific question(s) for Elizabeth or me? Book a 15-minute "Ask us Anything" Consultation available HERE.