In a world where first impressions determine sales success, the Proposals feature is your secret weapon for converting casual interest into serious collectors. Unlike hastily written emails or scribbled notes, our sleek, professional Proposals feature showcases your artwork at its absolute best—capturing the same magic that happens when clients fall in love with your work in person.
Imagine sending a gallery-quality presentation within minutes of a client inquiry. That's the power of our Proposals & Sales Pipeline—it doesn't just organize your sales process; it helps you close more deals and build your reputation as a consummate professional.
Understanding the Sales Pipeline Structure:
The Sales Pipeline in Artwork Archive consists of three integrated components:
Proposals: Create professional offers for clients including selected artworks
Invoices: Generate and track billing documents
Sales/Donations: Record and manage completed transactions
Sales Pipeline & Proposals Webinar
In this live training, we’ll walk you through Artwork Archive’s brand-new Sales Pipeline—a suite of powerful tools designed to help you move seamlessly from inquiry to income. Whether you're managing commissions, sending proposals, or finalizing invoices, this new workflow makes it easier than ever to present your work professionally and keep everything in one place.
Key Benefits for Artists and Organizations:
Note:
The Proposals feature is only available for Artist Professional & Master and all Organization account types.
If you have an Artist Apprentice subscription, you can upgrade at any time by navigating to the Account tab in your left-side menu.
(click arrow to expand each section)
For Artists
For Artists
Professional Presentation: Create polished proposals that elevate your work and justify your pricing
Simplified Follow-Up: Never forget to follow up with interested collectors—track every proposal by scheduling proposal reminders
Quick Response to Interest: When someone expresses interest at a show or online, instantly generate a proposal showcasing perfect options for their taste
A real-world use example:
After a successful studio visit, immediately create a proposal featuring the pieces your visitor admired most. Include high-quality images, complete details, and pricing. Set a "Valid Until" date to create gentle urgency, and track when they view the proposal to time your follow-up perfectly.
For Organizations
For Organizations
Team Coordination: Everyone on staff can see which clients have received which proposals
Sales Performance: View most effective artwork combinations
Client History: Build comprehensive profiles of each collector's preferences and purchasing patterns by pairing CRM features in your proposals workflow.
Exhibition Planning: Use proposals to identify which artists and styles generate the most interest
Cross-Selling Opportunities: Identify complementary works to include in proposals based on past successes
A real-world use example:
For public art or corporate commissions, create detailed proposals that include concept sketches, timelines, installation details, and pricing. Use the notes section to outline the commissioning process and track the proposal through approval stages to final installation.
Creating a New Proposal:
Note:
You must select an existing Piece record(s) to create Proposal.
If you don't have the Piece record(s) you're needing to include for this yet:
Create the Piece record(s) first
Then proceed with creating your Proposal
Navigate to Sales Pipeline > Proposals on your left-side menu
Click + New Proposal in the top menu
Select an existing Contact from the drop-down menu (required).
If you need to add a new client, click "Create new contact."
Include a title for this proposal in the Proposal Name field (required)
Select a Status from the drop-down menu (e.g. Draft, Negotiating, Invoiced, Paid, Rejected, Expired)
Set a "Valid Until" date if your proposal has an expiration date.
Add any relevant notes in the "Notes" section
Select Pieces for your Proposal — Piece(s) must already have been created in your account and exist in your Artwork inventory in order to proceed with creating the Proposal
Click "Create Proposal" to save and generate your proposal
For best results, ensure you have:
Updated your artwork inventory with accurate information and images
Added contacts to your CRM for quick selection
Determined your proposal validity timeframes
Managing Your Proposal
After creating a Proposal, you'll have additional options:
Edit: Modify any details of the proposal
Generate Invoice: Create an invoice directly from the proposal
Add Reminder: Set follow-up tasks related to the Proposal
Share Proposal: Send your Proposal directly to Contacts in your Artwork Archive account
Copy URL: Copy the Proposal link to share via email or messaging
Visit: View the Proposal as your client/recipient would see it
Glossary — Proposal Status Options
Draft: Initial creation stage; the proposal is still being prepared and has not been shared with the client. Example: You're still selecting artwork and writing notes.
Submitted: The proposal has been sent to the client and is awaiting their review and response.
Negotiating: Active discussion with the client about terms, artwork selection, or pricing is underway.
Invoiced: The client has accepted the proposal, and you've generated an invoice for payment.
Paid: Full payment has been received, and the sale is complete.
Rejected: The client has declined the proposal.
Expired: The proposal has passed its validity date without client action.
Did you know?
The "Valid Until" field creates a deadline that adds urgency to your proposal and protects you from price fluctuations or inventory changes. For example, setting a proposal valid until a specified date, gives the client a specific timeframe to make their decision while ensuring you're not committed to the price or availability indefinitely.
Proposal Detail Page
When viewing a proposal, you'll see:
Key Information Header: Status, Client, Valid Until date, Creation date, Last Updated date
Sharing Options: A unique shareable link for the client, with Copy URL and Visit buttons
Visual Progress Tracker: Shows the current stage of the proposal with clear icons
Artwork List: All Pieces included in the proposal with images, titles, notes, and prices
Edit/Remove Controls: Options to modify or remove individual pieces
Proposal & Sales Pipeline Management Tips:
Update proposal stages promptly from Draft to Paid
Add detailed notes after each client interaction
Schedule times to check any updates for your Proposal
Use the CRM features to track client information and details
Set reminders for follow-ups
Key Management Features
Generate Invoice: Create an invoice from an accepted proposal
Add Reminder: Schedule follow-ups related to this proposal
Share Proposal: Send the professional presentation to your client
Edit: Update any aspect of the proposal including status, pieces, and notes
Did you know?
Including high-quality images of your artwork in proposals is essential in these situations:
Remote Clients: When clients cannot view work in person, images become their primary decision-making tool
Follow-up After Gallery Visits: To remind clients of works they admired during a visit
Commission Proposals: To show concept sketches or similar past works
Series or Collection Sales: To demonstrate how multiple pieces work together
Work in Progress: To show clients the development of commissioned or custom pieces
Sales/Donations
This section helps you:
Keep track of artwork sales or acquisitions
Record donations
Generate reports on your sales or acquisition history
Invoices
The Invoices page allows you to:
Create professional invoices
Send invoices directly to clients
Track past invoices and payment status
Note:
All account types have the ability to generate PDF invoices. However, payment processing with Paypal for digital invoices is only available on the Artist Professional, Master, Collector Premier, and all Organization accounts.
Did you know?
Remember, while Artwork Archive provides these tools for financial management, it's always recommended to consult with a professional accountant for specific tax or financial advice.
For more detailed information on specific features or workflows, please refer to our other help documents or contact our support team.