We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tre Michel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tre below.

Tre, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

Each season, I choose a small gift created by one of our artists and pass it out as a token of appreciation to clients that have become friends and family, and sometimes to strangers who just seem to engage in a meaningful way. I give out stickers created by one of our graffiti artists to children, so they feel welcome in a gallery setting as they will become our future collectors. We are near the farmers market. We have canvas bags printed with our logo to help clients consolidate their market bags.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

After doing visual design for retail stores for 15 years and then getting a four-year interior design degree, I realized that was the epitome of selling “the visual“ in my gallery now I have the opportunity to use my skills learned and retail, which includes psychology to analyze the wishes of my collectors, and how to hone into both partners choosing the art. I also have the thrill of curating, which is also the epitome of visual because I am able to install art with a synergy where one piece mix another piece even better just by proximity . I can use my interior design skills to help with practical aspects of budget and dimensions, but I have learned to operate intuitively and my clients welcome that just pop out of my head with no analytical plan. I am really embracing intuitively communicating with my guests. It’s invigorating to see the things I’ve created hanging on the wall, to engage with the people soulfully. And to have a business that is successful financially. Those three day day satisfactions are invigorating! I saw a saying on Instagram that said your brand is not about product. It is about experience. And that summarizes my motto.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Obviously, all small businesses had to pivot during the pandemic. One lesson I learned is that there is a benefit to planning ahead but also a benefit to operating 15 minutes at a time when things are stressful that helped me through the most difficult times. I remember seeing the cover of a magazine, which had a woman dressed in an executive suit with pale pink ballet point shoes on and it said Agility is essential in business … that image helped me so much because I picture myself in a Gallery outfit with point shoes on and instead of struggling, I am happily pivoting when necessary

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I want sold a very reasonable painting under $5000 and shipped it to Chicago. When the clients received it, I checked in with them and they said that they had to move a very valuable painting to put it in that place. They mentioned the artist who is a World famous collectible artist. The very next morning I had one of my collectors call and say they were looking for this particular collectible artist, and I was able to transfer the piece of art from one collector to another for a transaction of $500,000. So the lesson is you never know who you and where the next opportunity lies This relationship has lasted for a decade of collecting famous artists and it has been such an incredible learning experience to broker art at this level. And all started with one $5000 transaction.
Like a spark of magic

Contact Info:

• Website: Sarasotafineart.com
• Instagram: Stateoftheartsgallery