This week’s newsletter is written by Vanessa Herrera, TCA’s Founding Ambassador, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Bourne Collective Ltd. Vanessa has 20 years of experience in the luxury industry, specialised in building strategic partnerships and fostering long-term relationships with HNW clients.
“All you need to do is go fishing,” said one of the best salespeople I ever met.
This person was known in the industry for being able to sell high-end jewellery to people who had never considered buying “serious” jewellery before, but had instead invested in other lifestyle categories, such as real estate, art, cars and wine etc.
Over time building the relationship and through his advice, new clients built vast collections of jewellery, eventually rivalling their art collections – and all this happened magically without the client setting foot in the boutique!
How to catch a “big fish” – top client.
Waiting in your store for a top prospect or client to walk-in is like standing by the edge of a lake with your fishing rod. You may catch a little fish, a big fish or none, since all you can do is wait patiently, hour after hour, day after day.
What if you want to increase your chance of successfully catching a big fish or your next top client? Then it makes sense to go fishing where there are many large fish swimming together. Where the water is full and glistening with fish of all sizes!
Here’s how – three practical tips to get you started:
1. Get to know your client’s natural habitat.
Top salespeople build awareness of what types of environments their “big fish” or “prospective top clients” like to swim in.
These could be certain restaurants, private membership clubs, art, music, charity or sporting events and holiday destinations during specific times of year, to name a few.
These are your client’s “natural habitats” and where they feel the most comfortable, enjoying their lives and meeting others like themselves.
2. Pack your fishing rod and bring the “right” friend.
Whilst gaining access to these “fishing” hot spots may prove difficult at times, the best salespeople are resourceful and should be on the lookout for “super connector” clients.
These clients aren’t necessarily the top spenders of a brand, but they have access to the right “fishing” ecosystems, either through their work or their own peer groups.
3. Ready to catch a big fish? Right environment, right rod, right bait
You’ve made it.
Standing by a river filled with big fish!
Now you need your best rod and the right bait. Your rod is your Clienteling skills, the tool that you’ve been sharpening and preparing for this exact moment.
Your verbal and non-verbal communication and listening skills, personal branding, body language, your eye contact and smile – it all matters in these first encounters.
Your bait will depend on what type of fish you are aiming to catch – a client with a big art collection? A big-spender, fashion-lover with an appetite for what’s next? A tech-bro watch collector? Your bait is a storytelling hook (about a recent brand event, personal experience or talk-of-the-town event) RELEVANT to the client’s interests.
Depending on the flow of conversation, you can also introduce an open and enticing invitation for another casual meet-up (coffee / lunch NEAR your store) or if the client expresses further interest, you can invite them to your next relevant brand event.
Final Thoughts
Last piece of advice to our fellow fishermen and women, aim for quality and not just quantity of interactions when “fishing” for clients.
The best and highest value clients are caught through meaningful first engagement and timely follow-up to reel them in!
Enjoy fishing and get ready to catch a whale!