The Art of Selling to the Affluent: How to Attract, Service, and Retain Wealthy Customers and Clients for Life, 2nd Edition

Chapter 1

The World of Today’s Affluent

Sometimes, what the affluent don’t do speaks volumes.

For almost a year, Mr. and Ms. “Elliot” observed the construction of a beach house across the street from their vacation home. On the way to the shore, they often stopped to talk with the owner, “Brad,” as he supervised the building contractors.

Brad was always up for a neighborly chat. He loved talking about the quality of the building materials and the workmanship. He loved giving tours of the house as it rose from the vacant lot. This was his family’s third house—his retirement home on the beach.

One day, however, Brad stopped coming to the house. Instead, a Realtor’s sign appeared in the front yard. The sign stayed there for many months until it, like Brad, simply vanished.

At this point, Ms. Elliott asked Mr. Elliot for his views on purchasing the property. After all, they knew the house was high quality. They’d inspected every square inch of the place. What’s more, while their current beach home would be great for their children, it wasn’t something she wanted for their retirement years. Why not purchase the luxury beach house, and let the kids stay in the old house during their visits?

Two hours (and a few phone calls) later, Mr. Elliot negotiated a cash deal for the beach house, which included all of the furnishings. Two weeks later, they closed on the house.

What the Elliots did was straightforward. They bought a house.

What the Elliots didn’t do is less obvious, but it illustrates: ...