In the world of luxury, a paradox persists: the more exquisitely crafted an object is, the more likely it is to be perceived as "simply expensive" if no one embodies its raison d'être. A piece of hand-set jewelry , a full-grain leather bag patinated for hours, a perfume composed around a rare raw material—these don't need exaggeration; they need meaning, context, and the right vocabulary.
This is where product storytelling, understood as a structured narrative of origin, know-how, use and values, ceases to be an inspirational veneer and becomes a measurable business lever.
This thesis —that a product without a narrative sells like a commodity, while a product embodied becomes a conviction—is at the heart of the approach championed by Samantha Larsen, founder of ToldUntold, whose work focuses on storytelling training and its direct impact on sales. The subject is not limited to " telling stories ": it involves designing a method transferable to brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce , and clienteling, and then linking it to concrete indicators such as conversion rates, average order value, and customer loyalty.
Published on 2026-03-25 in an article signed Anaïs Clavell, this starting point opens a central question for houses: how to make storytelling a tool of commercial excellence, without falling into storytelling or narrative overload ?
"Storyless" product: why can excellence become commonplace?
When storytelling makes a product desirable – A product " without a story " is not necessarily a product without quality. It is a product presented without a framework for interpretation. In an environment saturated with images and launches, the object is then evaluated based on quick criteria: design, price, color, logo, availability, comparison.
In other words, it slides towards the rules of convenience, where substitutions are made, promotions are awaited, and choices are made between "equivalent" options. Even in the luxury sector, thehomogenization of codes —minimalist lines, neutral palettes, similar slogans—increases this risk.
The narrative is not decoration: it is an answer to uncertainty. It explains why a trench coat is not just a trench coat, why a watch is not just a mechanism, why a lipstick is not just a shade. When Cartier speaks of design and proportions, Hermès of saddlery techniques, Chanel of codes and allure, Dior of atelier and cut, Louis Vuitton of travel and canvas, these are not merely brand mythologies: they are systems of preference. They transform the question "Do I like it?" into "Do I buy into it?"
From object to conviction: what an "embodied" product encompasses
An embodied product is one that carries a legible and verifiable identity. It connects concrete elements—the origin of a leather, the type of weave, the composition of a fragrance, the setting technique, the manufacturing time, the quality control, the workshop, the craft—to a tangible promise: comfort, fit, brilliance, durability, emotion, status, and legacy. In fashion, this can be conveyed through the cutter's skill and the precision of a pattern; in jewelry, through the cut of a stone, the purity of a metal, and the signature of a motif; in beauty, through sensory experience, proven effectiveness, and the application technique.
Product storytelling doesn't replace proof; it organizes it. It allows for the articulation, in a few sentences, of a short, memorable story that makes the product "narrative" for the seller, shareable for the customer, and adaptable to an e-commerce product page. A product embodied in this narrative then becomes a marker of identity, almost a personal argument: we don't just buy an object, we buy what it says about us and what it promises over time.
Product storytelling as a business lever: linking narrative and KPIs
Luxury has long pitted emotion against performance. Yet, product storytelling performs precisely because it clarifies value. In stores, a well-crafted narrative reduces friction: it helps the customer justify a price, choose between two options, and understand a difference in product range. In terms of KPIs, the expected effect is twofold. On the one hand, conversion increases when the conversation shifts from "I'm looking" to "I understand." On the other hand, the average purchase value grows when the narrative suggests coherent uses and associations: an item calls for a complement, a treatment calls for a protocol, a watch calls for a bracelet, a silhouette calls for a shoe.
Customer loyalty thrives on consistency. A customer who has purchased based on conviction is more likely to return than one who has purchased based on opportunity. They return to complete their purchase, nurture their experience, and pass it on. Storytelling also influences recommendations because it provides a narrative. In an economy of reviews, voice messages, and stories, a customer who can articulate their purchase becomes a media outlet. This is one of the key concepts: in retail, salespeople are already channels; in customers' daily lives, they become the relays when the story is clear enough to circulate.
Training differently: the ToldUntold method, a blend of playfulness and rigor
Samantha Larsen's approach with ToldUntold emphasizes one key point: product storytelling isn't an innate talent reserved for the best storytellers. It can be taught, practiced, and improved. The pedagogy, presented as playful, isn't mere entertainment; it's a way to make learning active, and therefore lasting. In a retail setting, memory is shaped by action, rhythm, and trust. Training in product storytelling means instilling reflexes: observe, name, connect, prove, adapt.
The value of modular scripts then becomes clear. A script is not a text to be recited; it is an architecture. It contains modules that can be interchanged depending on the client, the time available, and the channel. An origin module can precede a know-how module, then a usage module, and finally a proof.
Depending on the situation, the order is changed, the content is shortened, or it is expanded upon. The salesperson doesn't become a parrot; they become a faithful interpreter. Training benefits from including simulations, role-playing, and realistic constraints, because it is through constraints that one learns to be precise without being verbose.
This logic aligns with a key requirement of luxury: the precise word. Simply saying " handmade " is no longer enough if one cannot explain the specific technique, workshop, or stage involved. Similarly, saying " noble material " is insufficient if one cannot distinguish between silk , cashmere , alpaca , grained leather , smooth leather , 18-karat gold , and platinum . Product storytelling thus becomes a discipline of language, serving a more informed experience.
Modular scripts and the role of the salesperson: from fixed speech to human media
Modern clienteling has transformed the salesperson into a long-term relationship. Personalized messages, appointments, pre-selection, and post-purchase follow-up all require the ability to tell a story concisely, relevantly, and with context. A good story is recognized by its adaptability. When dealing with a connoisseur, the focus is on the technical aspects, provenance, and rarity. When dealing with a novice, the emphasis is on the practical use, the feel, and the simplicity of the choice. When dealing with a gift buyer, the focus is on the symbolic value, the idea of passing something on, and the reassurance of the decision.
