How Luxury Works

We don’t buy luxury just for the product. We buy what it says about us.

That’s the uncomfortable truth behind “positional goods.” Their value comes from status, not function.

A plain white tee keeps you warm. A Loro Piana tee tells a story. One is clothing. The other is a signal.

Most of us are signaling all wrong in our businesses.

We think louder is better. Flashier gets noticed. But that's bullshit.

The best positioning is often invisible to most people.

And it's costing us serious money.

Here's how the smartest brands (and service providers) actually work:

First, stop competing on features.

A Rolex doesn't tell time better than your phone. A Birkin doesn't carry more stuff than a backpack from Target.

That's not the point.

The point is what it represents.

When someone hires you at premium rates, they're not just buying your time. They're buying access to a level of quality and expertise that most people can't afford.

They're buying status.

Second, master quiet signals over loud ones.

Loud signals are obvious. Big guarantees. Flashy testimonials. "Best in the industry" claims.

Everyone does that shit.

Quiet signals are different. They're subtle. They require insider knowledge to spot.

Like mentioning a client you can't name. Or casually dropping industry terminology that only experts know. Or having a waitlist instead of begging for business.

Quiet signals last longer because they signal to the right people.

Third, scarcity needs to feel real.

Not fake countdown timers. Not manufactured urgency.

Real scarcity.

Limited spots. Selective client criteria. A process that not everyone gets through.

I started accepting only three new clients per quarter. Not because I had to. Because I chose to.

Suddenly, prospects started qualifying themselves to me instead of me pitching them.

Fourth, craft matters more than you think.

It's not about being perfect. It's about being consistent.

Every email you send. Every proposal you write. Every call you take.

These tiny details add up to a reputation. And reputation becomes pricing power.

Fifth, your story has to match your signal.

If you say you're premium, you can't have typos in your emails. If you say you're exclusive, you can't be available 24/7. If you say you're strategic, you can't just execute what clients tell you.

The gap between what you say and what you do is where trust dies.

But when your story and signal align?

Word of mouth explodes. Clients start bragging about working with you. Referrals flow without asking.

Look, here's the uncomfortable truth:

Most of us are undercharging because we're signaling wrong.

We're trying to appeal to everyone instead of the right someone.

We're competing on price instead of positioning.

We're shouting when we should be whispering.

The fix isn't complicated. But it takes guts.

Raise your rates. Get pickier about clients. Create a process that feels exclusive.

Then let time do the heavy lifting.

Premium positioning is a language of signals. Your job isn't to yell. It's to speak clearly to the right people.

Here's what I want you to do right now:

Pick one thing about your service that only insiders would appreciate. Something subtle but meaningful. Then figure out how to signal that in your next client conversation.

Don't announce it. Just let them notice.

Watch what happens.

Talk soon,
— Shashank

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