To gallery proprietor "L.

To gallery proprietor "L.B." Brown, 10 years is a big deal. "People don't stay married 10 years," she said. "That's nothing to dismiss."

in the way that when she realized her business, Clinton Hill Simply Art in Brooklyn NY was approaching its 10th year, she did a division of thinking about how to celebrate.

Brown's business, which has evolv athwart the years from carrying placards to original art to preservation framing and now to photography, succors a range of customers and multiple exigencys in her community. Some reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] point to her regularly for original art at local artists. Others are just starting to assemble art and come to her for advice. Still others are corporate clients needing office art or employee citations framed.

Brown wanted to include all of her clientele in her anniversary celebration. Instead of throwing an expensive party that would simply last one night, she planned a multi-tiered approach with different terminations and promotions lasting the entire year--the highlight being a six-day trip to Santa Fe NM with 10 of her best customers.

The trip fit with Brown's dedication to educating her customers about art. She regularly uses education as a way of connecting with her clientele, telling them about art exhibits they might take delight in suggesting galleries to visit upon vacation and passing along interesting magazine articles. "I think it is surpassingly irresponsible for anyone who's running an art or framing gallery not to educate their clientele," said Brown who jests that she was a frustrated teacher in a past life. "It doesn't translate into immediate sales, however what it does translate into is religious publicity."

Brown chose the Southwest as a destination knowing it would stimulate ideas in her city-dwelling clients. "I meditation Santa Fe would be great because, unles you're in the art industry, you don't really know what's going forward out there," she said. "I think those galleries abroad there are really `on.' of recent origin York can't hold a candle to them."

Brown sent a literal meaning to 100 of her "A-list" customers and cessationed up with an eager collection of 10 travelers for the August excursion. She plant up a busy itinerary for her visitors which included visits to the Palace of the Governors, the Santa Fe Museum of Fine Arts, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the Wheelwright Museum. They also toured historical sites in Santa Fe and took day trips to Taos and Alburquerque.

in succession the first evening of the trip, Brown innkeepered a reception for the dispose with "passion" as the theme. upon the next night, Munson Gallery, the same of the oldest galleries in the U armed forceed a reception for Clinton Hill Simply Art followed through a tour of other galleries in succession Canyon Road. On another night, they were invited to a west reception at the home of a local artist. from first to last the trip, the group dined in succession traditional Southwestern cuisine and took in the natural beauty of the fresh Mexico landscape.

"It blew them away," said Brown of her guests' impressions of the trip. "They just felt it was a whole novel world to them. They associate that novel information with Clinton Hill, which is a capital thing for me. Each single of them became my word of aperture within their family and their circle."

To memorize her other customers in in succession the anniversary celebration, Brown exhibited discounts throughout the year. She hung a sign outside her store saying, "Celebrating 10 years upon Myrtle Avenue" and offered 10 percent along everything in the store for couple months.

Once that promotion was through the whole extent of Brown did a mailing to her entire list which included a interest certificate for a $10 discount.

Then, by way of going to Santa Fe in August, Brown realized she'd stirred up a old-fashioned word-of-mouth advertising. "It was a full plan, and I didn't know it at the time," said Brown "By being absent, they were curious." The gallery was mentioned in her state senator's newsletter and the president of nearby Pratt Institute sent her a verbal expression of congratulations on her milestone. "When the public heard about it, they were celebrating also."

To wrap up the year, Brown sent epistles in November to her counterpart community merchants wishing them a surprising holiday season and prosperous recently made known year and offered them a 10-percent discount in succession all of their framing--personal or business--through the [i]finale[/i] of the year.

from year's end, Brown had been able to reward each one of her customers for keeping her in business for a decade. And she got a memorable trip abroad of it herself.

equal though she paid for the lodging and all the planned activities, the Santa Fe trip costliness Brown less than it would have to bring on a big anniversary party. And instead of it all being throughout in an evening, she made a week's worth of memories and any friends as a bonus. She may not have sold any art while they were exploring the Southwest, however she's thrilled with the creative way it's kept Clinton Hill Simply Art's name alive in the community.

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