Plan B Stands for Better

One of my largest sales as an art agent was to a collector who bought a showstopping triptych with neon wings on the centerpiece. This collector was one of my favorite clients, and I was thrilled when she decided to add this piece to her home, which was already filled with incredible work.

I let her know I was sending my electrician to her house ahead of installation day to run power to the wall where the art would hang, and she made sure someone would be home. When my team arrived, they were greeted by her husband, who promptly turned them away. He didn't want to put a hole in the wall to install an outlet. Oof.

The artist and I were already scheduled to come the next day to measure and plan the install. So, I made a promise to  the artist, "We are not losing this sale!"

I didn't have a plan. What I had was the certainty that there was a way through this and the will to find it.

Upon arriving, I started looking around to see what we were working with. And then I saw it. A small outlet near the bar, the actual nucleus of their home, where every gathering happened.

My artist had a smaller piece with neon that would fit that space perfectly, so I asked "What about a neon piece where there IS an outlet? This spot is perfect for one. No need for holes in the wall."

Almost instantly, they said yes to the neon piece. And even though they set aside the original triptych, they commissioned a new triptych for the same spot.

What started as a sale we were going to lose became a sale fifty percent larger than the original, and ended up being something the collectors connected with since it was their vision brought to life.

Most advice about having a backup plan assumes you had time to prepare one. Mine didn't exist until I was standing in that room looking for it.

Sometimes the best plan isn't the one you walked in with. It's the one you're willing to find.