The Art of Selling to the Affluent: How to Attract, Service, and Retain Wealthy Customers and Clients for Life [Hardcover]

Matt Oechsli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 27, 2004

This insightful book shows salespeople how to meet the needs of affluent clients—from the initial contact, to the sales presentation, to providing the level of service and quality they expect, to securing them as long-term customers. Based on extensive research of the buying patterns and expectations of the wealthy, this step-by-step sales guide reveals the secrets of attracting and keeping wealthy clients for life, boosting sales and repeat business. The Art of Selling to the Affluent is also a crash course in the world of the wealthy, giving you the understanding you need to satisfy and retain these profitable top-dollar clients.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Obviously, those who earn the most money usually spend the most. They live in the nicest neighborhoods, drive the most expensive cars, eat at the finest restaurants, and have more complex financial and investment needs. For most salespeople, the affluent represent the Holy Grail of prospects. These are the most profitable clients—but they are also the most demanding and enigmatic of customers.

How do the wealthy make their purchasing decisions? What do they expect in a product or service? How do you get—and keep—their attention? How do you turn them into loyal customers who'll spread the word about you and your product? The Art of Selling to the Affluent has all the answers to these and many more questions.

This insightful book shows you how to meet the needs of these most particular clients—from the initial contact, to the sales presentation, to providing the level of service and quality they expect, to securing them as long-term customers. Based on extensive research of the buying patterns and expectations of the wealthy, this step-by-step sales guide reveals the secrets of attracting and keeping wealthy clients for life, showing you how to:

• Grab the attention of wealthy potential customers
• Understand how the affluent think about and make purchasing decisions
• Create the right sales environment for attracting high-dollar clients
• Approach wealthy clients with confidence
• Build long-term customer relationships with the affluent
• Use the Internet to connect with your ideal client
• Provide high-end service cheaply and efficiently
• And use these secrets to attain a higher standard of living for yourself

The Art of Selling to the Affluent immerses you in the world of wealth so you can better understand how the affluent think and act, uncovering and influencing those critical factors that shape their buying decisions. With proven, step-by-step advice on satisfying and retaining top-dollar clients, this is the ultimate guide for salespeople who must tap the affluent market in order to survive and thrive.

From the Back Cover

"If you work with the affluent, you will most certainly benefit from Matt's work. This book is a must-read!"
—Ray Scalfani, Managing Director, AllianceBernstein

"Specific, thoughtful, supported with evidence and practical, it deserves to be read and reread by salespeople targeting the affluent."
—George W. Dudley, scientist/author, Coauthor, The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance: Earning What You're Worth in Sales

"Oechsli's book is an ideal road map if you want to reach the affluent and become affluent. . . . I highly recommend it."
—Rich Santos, Group Publisher, Primedia Business Magazines & Media

"Nobody knows more about the affluent market than Matt Oechsli. His research is impeccable, and his strategies are real-world. They work!"
—Bill Cates, President, Referral Coach International

"Matt Oechsli's The Art of Selling to the Affluent is specific, practical, supported by the latest independent research, and will help anyone attempting to market their services to the affluent."
—Ron Carson, Senior Vice President, LPL, President, Peak Productions

"Matt Oechsli's well-documented work will become the primary source for selling to the affluent. Fail to read this at your own risk."
—Bill Brooks, author, The New Science of Selling and Persuasion

"Matt has done it again. His combination of research with practical how-tos has created a must-read book for anyone working with the affluent."
—Steve Binder, Regional President, Wachovia Securities

"Anyone actively applying the methodology and techniques learned from Matt will become as affluent as the affluent they serve—so be warned!"
—Paul W. Chan, CFP, CPA, ChFc, CLU, CEO, S&P NewWorth Advisors, Malaysia

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471703230
• ISBN-13: 978-0471703235
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ritz-Carlton Service With FedEx Efficiency, May 4, 2008

By 

Carmen Matthews "The Serene Samurai" (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Selling to the Affluent: How to Attract, Service, and Retain Wealthy Customers and Clients for Life (Hardcover)

If I were to follow the rules of a savvy, demanding reader, as suggested in the book, "How to Read a Book," I would have casually read this book, without trying to absorb as much as I can; and opted for the second read to be when I choose to be "one with the author," and act like we are truly havng a conversation.

