AuctionsNov 20, 2025
Vanderbilt Jewels Shine at Phillips Sale, Pink Diamond WithdrawnA 43-carat sapphire brooch from the Vanderbilt collection was the top lot of the Geneva sale.
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.
More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.
Brought To You By Clientbook
A couple lingers by the case—early twenties, dressed casual but polished. She points out a solitaire; he nods, but they don’t ask to see it. Just a few questions, a few smiles, then the classic finishing line: “We’re just starting to look.”
They leave with a thank-you and a business card. Maybe the associate jots down a note, maybe not. Maybe there’s a plan to follow up, maybe there isn’t.
Two weeks later, you see it: A photo on Instagram. A ring. A proposal. A jeweler tagged—not yours.
In the luxury jewelry world, this is death by a thousand maybes.
Because when someone walks out your door without buying, the story isn’t over unless you let it be.
The Opportunity: Drifting Shoppers
Foot traffic feels like the win. You got them in the door, right? That’s usually the hard part. And yet, in this industry—where purchases are emotional, considered, and rarely impulsive—walking in doesn't mean closing.
Jewelers often focus on how to get more people in. But not nearly enough are asking: “What’s happening after they leave?”
Here’s the truth: the customer’s buying journey rarely ends in one visit. For brick-and-mortar stores, conversion rates typically range between 20% and 40% on a shopper’s first visit. This means that up to 80% of in-store visitors leave without making a purchase. They’re in orbit—researching, browsing, being influenced. That’s your opportunity.
But without a strategy to keep them in your orbit, they drift toward someone else’s.
The Problem: A Follow-Up Leak
Now comes the problem. You can’t follow up with someone you barely remember.
Too often, follow-up depends on who had the conversation, how good their memory is, and whether they scribbled a name down somewhere between lunch and closing. It’s inconsistent, it’s unscalable, and—if we’re being honest—it’s costing you sales.
And those lost sales? You usually don’t even know they’re gone. They don’t announce themselves. They just don’t come back.
What’s worse: your sales associates feel it too. When they don’t have a system to keep track of leads, they lose motivation. They chase whoever’s right in front of them. But clienteling isn’t about chasing—it’s about cultivating.
The Solution: Clienteling As an Essential Business Model
Clienteling is a word that gets tossed around a lot, but it’s not just a trendy phrase. It’s a model that should shape your every interaction. And in that model, Clientbook is your engine.
It’s not about flooding inboxes with mass emails or handing out punch cards with “Buy 5, get 1 free.” Clientbook turns every casual browser into a contact, every visit into a profile, and every “just looking” into a warm potential client ready for a thoughtful follow-up.
Let’s say someone comes in, tries on a few pieces, and leaves. With Clientbook, their preferences, notes, and contact info are captured before they hit the parking lot. One week later? The associate sends a message:
“Hey, I know you loved that cushion-cut halo. We just got something in that's really similar—want me to text you a pic?”
It’s not salesy. It’s thoughtful. And it works.
With Clientbook, retailers see up to 7x more conversations happening with those post-store visitors.
Following the New Rules of the Game
Getting someone in the door is the beginning. What happens next determines if they'll ever come back—or buy at all.
Here’s how successful jewelers are making that shift from occasional visitors to loyal customers, using Clientbook:
Capture the right info—every time
Before a client leaves, your team should know:
- What they looked at
- What they liked
- Who they’re shopping for
- When they might need it by
With Clientbook, that info is captured in seconds—no clipboards, no lost sticky notes. It becomes part of a searchable, sharable client profile that your whole team can access.
Make personalized follow-ups second-nature
Most sales are lost to silence. Clientbook changes that by automatically reminding sales associates to follow up based on key behaviors—like visiting the store, liking an item, or hitting a birthday or anniversary.
We’re not talking about generic texts. We’re talking about:
“You mentioned your anniversary was next month. I found a few pieces that match what your wife loved last time—want to see them? I put together a wishlist just for her.”
That’s personal. That’s powerful.
Make it easy for your team to be great
Clienteling shouldn’t be a chore—it should be a shortcut to doing things the right way.
Clientbook gives sales associates daily to-dos based on their actual clients. It’s like a cheat sheet that tells them exactly who to talk to and why. No guesswork. Just momentum.
Track what works (and fix what doesn’t)
You can’t improve what you’re not measuring. Clientbook gives managers visibility into who’s following up, who’s not, and what kind of outreach is actually driving results. That means better training, deeper conversations, and more predictable sales.
The Bottom Line: It’s Not Just About Who Walks In. It’s About Who Comes Back
Not every visitor is ready to buy. And that’s okay. What matters is whether you’re ready to follow up when they are.
Clienteling isn’t about pressure. It’s about presence. It’s about making sure that when they are ready, you’re the one they remember.
So keep your foot traffic. But make it count. Because in this business, it’s not just about who walks in. It’s about who comes back.
