On an unassuming strip in lower-Westmount, next to a dry-cleaner, I walked into Han Art. The newly renovated, street-level façade was an appropriate space for a luxury retailer or trendy cafe. The contemporary black-clad iron pleasantly contrasted the ornate stone pillars, which seems to have inspired the curation of artwork in the window display – a hyper realistic indigenous figure accompanying a colourful abstraction.

I walked in, made eye contact with the young female associate who peeped over her large desktop computer display, and shared a silent greeting. A mature gentleman was seated and engulfed in his newspaper. I perused the artwork in the small (500 sq/ft?) gallery for a full 5-minutes and realized I could have turned around and left with an equally silent goodbye. I decided to approach the desk where they sat and I was finally, and unenthusiastically, asked what I was looking for by the young associate (a toaster, duh!). I asked who the artist was of the piece I was most drawn to, even though it was written next to the work. The gentleman put down his paper and stood up with a burst of energy to engage me. This was not a salesperson switching gears from break-time to close-deal mode; rather, this was a passionate art enthusiast (and gallery owner) who wanted to share all the reasons I should love this particular piece of art.

He lectured me on the artist’s biography, accomplishments, and their personal relationship. I interjected to inquire about the price; he gave me an approximation, and continued with his story. I was enthused and then asked if he had other smaller (and presumably less expensive) works by the artist. At this point he appeared to realize that he could potentially sell me something. He scampered over to the young associate and asked her to pull up some photos. There was disagreement and tangible stress as they tried to locate images of works they had in stock. Finally they opened some photos and I selected two that I liked. The owner disappeared into a backroom and came back with the works. They did not explain the pieces, present additional insights, nor help convince me that they were good pieces to purchase.

I then turned my attention to a striking portrait. I stepped out of the sale interaction and inquired about the huge piece with the wow of a tourist, not a shopper. The owner once again lit up with passion to tell me about this artist and how this piece, depicting a schoolboy Picasso, was created. I was also informed that the owner was he-himself a painter, and I was invited upstairs to see more work. A deliveryman from a local grocery store dropped off a basket of vegetables around this moment.

The owner opened a door and led me up a staircase. I now felt I was being invited into this man’s home. But, where he led me was a far more personal space – his studio. The loft space was one-half storage of beautiful works by artists that have sold pieces, via the owner, to the likes of Lise Watier and Celine Dion. The other half of the loft was the owner/artist’s workspace filled with paints and brushes and works in progress. He showed me his own pieces that he clearly thought were beautiful, but once again was unable/unwilling to explain them. He asked me if I paint, where I live, and what I do, not as part of a sales approach, but rather in friendly conversation.

This was the most intimate retail experience of my life, comparable only to a dinner at the chef’s table in a small restaurant. I was sold without them attempting to sell me anything; it was a master-class in relationship building. I was given several artists’ books and I thanked them profusely for the hospitality. I turned to exit, but was quickly interrupted by the young associate, who asked desperately for my contact information. I happily obliged and received an email from her later that day recapping the artist’s bio along with a photo of the work they pulled out for me and an offer of a discount, if I was interested. I replied with a thank you and asked her to give my regards to the chef.

Appearance of space Attractive exterior. Salt stains inside and dusty ** Curation Balanced, nicely spaced **** Greeting Lacking * Sales Tactics Non-traditional, strong relationship building ***** Knowledgeable Deep knowledge and personal anecdotes ***** Literature Handed me multiple booklets without me asking ***** Collected my info Made sure to collect. Jotted down on a piece of paper *** Social Media Nope * Follow up Same day. Polite. Informative. Offered price incentive ***** Music No. (Suggestion: whatever the young associate likes) Information on Wall Artist info but no pricing Photos Permitted Consignment/owned? Consignment, owned, and artist’s own

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