5 Steps to Master the Art of the HighTicket Sale

BY LUANN NIGARA

You might have started your business for a variety of reasons—to be your own boss, your passion for your product or service, or to satisfy that entrepreneurial spirit. Whatever your motivation, all of us have one reason in common: to make a living and to make a good one at that.

To achieve this, we all need to know how to master the high-ticket sale, attract the high-end client and increase our profitability.

Some people view sales as a science, some as an art. In truth, it is both. To be the best salesperson you can be, you must learn the basic skills. Yet, to elevate to that next level, you will need to get creative.

The secret to the high-ticket sale is not unattainable. You simply perfect the average sale and add more value to the process you are already delivering. Read that again: Perfect the average sale and add more value to the process you are already delivering. Think on that. You can do it!

The Importance of Building Trust

If there is something I know for sure about sales, it is that everything comes down to relationships. That means building trust, which starts before the client even meets you.

People will make assumptions about your value, your expertise and your ability based on what they see. Here is another secret about high-end sales: The highend client wants to do business with people they perceive to be at or above their level.

That means that you have to think about everything you put out into the world. Are you presenting your business in a way that attracts the high-end client? Of course, you can slap together a website in half an hour, using pictures you snapped on your cellphone. You can post pictures of your lunch on social media or advertise 50% off sales, but if you do, ask yourself, are you going to be able to attract a high-end client with that effort?

Instead, invest in something that creates a perceived higher value, that lets the high-end client know you are on their level. And the truth is, you probably are at their level. Expertise and skill-wise, you are a pro. The question is, when they learn about you and look into your company, will they get that message?

Whether we like it or not, the way our company looks implies our skill level. You cannot afford to lose clients before you even meet them.

Creating the Value Perception

Your website is often the first touchpoint between you and the client. If your website fails to impress, the luxury client will simply move on. They are not going to try to convince themselves to work with you. If they do not see the potential value from the get-go, they will not stick around. Make sure your website has a branded appearance that aligns with who you are and who you want to attract. Your social media channels should also align with your brand. Everything should be cohesive in color, style, messaging and voice.

Finally, think of any other visual aspects of your business—your showroom, your headshots, your advertisements. To truly create the perception of value, you need to make sure that everything a client sees is designed with professionalism (and I mean everything).

Luxury Experience from the First Contact

The high-end client expects high-end customer service, and that begins long before a contract is issued.

Think about your process for responding to inquiries. Can the client expect to speak with someone live on the phone? If not, are you returning messages promptly? Do you have a set system for moving the client into the initial appointment?

The little touches in this process make all the difference. An easy-to-navigate online form, an automated appointment confirmation, a pre-appointment phone call from a live human being—all of these steps in the process should be established with the luxury client in mind. That is what the luxury client truly expects: an elevated experience, one that proves your value.

So, the next question becomes, once you have that initial trust in place, how do you move the needle? How do you go from the clients you have to the clients you want? That part comes in five steps.

Step 1: Raise your rates, your fees and your margins.

Sometimes, we feel like raising our rates is putting the cart before the horse. It is tempting to try to land bigger, luxury clients and slowly work our way up to higher rates.

But the problem with that approach is that you will have trouble landing a highend client at a low-end rate. Your rates create assumptions about your skill level, experience and value. Low rates and talk of amazing discounts say something about you to the world. To the bargain shopper, it says, “They might be the place to call, I can save some money.” To the luxury client, it says, “They are probably a no-frills kind of company.”

The high-end customer requires a high level of service. The good news is they are more than willing to pay for it. Your goal should be to price your services so that when you do go above and beyond the call of duty (which you will), you are happy to do it. Raising your rates benefits you and your clients.

A big mistake I see with newer business owners is that they want to save money for their clients. It is critical to understand the motivations of the high-end client. It is not to spend less money. Their top motivations are more value, in the form of personal service, and the best quality products and solutions to their problems. Do not try to save their money for them. Instead, present the best product and solution for their situation, the highest value you can offer, regardless of price.

Step 2: Establish a finite system to create an excellent customer experience.

I have written before about the importance of systems. They save you money, they make your business run smoother, they lead to efficiency—but they also help you create the perception of value to your clients. When you go into a consultation with a clear process laid out, one that you can communicate to your clients, they will feel more secure in working with you.

Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole of Kandrac & Kole have worked to establish a flawless process in their interior design firm, one that truly makes their clients feel cared for, respected and valued from first contact all the way through to install. One of the little touches they have added is a client binder—a full binder with visuals that walks potential clients through a past project step by step. They bring this client binder to the initial consultation so that their clients can truly visualize what to expect moving forward.

Vita Vygovska of Vitalia, Inc., also understands the value of process. You have heard her on the WTF (Window Treatment Friday episodes on “A WellDesigned Business®” podcast) talk about her attention to detail in all things, but particularly in relation to her client journey. Communication, collaboration and customer service are hallmarks of her business, which create loyalty within the high-end designer community she serves Communicating your process alleviates concerns, manages expectations and proves your value.

