One of the key things I coach on is the mindset of the rich as clients. There is no point in trying to sell to luxury clients without getting to know them first. Nobody likes being sold to, most of all the affluent. Much has been made of the fact that a lot of people think that rich clients are different. That their ways are different. That they have different operating standards, a different mindset and that they breathe rarified air.

I am here to tell you from my personal experience, that yes they are indeed different to you and I.

If it was just a question of having more money, that wouldn’t just be the difference between the affluent and us. They do have more money and possessions but what truly makes them different are their experiences of knowing the difference between mediocre and excellent and the expectations that come from having those experiences. They use their money and resources as a means to an end. This means that they live in great homes, drive great cars and are surrounded by handpicked people they can trust.

The truly affluent often hire the best professionals to support and advise them. These professionals tend to be intelligent, well educated, and diplomatic. It then makes sense that the rich will therefore have high expectations for a personalised and professional service.

To talk to a number of them, you will have to go through their gatekeepers first as they know they are often targeted due to their wealth. These barriers are not just for convenience, they are necessary to make it hard for people they don’t know or want to know, to reach them.

To enter those gates and breathe the same rarified air, you have to be able to communicate effectively with various gatekeepers, be great at what you do and be considered an expert in your field. That’s because your luxury client will ask themselves and their gatekeepers if you are the best out there, the best they can find and if you are the best fit for them. Will your expertise and recommendations stand up to scrutiny considering a client will potentially be spending a lot of money with you?

Also, you will need to bear in mind that luxury clients are not a homogenous group. They operate differently across cultures, regions and demographics. They therefore have different consumer behaviours and psychological drivers as to how and why they buy.

One of the biggest drivers for instance is confidentiality. You are expected to be accessible and for instance, you will not be able to post client meeting details, purchases etc on social media unless it is agreed. For certain purchases you may even have to sign a non disclosure agreement. In the rare instance that you end up becoming a friend, you will need to manage that transition and ask yourself if you can ethically sell to them.