In the luxury sector, the challenge is to preserve the aura without becoming opaque. A story that's too mysterious leaves the customer feeling lost; a story that's too verbose bores them. The salesperson plays a role here comparable to that of a writer: they prioritize. They choose an angle. They create a mental image, then reinforce it with evidence. This work is all the more important because customers often arrive already informed by social media, campaigns, and reviews. The story told in the store doesn't simply repeat marketing; it translates it into an experience and a sense of certainty.
Adapting storytelling to digital: product pages, live shopping, social commerce
Product storytelling does n't stop at the store's doorstep. In e-commerce, the challenge is to transform a webpage into a silent conversation. An effective product page doesn't just describe; it showcases its use, explains the choices, and anticipates questions. In fashion , this involves the cut, the feel of the fabric, the drape, care instructions, and the context in which it's worn. In jewelry , it involves the dimensions, the type of setting, the lighting, and how the piece sits on the skin. In perfume, it involves the olfactory structure, longevity, family, and ritual. In skincare, it involves the texture, the active ingredient, the application protocol, and the expected results without making excessive promises.
Live shopping and social commerce formats add another requirement: the storytelling must be spontaneous yet accurate. Here again, modular scripts act as a safety net. They allow for natural speaking while remaining compliant. They provide transitions, supporting sentences, and answers to objections.
In a live broadcast, the salesperson or brand ambassador becomes a media outlet in their own right: they must tell a story without overacting, demonstrate without boring, and answer questions without rambling. The narrative here is also a choreography: showing, naming, evoking feelings, contextualizing, and concluding.
This digital adaptation raises a question of consistency. If the store promises a story but the website shows no trace of it, the customer perceives a dissonance. Conversely, a highly narrative e-commerce platform but a physical store unable to replicate the same narrative creates frustration. The goal is not uniformity, but alignment: the same core elements, with variations depending on the channel.
Measuring the impact: conversion rate, average order value, repeat purchase, and quality of contact
Discussing product storytelling as a measurable lever requires an evaluation method. The first and most direct indicator remains conversion: the proportion of visitors who make a purchase. A clearer narrative can increase conversion by reducing hesitation and making the value more evident. The average order value then allows us to verify whether the story helps customers upgrade or create a look, a set, or a ritual. In the beauty industry, we often observe an effect on repeat purchases when the product application is explained precisely.
Building loyalty and repeat purchases takes time, but it's essential in the luxury sector. A well-established narrative can make the relationship more stable: customers return because they feel understood and because the brand has provided them with points of reference. Clienteling, when executed well, also allows you to track qualitative signals: responses to messages, appointment rates, post-purchase returns, maintenance or repair requests, and interest in relevant new products. Product storytelling shouldn't be judged solely on immediate enthusiasm, but on the quality of the relationship it fosters.
To be credible, measurement must distinguish between correlation and causation. A conversion increase can stem from a stronger product collection, more qualified traffic, or a price change. The value of a structured approach lies in comparing time periods, teams, scripts, or product pages, and linking the results to specific changes. When storytelling becomes a training protocol, it lends itself better to these observations because it is documented and reproducible.
Authenticity, compliance, CSR: essential safeguards
In the luxury sector, the temptation of storytelling is also the temptation of embellishment. However, product storytelling does not tolerate dissonance between words and reality. A client may accept a poetic campaign; they are less tolerant of vague evidence. Safeguards begin with authenticity: only recount what can be substantiated, demonstrated, or explained. This implies working with workshops, quality control teams, product managers, and sometimes the artisans themselves. The narrative becomes a bridge between craftsmanship and sales, between backstage and the customer experience.
Compliance is another major safeguard, particularly in the beauty industry. Promising an effect, mentioning effectiveness, and discussing active ingredients requires regulatory precision. Even in fashion and jewelry, topics such as the origin of materials, traceability, treatments, and care must be addressed without ambiguity. Finally, CSR cannot be a mere narrative. Customers seek meaning, but they also detect greenwashing. A responsible narrative must be based on facts, certifications, and concrete commitments, and be willing to disclose what is currently being done rather than claiming immediate perfection.
Another, more subtle risk is narrative overload. By trying to say everything, the message is diluted. Luxury also thrives on space, silence, and suggestion. Good product storytelling is selective. It chooses a powerful idea, a signature detail, a piece of evidence. Then it lets the object speak for itself. The in-store experience benefits from alternating narrative and contemplation, information and emotion, so as not to turn the purchase into a lecture.
Best practices: linking narrative, evidence, and experience in the store
Product storytelling works when it's linked to an experience. Leather is understood by touching it; a watch by handling it; a perfume by wearing it on the skin; a cream by massaging it in; a stone by looking at it in the light. The narrative must accompany the action. It's a simple but often overlooked rule: tell the story at the right time. Before contact, you create anticipation. During contact, you guide perception. After contact, you solidify the decision.
The most successful brands also know how to build bridges between products and heritage without being confined by them. Heritage is not nostalgia; it is proof of continuity. In luxury retail training, it is useful to distinguish between the grand brand story, which inspires, and the micro-narratives of individual products, which convert customers. The salesperson must be able to move seamlessly between the two. They must also be able to discuss a contemporary product without justifying it solely by its past. Today's luxury is as much a culture of innovation as it is of heritage, of new materials as well as time-honored techniques.
Finally, a good practice is to make the customer an active participant in the story. Asking questions about lifestyle, usage context, relationship to the gift, and desire to pass it on allows for a personalized narrative. The story then becomes a collaborative creation: the product remains constant, but the story told adapts to the customer's experience. This is precisely what transforms information into conviction: the customer recognizes themselves in what they hear.
