If you can grow the list with genuine contacts and manage your relationships with those people it will certainly reflect in more people attending your exhibitions, more sales and more commissions.

How to compile a Contacts List
The best way to manage a Contacts List or Mailing List is by keeping a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet. Excel has functions which enable you re-order the data, so you can view all contacts by order of 'state' for example, or all 'family', or simply 'alphabetically'. Making it easy to mamage or compile different lists for different purposes.

Using the data in Microsoft Word you can also easily print address labels, using the stick-on label paper available from any newsagency. This will give your posted Promotional Material a professional edge.


Setting up an Excel document to manage your contacts list may take a little time to initially do, but overall it will save you a lot time and greatly improve your marketing. If you don't know how to use Excel, why not improve your Art Business Skills by doing a short course and learn Excel & Word at a local Community College.

What data to collect
When creating your contacts list try to collect as much information as you can, this will enable you to selectively use various methods of contact or make sub-category lists if you need to. Useful columns to have are:

• First Name, Last Name
• Address, Suburb, City, State, Postcode
• Phone, Fax, Mobile Email
• Business Name, Website
• Relationship - eg: Family, Friend, Workmate; Job1, Workmate Job2, Buyer; know, Buyer; Don't know. Media; know, Media; Don't know.