For 20 years, I sold and marketed to the most affluent customers in the market, the super affluent. Folks that had the means to be able to fly on private jets and stay in luxury villas in glamorous places, especially St. Barths. And unlike the headlines of the 20-year-old Unicorn, these were mostly older, regular people who, through a lifetime of hard work and entrepreneurial gains, wanted to treat themselves to a post-work benefit they never thought possible. But there was an effective way to sell to them, and it gave me insight that lasts with me to this day. Here is the secret;
1. Don't sell, inform. Smart people don't want nonsense, they want facts. Share the facts, without hyperbole and directly and let them reach the conclusions themselves.
Ink'd Perspective: Information over sales pitches.
2. Persistence. The Vice-Chairman of a prominent bank told me he was going to buy. He asked me to call him every quarter until he did. 4 years later, we sat in his office and laughed about how it took him so long and how for 12 straight quarters, I didn't pressure him, but I called. He was sincere, so was I. There is no substitute for being genuine and being there.
Ink'd Perspective: We're real people; sincere and caring.
3. Be transparent. Surprises kill relationships faster than anything. There's no place for them, but from time to time, it happens. Get as forward as possible when something pops up and be honest. There is no substitute for taking the call of an angry client, finding solutions when they seem impossible, and taking the heat when things go wrong.
Ink'd Perspective: Nobody can be perfect, we are accountable.
4. Value over price. It's easy to be intrigued into paying the lowest price. Every one among us has the experience of buying something multiple times because we tried to do it on the cheap. Promo is no different. Talk in terms of what you receive, not what you save.
Ink'd Perspective: Buy nice or buy twice.
Over the past 24 months, Ink'd has seen incredible growth - both from new clients & partnerships but also from the expansion of our existing customer base. The latter, in many ways, makes me prouder because it means we KEPT earning trust and building a relationship. It means we've held true to our values and to the above tenets.
This is why I'm certain Ink'd will continue to succeed as we help more and more partners delight their customers, colleagues, and communities.
Comentarios