In luxury, that whisper is intentional clienteling.
Start with your team. Start with your clients.
It will pay off.
Q2 has been heavy.
Chanel’s staff cuts in China.
Tiffany is upsetting high spenders over a rare Patek Philippe.
LVMH’s second-quarter results missed expectations.
Shiseido is announcing sweeping layoffs.
If you work in the luxury industry, chances are you’re feeling the pressure – to turn around red numbers, to present bold new strategies, to do something.
But in the rush to rethink everything, one critical question is often missed:
Is intentional clienteling in your Top Three business priorities? (If not #1?)
This past week, I’ve spoken to some of the industry’s most seasoned clienteling leaders – those who started on the shopfloor, who’ve cultivated million-dollar client books and navigated every up and down of retail.
We reflected on what works and what doesn’t.
Here are six reasons clienteling holds the name… but fails to deliver results:
1. Clienteling is Treated as a Separate Task
In many organisations, traditional sales (daily sales, UPT, AUR) and clienteling (appointment numbers, customer retention rates) are perceived as independent KPIs and are measured separately. Store teams prioritise chasing their daily sales targets and treat clienteling as secondary.
GC Lens: Integrate the two sets of KPIs. Show how clienteling drives both immediate and long-term sales.
2. Clienteling Training Not Blanacing The Why and The How
The content and delivery methods of clienteling training are a blend of art and science. There needs to be enough pain points and inspirational content to stimulate the “Why”, equally important, your client-facing team need a step-by-step guide on the how: some examples are:
What are the conversational topics to demonstrate curiosity in an initial client discovery stage, to allow quality client data capture?
How can your team identify the client’s communication style within the first three minutes and adjust accordingly?
What are the signs of success in the clienteling process, beyond an immediate sales transaction?
GC Lens: Pair inspirational stories with tactical frameworks in clienteling training.
3. Clienteling KPIs are Monitored At a Surface Level
If management only “downloads” the KPI expectations to the frontline and sits back to expect weekly clienteling progress, it is not realistically seeing any change.
Chances are, the retail team could “tick the box” in the clienteling app without real intention or impact.
GC lens: Leaders must learn how to coach the how, not just request the what.
4. Leaders Don’t Walk the Talk
When was the last time you treated your team as internal clients? Do you genuinely know what matters to them? Do you show presence, curiosity, and sincerity in everyday conversations?
GC Lens: Treat your team as your first clients. Culture starts at the top.
5. Headquarter Client Development Strategy isn’t translated to SA-level
Your Client Development strategy may be ambitious and well-built, but does your SA know what a great client book looks like this week? Are they confident enough to stand out from the noise in their client’s inbox?
GC lens: Break the headquarter strategy down – Develop clear and SA applicable weekly clienteling segmentation focus and outreach plans.
6. Leaders not Staying Close to Clients
When did you last sit down with a client for coffee – not a VIP gala? How often do you meet up with clients across tiers to sense the mood and get firsthand feedback?
GC lens: Stay close to your clients. The most valuable feedback will be found in conversations.
As Justin Welsh says, “In a world where everyone is yelling, sometimes a whisper is the most powerful sound.”
In luxury, that whisper is intentional clienteling.
Start with your team. Start with your clients.
It will pay off.
Is your team struggling to turn clienteling into tangible growth? Hit reply and let’s explore how to build the clienteling basics and your business back on track.