But this 215-page book has more information in it that anybody, or at least myself could expect, that there's no way I would lightly read it. Besides writing throughout the margins, I took t least 8 full pages of copious notes on this first read.

And I am sure that I not only will re-read this book, I will become one with the affluent, as a direct result of applying the lessons in this book.

Here's some of the many quotes that I appreciated:

"If you or your company is targeting major purchase decision makers, regardless of the products or services involved, your income depends upon your ability to get in sync with the major decision-making process of your ideal affluent clientele."

"When selling to the affluent, you don't simply manage the sale; you manage the relationship."

"Offering the lowest price has the least influence on whether the affluent will conduct future business with you."

"Face-to-face communication is .. the richest medium of communication possible. It engages all five senses and includes everything about your appearance, mannerisms, and speech matters."

"...move beyond believing that the affluent are bigger than life or that you need them a lot more than they need you. The relationship you seek is one where you need them and they need you."

"It has been said that,'You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.'"

"There's an old saying that 'price is only a consideration in the absence of value.'"

"Solving a client problem is obvious. Resolve it quickly and to the client's satisfaction, and it directly impacts repeat business and referrals."

There are three elements in this book that I was surprised by:

1. Although the Ritz-Carlton Service credo was mentioned many times, as the standard by which the affluent make their purchases, I had to surf the net to find out what that credo actually says. I was surprised that the credo was not as in the chapter that discusses how to design your own business credo.

2. Perhaps because this book was published in 2005, I was surprised by the suggestion to send so many emails. This has now been replaced with sending SendOut Cards.

3. While I was so "stoked" by Chapter 8, "Becoming Even More Magnetc: Internet Savvy," it was interesting to note that the guidance in this book, on page 132, about "Google Local" is out of date. And, by the time I read this chapter, I thought, "Wow! Could Oechsli possibly offer more gems in the pages left?" The answer is, a resounding, "Absolutely!"

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The rich are not so different - nor is this book., December 30, 2009

By 

Susanna Hutcheson "Copywriting for the Discri... (Midwest U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Selling to the Affluent: How to Attract, Service, and Retain Wealthy Customers and Clients for Life (Hardcover)

I bought this book because I have a client who sells to the wealthy. I thought perhaps I'd find a gem or an idea, something I perhaps could use to put in his marketing mix, which is already successful. I wanted to be better able to help the client meet his needs. What I discovered was that selling to the affluent is not so different than selling to Joe Sixpack. Oh, Joe may not expect to be treated like a king but he would sure love it if he was. So, it goes without saying, the wealthy certainly want to be looked up to and treated somewhat royally.

What I took away from the book is that those who sell to the affluent should:

Make themselves available to them 24/7/365
Give them their cell phone number and contact numbers and encourage them to call you if they have any problems
Solve any problems immediately and with no hassle
Do all you can to make the relationship hassle-free and stress-free.
Treat the affluent like the winners they are.
Don't try to sell them - let them buy.
Don't push them.
Join groups where the affluent are.
Become like the affluent.
Become comfortable with them.

Beyond this, it's a book on salesmanship. It is, in fact, somewhat basic salesmanship. The affluent are just folks who come from modest backgrounds in most cases. Their needs have grown as their income has grown. They are stressed and have a good deal of responsibility. So the person who can make their lives easier and better is the person who will get their business. And, yes, they'll gladly pay more for better service.

But, as I said, all of the above can be said about any group of people sans having lots of money.

Certainly if you want to sell to the affluent or if you already do, this is a good book to read. But it's a far cry from the last word or enough words on the subject. In fact, I find a bestseller from the nineties to be far superior - Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing - I listen to the audio version several times a year because it's so great.

Nonetheless, I recommend this book. It's a good, fast read and if you're just beginning your career, you can gain a great deal from it.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book on Affluent Selling to Date, August 9, 2005

By 

Gary L. Wulf Jr. "Grizzled Veteran" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Selling to the Affluent: How to Attract, Service, and Retain Wealthy Customers and Clients for Life (Hardcover)

I have been in the business for 20 years, and have recently been involved in closing the largest, most complex estate planning deals of my career. This is hands-down the clearest, most concise book on the mind of the affluent that I have ever read. The book describes exactly what I have been experiencing over the past 5 years in the industry and with my clients and prospects. For anyone who has at least one "high-net-worth" or affluent client this should be a "Must Read."