The very rich are very sheltered. Selling to
them is extraordinarily hard until you learn how to get in front of them.
So you have a product or service that caters
to the rich. The clients you want are ultra-wealthy, extremely busy and
pretty much untouchable. While every business faces gatekeepers of some
sort, those who sell to the affluent face impenetrable fortresses of staffers,
handlers and security teams, who make it their job to keep people away from
their bosses.
Reach beyond your grasp.
So what do you do if the person you wish to
do business with is simply inaccessible? One option is to follow
protocol and go through the lines of defenses, pitching your product or
service to layers upon layers of decision makers. That could take years. The
other option is to create a strategy for influencing the people you wish to work with: the uber-rich,
ultra-wealthy, untouchable millionaires and billionaires.
Here are four simple strategies to
influencing the affluent:
Open your Rolodex.
Michael Carucci,
a Boston-based luxury real estate broker who only deals in multi-million dollar
homes, says his secret to influencing the affluent is that he does much more
than sell real estate, he opens his rolodex to clients long after the deal is
done. Michael has helped his high net worth clients get children into
elite schools, get their books and products on national television programs,
and obtain impossible to come by red carpet tickets. He says even the affluent
need access to hard to get people and things, and he's created a reputation for
delivering that.
Interview them.
It’s going to take a very long time for you
to get past the myriad of gatekeepers if you reach out and try to sell
something. Instead, try reaching out and asking your ultra-rich potential
client if you can interview her for a blog, company newsletter, or
other type of periodical. I’ve interviewed more than 300 high net worth
business tycoons, athletes, and celebrities. I use tools like the premium membership
on LinkedIn to contact them directly. At first contact, I don’t ask
for business; I don’t try to sell; I simply ask for an appointment to
interview them for an article. The interview is my access, and from there I
build long term relationships which often result in business.
Influence their influence.
Shanna Dickerson of Blue Sky Luxury Concierge
offers concierge services and event planning and promotion for elite clients
around the country, including Richard Branson. How did she score the crème-de-la-crème
of clients, Richard Branson? Easy, she was already doing business with someone
who influences Branson, and she asked for an introduction. It’s a lot
easier to get someone’s ear when you get introduced through someone they trust.
Hang where they hang.
So you may not be able to afford a house in
a gated community or a private jet sharing membership, but there are other
places the ultra-wealthy hang out. A good place to find them is at country
clubs, sports clubs, high-end gyms, and charity events and galas. Furthermore,
if you have two hours to kill, instead of booting up your computer at the
local coffee shop, make yourself comfy in a corner nook near the bar at the
swanky five star hotel, where your chances of running into a potential new affluent
client increases by tenfold. It’s much easier to create conversations and get
appointments when the people you are trying to influence consider you one of
them.
Volunteer or join a board.
Some of the most valuable relationships I’ve
made with high net worth friends all started with a passion for a
charitable initiative. Find a charitable cause you are passionate about
and dig in deeply through volunteering and/or board membership. Non-profits
tend to attract people from all economic strata who are passionate about the
cause. If you are targeting a particular affluent client, find out what causes
he is passionate about and get involved.
Written by; Stacey Alcorn
Credit: Entrepreneur.com
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