March to a Different Beat

I have always admired those who march to a different beat. Early in my life, I decided I would be one of them. What that means can vary widely depending on your experiences and perspective. We all have our own version of going counter to what others might think and do. If this concept interests you, defining what marching to a different beat means to you is perhaps the first step in doing so.

My version is rooted in something I felt long ago. You see I have always been suspicious of what the masses might do. There is something about the conversation, outlook, and preoccupations of others that has made me wonder, ‘is this all there is?’ This mindset has led me to always search for alternate and elevated approaches, sometimes looking back at what preceded me, and often trying to leverage the moment without becoming defined by it.

This ‘different beat’ philosophy comes in handy in my work in luxury, because it is a sector that is all about, transporting clients to unexpected places psychologically and even physically with products, materials, workmanship, atmosphere, design, and engineering. That coupled with creating an experience that feels like a ‘different beat’ and you just might have a work of art on your hands.

I am older than many of my clients, so forgive me, but I often laugh at the use of the word, “random” by Millennials. It is used not so much to mean random, as the definition might define it, but “unexpected.” And that is exactly what we should be looking for when we create luxury products, services, and experiences.

How can we meet new clients in unexpected ways?

How can we give more in unexpected ways?

How can we be attentive and responsive in unexpected ways?

What’s interesting to me is being and doing the unexpected does not always mean coming up with something entirely new. In fact, you might do well to look back to earlier times, to do something in a way that was a bit more common a generation ago. You will often find it to be an elevated approach that came before our modern “anything goes” attitudes.

I often recommend something to a luxury client that on the surface seems like a lot of work, not the way others are not doing it, or even outdated. Then, when they do it, they will come back to me, surprised at how this approach to marching to a different beat makes them stand out, appreciated, and prosper in their market. I cannot tell you how many times someone has remarked about something I did or said, or how I did it or said it, and for me, my approach is merely in keeping with a classical approach to the subject.

When everyone is greeting each other, with “Hey!” you might purposely say, “Good morning.” When everyone is wearing a T-shirt, you might purposely, wear a shirt with a collar. When everyone thinks they can do it all with email, you might make a trip to the post office. Revolutionary, I know.

The essence of luxury is not found in what big luxury brand names are doing but it is in creating a level of quality, creativity, class, elegance, and attentiveness that transcends what is common. In luxury, by definition, you must march to a different beat.

So, welcome random approaches and strike up the band!

Want to learn more about marching to a different beat with your luxury brand? Write me: info@andretaylor.com.

At Taylor Insight we help luxury and premier businesses excel and grow by attracting, retaining, and growing with affluent clients. We provide exceptional strategic, marketing, sales, and service guidance, and a portfolio of high-impact learning programs.