How A Simple $40 Piece of Art Can Win Friends And Increase Sales! By John D. Verlin

Midnight At The Oasis, Verlin Studio's 2014

Recently, a friend of mine told me a story that emphasized how important it is to make a connection with someone in whatever our personal and business life is.

He had purchased one of my favorite prints that I took in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The print is called Midnight At The Oasis--depicting a walkway along the Caribbean beach around midnight with a full moon beaming down and glistening on the water.

After he had purchase the $40 print--he had it mounted on a blue/silver mat that he said made the picture POP.

As he told me the story--I reflected back to the night this was taken--a beautiful full moon along the shoreline tide.

I remember thinking when I took it how rare it would be to get a full moon, much less glistening on the ocean with enough light to not make it too grainy.

This night--I made sure I took a minimum of 20 pictures to enough enough to work with in the editing process.

My friend had frame the picture in his business office--surrounded by other pictures and trophy's of his life.

He said a client came to visit him--and as they chatted, he noticed the client's eyes shifting up at the picture and back down into his eyes off and on.

He could see the client was somewhat distracted and asked him if everything was ok.

The client smiled and told him how much he admired the print of the moon over the ocean. He said that it reminded him of his honeymoon in Florida thirty years earlier.

It's amazing to me how simple things conjure up our memories whether it be photographs, songs, music, poetry, paintings...all art is about communicating something.

I was touched when I heard his story and sent him another print--signed and numbered (like we always do), with a special note to his client on our stationary. "Here's to another thirty years!"

My friend matted it, had it framed and sent to his client as a gift. Granted--it wasn't a real expensive gift--but he knew his client would appreciate it. And isn't that what our relationships are about?

My friend said a few weeks went by and he received a note from this client. The man commented how thoughtful it was for my friend to send him that gift. He told him that it meant a lot to him and he and his wife both loved it. They hung it in his office.

Then he told my friend he wanted to go to lunch and talk about a new business idea he had and that he wanted my friends financial services to be a part of it.

"It all goes to show you that when we build relationships--find something to connect with...a person's family, pet, favorite sport--anything that can build trust."

I was thrilled that things worked out for him from this simple print--and it gives me joy to have been a small part of it.

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If you'd like to see other prints and products (PhotoGifts), visit www.ondemandadvertisingsolutions.com.