Companies who sell products, especially high-end goods and those that stand for a certain mark of quality, should consider the power of community in the form of an owners club.

When I say high-end, that doesn’t necessarily mean $1,000 or $50,000 or $500,000. It’s relative. A high-end pen might cost $200. Obviously, a high-end automobile is much more. What is often true is that people who purchase a high-end good are making a commitment to a particular practice or interest. Not all of them are wealthy. Many save and plan to be able to make that purchase.

A person who buys a high-end woodworking tools is more passionate about craftsmanship than someone who buys cheaper ones. A person who spends $2,000 on a suit is excited about a certain level of dress. A person who spends $300 on a pen finds more enjoyment from the act of handwriting (or simply collecting pens). On average, anyway. Cost doesn’t always equal quality, and spending money isn’t always indicative of true interest. However, more often than not, someone who makes that type of commitment to a product has a much higher level of interest in what it stands for than someone who does not.

Let’s say you are selling a tool for writers. The tool costs $500. That’s not a small amount of money. But if you are a professional writer, if you make your living as a writer or want to, or if you are particularly devoted to writing, that’s an amount of money you can spend for a great tool that aides your efforts.

If you go to the average writing community online, you’ll find a mix of writers. Experienced or new. Committed or curious. Serious or just having some fun. But if you connect a group of writers who have already committed to the trade of writing to the point where they are willing to invest in a serious, professional tool, you have a group that is, on the whole, quite valuable.

What happens if you put all of those writers together, online and in-person? What type of networking happens? What level of discourse do they enjoy? What benefits do they derive from this exclusive club? How much more additional value do you create?

I believe, that for some products, it can reach the point where access to the exclusive community becomes as valuable, or even more valuable, than the product itself.

That’s a really exciting possibly.