Luxury Unfiltered: The superpower of emotional selling

October 2, 2024

Daniel Langer is the founder and CEO of consulting firm Équité

In today's hyper-competitive luxury landscape, the notion that luxury brands sell themselves is a dangerous misconception.

The truth is, creating desirability requires significant effort, strategy and, most importantly, emotional intelligence. As I've observed time and time again in my luxury masterclasses, the ability to sell through emotion is a rare and invaluable skill – one that can make or break a brand's success.

And salespeople that apply the concept of emotional selling in luxury for the first time practically always report back that it’s hard. This shows that in order to be successful, we have to train emotional selling again and again. Success cannot be taken for granted. Too much depends on it.

The human factor in luxury sales
The most critical asset in the luxury sales process isn't the product itself, but the people behind it.

The difference between a salesperson who can unlock the emotional key of a client and one who can't is staggering – often resulting in a three-to-five times difference in annual sales performance.

Now multiply this with the number of salespeople in an organization, and we're speaking about millions of unrealized potential for practically every brand. This stark contrast underscores the importance of emotional selling in the luxury sector.

Critical success factors in emotional luxury selling
The first step in emotional selling is creating an environment where clients feel comfortable, valued and at ease.

This goes beyond a welcoming smile or a friendly greeting. In fact, I have seen numerous mystery-shopper results where clients were underwhelmed by the store experience, despite the staff being friendly.

In luxury, selling is about inspiring. It is about creating an atmosphere that makes the client feel comfortable in line with their personal style and preferences. And then creating desire by being authentic, caring and relevant.

It’s all about the client. Many salespeople forget that. Remember, arrogance never feels luxurious.

Listening and empathy are equally critical. Understanding a client's desires requires more than just hearing their words. It demands active listening and genuine care.

The ability to read between the lines and dissect unspoken needs is what sets exceptional luxury salespeople apart. This also requires that salespeople are passionate and explains why recruiting for empathy and passion is so critical.

What many organizations underestimate is that luxury is truly social.

The best salespeople connect people to experiences, stories and each other. They have an innate ability to receive and interpret the emotions of their clients, using client-specific insight to guide their interactions.

This requires active listening and transforming insights into actionable pieces of information in real-time.

Importantly, clients seek more than just quality and craftsmanship. Instead, they want to align themselves with brands that reflect their values and aspirations. Salespeople must be able to articulate brand values in a way that resonates on a personal level with each client.

This explains the critical role of client-centric brand storytelling.

Gone are the days when reciting facts about quality and craftsmanship was enough. Today's luxury clients crave stories that place them at the center.

Hence, it’s about connecting the values of the brand with the values of the client. A great brand story needs to clarify the role of the brand in the life of the client and illustrate how the brand enhances the client's life. The mistake is relying on the details of the product and forgetting how and why the product impacts the life of clients.

Cultivating your luxury superpower
Despite its importance, emotional selling remains a challenge for many in the luxury industry. In my luxury masterclasses, I consistently observe the difficulty people face in transitioning from transactional to emotional selling.

To overcome this requires a shift in mindset, extensive training and a deep understanding of human psychology.

Developing the ability to sell luxury through emotion is a superpower in today's market. It requires continuous learning, practice and a genuine passion for connecting with people on a deeper level.

As the luxury market becomes increasingly saturated, the ability to create emotional connections with clients has become the defining factor in a brand's success. Those who master this art will not only drive sales but also foster long-term loyalty and brand advocacy.

In the world of luxury, emotion is indeed the most powerful currency. Are you ready?

Luxury Unfiltered is a weekly column by Daniel Langer. He is the CEO of Équité, a global luxury strategy and brand activation firm. He is recognized as a global top-five luxury key opinion leader. He serves as an executive professor of luxury strategy and pricing at Pepperdine University in Malibu and as a professor of luxury at New York University, New York. Mr. Langer has authored best-selling books on luxury management in English and Chinese, and is a respected global keynote speaker.

Mr. Langer conducts masterclass management training on various luxury topics around the world. As a luxury expert featured on Bloomberg TV, Financial Times, The New York Times, Forbes, The Economist and others, Mr. Langer holds an MBA and a Ph.D. in luxury management, and has received education from Harvard Business School. Follow him on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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