Is Clienteling a Real Word?

Over the weekend, I was brainstorming clienteling opportunities with my friend in hospitality, and he asked me a question: “Is clienteling a real word?”

If you type in Google, Claude or any search engine, it will tell you that yes, clienteling is a real word, though it’s fairly specialised. It is used primarily in the luxury retail and sales context to describe the strategy of building deep, long-term, personalised relationships with customers.

To most people out there, clienteling is like a special gemstone – you have heard of it but you don’t really know what it means. Hence, it can be lonely if you are one of the few that understands and champions it inside your organisation.

Over the past few months, I’ve met and supported like-minded clienteling leaders across the luxury industry – in fine jewellery, luxury eyewear, and wine & spirits – each of them trying to drive a clienteling culture shift in their field and made progress successfully.

Learning from their best practices, while reflecting on my own time pioneering clienteling in Burberry in 2010, here are some consistent practices that worked:

1. Start with the internal culture

The best way to make someone do something is to let them experience it first.

The business partners I met yesterday ensures they celebrate their internal team’s birthdays; Whenever there’s a training, they go the extra mile – preparing snacks, organising a nice meal afterwards.

My other client who leads Private Client function in a whiskey brand, remembers the lifestyle preference for each of her market teammates – she always brings them a thoughtful souvenirs when she visits, accompanied by a personal card.

Treat your team as your internal clients, and they will feel the power of clienteling along the way.

2. Find your natural allies

Instead of introducing clienteling as a brand-new culture, frame it as a name for behaviours some of your team are already practising and make them your champion.

There will always be sales associates who follow their clients on Instagram, who remember a birthday without being prompted, who bake cookies for a regular client.

Celebrate these behaviours publicly – ideally in front of the leaders they look up to – and let them know: this is clienteling in action.

3. Associate with the small and big wins

While most of the retail team still sees clienteling as separate from selling, help them experience the immediate return of clienteling.

It might be noticing the special texture of a client’s outfit, offering a genuine compliment that leads to a closed sale.

It might be a personalised message reminding a lapsing client about securing the concert tickets they like that brings them back; or clients turning up to an event simply because someone they trust invited them.

Show them how paying attention to your client builds trusts, enhances the bond, and changes the dynamic of the relationship.

4. Let it take time.

I first had a discovery conversation with the retail leader I met yesterday over a year ago. He had just joined a new company, determined to build a clienteling culture — and he knew it would take time.

He started by raising the importance of it within the senior leadership team. Then he brought in a Client Development Manager, and together they introduced the culture step by step – birthday celebrations, in-store activations, and so on.

Looking back, they’ve come a remarkably long way – I had the most delightful experience visiting their flagship store yesterday, hosted by their store manager , chitchatting about the making of mocktail while trying on some million-dollar eyewear.

Final Thought

So to my dear leaders who feel lonely championing clienteling in your brand, your industry, or your role – you are not alone.

Every step counts, and everything that you do is making clienteling less of a stranger in the community you build.

If you’d like to have a conversation, or there’s anything I can support you with in building clienteling awareness in your organisation, reach out for a conversation.

Personal Development

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