In an attempt to create customer confidence, many Artists offer exceptionally favourable commission terms.
At the far end of the scale is the strategy of "pay only if you are happy with the finished picture".
Often the aim here is to make the commission process risk free for the client.
They have nothing to loose if the artist's work does not delight them, so perhaps they will be more inclined place a commission with you? The intention is noble, but if you work in this way, you need to stop and re-think.
Offering to do work with for (potentially) no payment is a very poor business strategy, and may be sending the wrong message to your customers, or even encouraging the wrong type of customers.
You are in effect saying things like: "I am desperate for sales", and "my skill, time and effort are worthless".
Being a professional is about doing something in return for payment, and if you are prepare to risk doing work for nothing, then you are inherently not acting professionally.
If you signal a casual attitude to payment for work, you may also attract clients with a cavalier approach to engaging your services.
You are effectively saying; "I don't mind if you don't buy my work", and you customers may similarly have a low enthusiasm for buying art they have commissioned.
There is a saying: you can't get something for nothing, and if you can, it probably isn't worth having.
This is what many of your potential customers will perceive.
A better approach is to charge a nominal deposit.
Here you will hopefully filter-out customers who are merely dipping their toes in the water.
You will also be able to cover the cost of materials used to produce their commissioned artwork.
Although your working time may still yield no return, breaking even is a step up from making a loss.
Better yet, you should consider splitting your charges between services and goods.
Try collecting something like half your total fee in respect of services (your skill, time and effort), and the balance in respect of the goods you produce (the physical artwork).
The key benefits of this line of approach are multiple.
You will present yourself as less desperate for work, and more professional in so far that you expect to be paid for work done.
Your customers will more likely have a genuine desire to buy the work you can produce for them.
You will make an income from all the work you do (and something is always better than nothing).
Your customers still has some assurance that you will do a good job for them in order to achieve full payment, and the scope to reject your work, if necessary, without being completely out of pocket.
Sometimes, when we look at an objective, we suffer from tunnel vision, and we need to look at our aims from differing perspectives.
If you don't take a deposit on artwork commissions, ask yourself how this looks to customers.
Am I offering fantastic customer service, or am I sending them the message that I value my skill and time so lowly I am prepared to give it away for free? Selling is all about tuning into the customer's desires.
What customers want is artwork produced with dedication and skill, and they will expect to pay for those talents.