Once Upon a Time: Telling Luxury’s Story

“Only 19 percent of consumers believe sales associates have relevant information,” says Adam Silverman, principal analyst at Forrester Research, San Francisco. “That’s very shocking and that’s clearly an indicator that the sales associate role needs to change.”

One way in which you can change that role is to perfect the art of telling luxury’s story. A good story engages and excites the listener. Stories create emotions and those emotions, in turn, drive desire. We buy luxury items not because we need them, but because we desire them.

Luxury’s story can take many forms — you can explore the rich legacy of your brand, describe the detailed craftsmanship of your product, or recount tales of glamour or allure.

Heritage
Know the unique story behind your brand’s history. Share how long your brand has been doing what it does best – how it’s perfected the most accurate watch, the finest silk, or the most exceptional service. It takes many years to reach perfection and a brand that has an established provenance has the advantage. Learn and share the fascinating tales of famed or glamorous patrons. Consider how to make your brand’s heritage relevant today by connecting your brand values to your customer’s own personal values.

Authenticity
Create a narrative that speaks to the exquisite craftsmanship, exceptional level of detail and quality of products that represent your brand.

For a peek into the impeccable craftsmanship of a couture dress, watch the video “The Making of a Dior Couture Dress:”

Authenticity is also gained through consistency. Providing the same level of luxury service throughout your brand, integrating all components of service — from the greeting through the thank-you note — with a unwavering message, creates authenticity.

Visioning
Discover what’s behind your customer’s desire to purchase by asking open-ended questions. Think about when their moment of joy will occur. The moment of joy becomes the key to painting the picture. Be as specific and descriptive as possible. Use evocative language to create emotion. Focus not just on the image, but also on engendering a feeling or emotion. It’s not, “How do you think you will look when wearing this dress?” but rather, “How will you feel when you enter the party wearing this dress?”

Personal
Express your passion for the brand by sharing engaging and illustrative stories about your own customer service experiences. Remember, stories spark emotional connections. Make sure your words elicit the essence of your brand. A previous Luxsell post talks about the powerful relationship between words and brand (read “Choice Words: How to Speak to the Luxury Customer”). Another resource to help you elegantly turn a phrase is the Luxury Lexicon.

This Chanel video is an enchanting illustration of how to use storytelling to bring a legend to life:

Stories can alter beliefs and transform minds. They can charm and they can seduce. Good stories are authentic, yet magical. Hamilton South, founder of HL Group says, “If you look back on the landscape of great brands, what they all have in common is they are very, very good storytellers.” Use the power of storytelling to enchant your customers and herald your brand.