Step 3: Elevate the experience.

Elevating the experience for your client means paying attention to details in all aspects. That includes the big things, like the language you use, the way you present quotes, your contract, your renderings and your process for installation.

In addition, this process also includes the little things—from the car you drive to the way you dress. Do not roll up to your client’s home driving a dirty, unkempt car or van. Your car should be neat, nice and well-maintained, as should your appearance. In the corporate world, they say to dress for the job you want. When you run your business, you dress for the client you want.

And that does not just apply to you—it also applies to your staff, the installers on your staff and the ones you subcontract with. This does not mean designer clothing; this simply means to look in the mirror and look at your staff: What are we saying through our appearance about our company? Are we conveying reliability, likeability, attention to detail? Every person who is involved with a project represents you and your business. Every one of them plays into the perception that clients have of you and the value you offer.

The most important part of elevating the experience, however, is communication. Clients must be able to trust you to openly and honestly communicate with them. Present realistic expectations, deal with problems head-on, take ownership of anything that happens along the way and operate with integrity.

If there is a problem at the install, make an immediate phone call or an email apologizing, accepting responsibility, outlining the steps you are taking to correct it, and posing the time frame you expect to rectify things. Your client should never be left in the dark.

Do not forget to include personal touches, such as a handwritten thankyou note and gift at the end of the project. You have worked hard to earn this client, then even harder servicing them. Now is the time to protect this new relationship by honoring it and nurturing it. Be memorable.

Step 4: Deliver on all promises— not just the easy ones.

Think about the difference between shopping at Target and Nordstrom. With Target, you go in and figure everything out on your own. Your touch of customer service happens if you have a specific question, or even just at checkout. On the other hand, at Nordstrom, someone immediately greets you, offers personal assistance and, basically, makes you feel like you are the most important person in the room.

There is nothing inherently wrong with either of those experiences. But do you want the Target client or the Nordstrom client? The level of service you offer will dictate which client you attract.

That level of service comes in really strong when it comes to promises, especially the ones that are hard to fulfill. The luxury client will expect you to make

things right, no matter what it costs you in time or money. And you should, and you will, if you want to keep them as a lifelong client.

Sometimes, you are going to disagree with the client about the solution. When that happens, ask yourself if there was anything you could have done to avoid the problem. Is there any one question you could have asked, any one statement you could have made for clarity, any additional drawing you could have provided, any different way you could have worded the quote? If there is even the slightest yes, you must correct it to their satisfaction.

One line you can hear me saying all the time in my business is: “Do we want to be right or do we want to get what we want?” If you want the project to be successful, sometimes you have to bend a little.

Step 5: Make it memorable.

This step is where the art comes in. It is sometimes the hardest step to accomplish, and possibly the one that matters the most.

You do not just want your client to walk away thinking the experience was pretty good. If you want to attract luxury clients, you need your clients to be raving about you. You need to make sure the experience was so memorable that they would never consider going with anyone else again.

What personal touch can you bring to the table to elevate the experience? What can you do that changes the experience from pretty good to unforgettable?

I recently had interior designer Andrea Hysmith on my show. She shared that she schedules a three-month follow-up with her clients, showing up with wine or lunch to see how they are adjusting to the new space. She even encourages them to hold a big first event in their new home for family and friends, where she often attends and networks.

That level of service is what makes her memorable. That transforms her client experience into a luxury one. Whatever you can offer, whatever plays into your strengths, find a way to make it memorable for your clients. When elevating to serving the luxury client and mastering that high-end sale, you have to be better. You have to deliver more. You have to offer value that is above and beyond what you offered when you started. Service and quality are expected and nonnegotiable. There is no way around that.

It is not for everyone, and it is important to understand that. If you cannot or do not want to deliver that level of service, the luxury client might not be for you, and that is OK. We all have our lane, and all are valuable and necessary in the marketplace. Just be clear on who you are, who you want to attract and how you will serve them. The disconnect is when you say you want to work in the luxury space but do not make the adjustments to deliver a luxury experience.

Selling high-end window treatments and interior design services is a combination of your mindset as a business owner, your willingness as a company to deliver no-questions-asked unconditional customer service and your ability to convey this to the potential consumer.

When you master that, then you will have mastered the art of high-end selling.

LuAnn Nigara is an award-winning window treatment specialist; co-owner of Window Works in Livingston, NJ; and a board member of WCAA. Her highly successful podcast, “A Well Designed Buisiness®,” debuted in February 2016. She has since recorded more than 700 episodes.

WindowWorks-NJ.com/podcasts

Facebook: WindowWorksNJ

Twitter: WindowWorks_NJ

Instagram: WindowWorks