Are You Falling into These Traps?

For many luxury brands, Clienteling has become a priority over the past two years.

Given the macroeconomic challenges, clienteling is now firmly on your strategy decks, action plans, and even investment roadmaps.

Yet in my consulting work, especially with market teams, a recurring message keeps coming back:

Many global departments still aren’t fully clear on what the markets actually need, nor on how to distinguish between what looks good on a presentation deck and what is genuinely helpful for frontline teams to execute.

So let me ask you this week:

Are you falling into any of these common traps?

1. Ignoring the “unsexy” part of clienteling

When businesses talk about clienteling, the conversation often goes straight to:

More events
More giftings
A new or upgraded clienteling app

It is not to say these are not important.

But they are not the foundation of a sustainable clienteling strategy.

The most impatful part of the clienteling is the “unsexy stuff”:

How they greet every client with consistent sincerity and presence
How curious they are in uncovering real needs (not just pushing products)
How diligently they follow up with prospects and existing clients
How they show in big or small but consistent ways that they genuinely care

None of this is revolutionary. But right now, it’s rare.

2. Calling a surface-level update a “loyalty revamp.”

Over the last two weeks alone, I have heard multiple times from my clients that their headquarters consider the following a loyalty revamp:

Renaming client segments
Refreshing a gifting menu
Introducing new labels or tiers

The truth is, giving your customer segment a different name is just the beginning.

A meaningful loyalty revamp needs to be backed by:

A clear why behind the change
A solid rationale for client segmentation
Practical guidance for frontline teams on how to upgrade the client experience at each level

3. Creating new clienteling training… without frontline reality

Another frustration constantly raised by the market team is this:

Clienteling training materials are developed, but they are not useful.

This often happens when:

The team designing them hasn’t spoken to frontline staff
Frontline behaviours, brand story, and KPIs are not clearly connected
The training language feels corporate, abstract, or hard to relate to
Teams leave inspired — but unsure how to apply anything the next day

When training doesn’t reflect frontline reality, it becomes another “nice initiative” instead of a capability investment that drives behaviour change.

Final Thought

So here’s my question for you this week

What traps might you have fallen into?
Where is there friction in your business that quietly frustrates the frontline teams who serve clients every day?
And what are the “unsexy” fundamentals you should prioritise right now – to truly convert clients who want to buy from you?

Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from adding more.
They come from getting the basics right.

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

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