I think I must have been a queen in a past life. Maybe royalty in a couple of 'em.
So often, the difference between a good experience and a high-end experience is truly in the details. It’s the notion that every bit is considered, every step in the client process, every piece of content, every word of copy.
Considered. Thoughtful. Intelligent. Downright indulgent.
Emulate these habits, and elevate your own brand.
There is no guessing game with a high-end brand. You can instantly figure out what they're about, because they're intentional about showing and telling you.
This goes beyond what we think of when we talk about branding. High-end brands make sure that everything that touches their audience is branded. This includes the writing style, client/customer interactions, social media presence and strategies, store operations (if they have a physical location), team member training, and yes, of course, their visuals.
Every piece is considered, and they've done the work to make sure that they're all communicating the same core messages and values.
If you haven't gotten clear on your brand themes as they relate to messaging and values, it's time to identify them and make sure that everything your brand does supports those goals.
High-end brands know the importance of an engaging, interactive online presence. Because many high-end brands deal with an element of fantasy, they want to appeal to the bigger goals or dreams that their audience has for themselves. It's all about the themes running behind what the brand actually sells--what do those products or services actually unlock for the buyer?
What is the transformation that occurs as a result of the purchase? This is what the buyer is actually seeking, so it's important to tap into that with messaging and visuals. Is it self-love? Empowerment? A feeling that the buyer is saving the planet or contributing something energetically to a certain cause? Access to a platform, or a position within a social group?
High-end brands don't sell just the product or the service. They sell the dream, the goal, the portal to stepping into the person that the buyer truly wants to be.
This means going deeper than just the sale. Quality relationships matter a lot to high-end brands. As a result, you can get to know the desires and struggles of your audience in more intimate ways, and create better, more focused solutions for them that don't exist elsewhere.
That highly personal element is what sets high-end brands apart, and it's a huge reason why many people will gladly pay more for services or products from some brands--because they see the direct payoff in terms of the value they receive.
You can't deliver pure, undiluted, bottled-up magic if you're second-guessing yourself or not enforcing your own standards.
You won't find a high-end brand conceding on their pricing or their process. That's because they know the value of their work. And they know that in order to deliver on that value, certain conditions and standards have to be met.
If you're waffling on client expectations or cutting deals just because one guy asked, what you're essentially saying is that the value of working with you is debatable. With those actions, you're communicating that things like your process and pricing are negotiable, because they're based mostly on arbitrary criteria.
This not only hurts your bottom line, if you're coming down on pricing just to land the client, but it also sends a message to the client that they know better than you. It undermines the knowledge and experience behind your work, which compromises the trust that is necessary if you and your client are both going to bring your best to the project.
High-end brands know that their value is innate and non-negotiable, whether a client/customer sees it or not.
Holding the standard of excellence, even when others around you want to start sliding into quick fixes and races to the bottom, is one of the key distinctions between an average brand and a high-end brand.
And because they maintain integrity and hold the line when it comes to ensuring that they get what they need in order to deliver that high value, they are able to consistently delight their clients and customers with high quality results every time.
That means you're going to have to get comfortable stepping up to lead, and to really hold the vision for what is necessary in order to maintain integrity and fair exchange for both sides.
Which looks a whole lot like claiming your rightful place on the throne.
It's time to own it, Queen!
