Luxury Knowledge Didn’t Build My Career – This Did

My first luxury item was a Coach handbag. I had joined DFS as a management trainee and was assigned to monitor Coach’s merchandising performance.

Ahead of my first global trainee meeting in San Francisco, I was advised, “You should carry a branded handbag; it’s important to look on brand.” So I did.

And that pattern continued.

At Burberry, I started wearing Burberry. When I was with Louis Vuitton, I began buying Louis Vuitton. I learned the unspoken codes and adapted to the working environment. For a long time, compared to many in the industry, I had far less knowledge about luxury products or lifestyle exposure. 

Yet, my career progressed quickly. I gained recognition from my managers – became a regional director before 30. I built strong relationships with my clients – many HNWIs enjoyed spending time with me. When I look back, I realise that: 

It was less about how much I knew about luxury. It was about how I made people feel. It was clienteling – relationship building.

If I were to decode what I was doing, which was often unconsciously at the time, it comes down to three things:

• Before meeting anyone, I prepared beyond surface-level information. I tried to understand what  mattered to them.

• I listened more than I spoke, and I paid attention to what wasn’t said.

• I remembered meaningful details and brought them back in future conversations.

• I became deeply curious about people – how they think, decide, and receive information.

• I learned to identify people’s communication preference – that some people connect through logic, others through emotion, humour, or action.

• I adapted how I presented ideas depending on who I was speaking to.

• I made relationship-building a habit, not something I did only when I needed something.

• I tried to stay in touch across all levels – my managers, my peers, my team.

• I created small personal systems – noting birthdays, special moments, and bringing back  thoughtful gestures when I travelled.

Investing in relationship-building capability has taken me far –  across multiple brands, and now in my own entrepreneurial journey.

Great clienteling (relationship building) is not a personality trait. It is a set of capabilities. And like any capability, it can be assessed, strengthened, and mastered.

If you’re curious about your clienteling capability, I’ve created a short 15-question reflection tool to help you understand where you are now and where you can grow intentionally.

👉 Explore your Clienteling Capability Score here:

What has shaped your ability to build relationships?

I would love to hear your story too. Reply to this email and share with me.

Whenever you are ready, here are the ways we can support you (or your business) to thrive in your industry:

• Review Your Customer Loyalty Strategy

• Design a Clienteling Learning Ecosystem

• Elevate Your Clienteling Capability

• Master The Art and Science of Clienteling™

• Deliver an Inspiring Keynote

• Support Your Leadership and Communication Development