More on Independents
The Latest
CollectionsNov 20, 2025
Rebecca Rau Jewels Debuts With ‘Then & Now’ CollectionRau is a fourth-generation art and antique dealer from M.S. Rau gallery whose first jewelry collection merges artifacts with modern design.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2025
RJC Names New Executive DirectorFormer De Beers sustainability leader Purvi Shah will take over the role in February 2026.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
WatchesNov 20, 2025
LVMH Takes Minority Stake in Citizen Group-Owned Movement Maker La Joux-Perret is based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and makes solar quartz as well as mechanical watch movements.
Weekly QuizNov 13, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
GradingNov 20, 2025
Julia Griffith Joins SSEF as Head of EducationShe previously taught at Gem-A and is the founder of The Gem Academy.
CollectionsNov 19, 2025
Larkspur & Hawk Celebrates 25 Years With Helena Bonham Carter CampaignThe British actress and her daughter modeled pieces from the brand’s new “Palette” capsule for its “Once Upon a Time” holiday campaign.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
TechnologyNov 19, 2025
Google Has a New Form for Reporting ‘Review Bombing’ Attacks Plus, the tech giant shares the steps retailers should take if they believe they’re a victim of a review extortion scam.
TrendsNov 19, 2025
Midas Chain Releases 2025 Holiday Style GuideThe jewelry manufacturer’s seasonal offering features its new “Melodie” bangles, as well as mini stud earrings and layering pieces.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2025
NYC Jewelry Week 2025: 12 Must-See EventsWith more than 140 activations taking place in New York City now through Nov. 23, these 12 events are can’t-miss moments.
MajorsNov 18, 2025
Lugano Diamonds Files for Bankruptcy, Looking for BuyerThe Chapter 11 filing follows the resignation of CEO Moti Ferder, who stepped down after an investigation into the company’s finances.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2025
A Giant, Bejeweled Moldy Berry Is on Display in LAThe artwork is part of an exhibition featuring works by Kathleen Ryan, an artist known for her gemstone-studded rotting fruit sculptures.
SourcingNov 18, 2025
Another Diamond Company CEO Steps DownMark Wall, president and CEO of Canadian mining company Mountain Province Diamonds, will vacate his position next month.
CrimeNov 17, 2025
Police Searching for 2 Suspects in Murder of Father, Son Jewelers Faustino Alamo Dominguez and his son, 25-year-old Luis Angel Alamo, were gunned down following an armed robbery at their jewelry store.
GradingNov 17, 2025
IGI Announces New President of North AmericaTiffany & Co. veteran Jeffrey Bennett has stepped into the role.
MajorsNov 17, 2025
Look Inside Robbins Brothers Fine Jewelers’ New Pasadena FlagshipThe showroom is located in a historic 1920s building in the Playhouse District.
Policies & IssuesNov 14, 2025
U.S., Switzerland Reach Deal That Drops Tariff to 15%The Swiss government announced the deal, which cuts the tax on Swiss imports by more than half, on social media Friday morning.
AuctionsNov 14, 2025
Napoleon’s Diamond Brooch Blows Away Auction Estimates A buyer paid $4.4 million for the piece, which Napoleon wore on his hat for special occasions and left behind when he fled Waterloo.
FinancialsNov 14, 2025
Richemont’s Q2 Jewelry Sales Up 12%Plus, how tariffs and the rising price of gold are affecting its watch and jewelry brands.
CollectionsNov 14, 2025
Piece of the Week: Silvia Furmanovich’s ‘Butterflies in Flight’ Jewelry BoxFurmanovich designed the box to hold Mellerio’s “Color Queen,” a high jewelry collection consisting of 10 rings.
Events & AwardsNov 14, 2025
JCK Names New Event DirectorJennifer Hopf, who has been with JCK since 2022, will lead the execution of the long-running jewelry trade show.
IndependentsNov 13, 2025
Green Lake Jewelry Works to Move to New Seattle StudioFounder Jim Tuttle shared how a dedication to craftsmanship and meaningful custom jewelry fueled the retailer’s double-digit growth.
MajorsNov 13, 2025
Vahan Jewelry Founder Leon ‘Sacha’ Der Calousdian Dies at 85The third-generation jeweler is remembered as a passionate creative with a love of art, traveling and sailboat racing.
CrimeNov 12, 2025
Father, Son Jewelers in Chicago Victims in Double Homicide JSA and Cook County Crime Stoppers are both offering rewards for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved.
AuctionsNov 12, 2025
‘Mellon Blue’ Diamond Sells for $7M Less Than It Did a Decade AgoA buyer paid $25.6 million for the diamond at Christie’s on Tuesday. In 2014, Sotheby’s sold the same stone for $32.6 million.
AuctionsNov 12, 2025
Historic Rolex Oyster Fetches $1.7M at Sotheby’sMercedes Gleitze famously wore the watch in her 1927 swim across the English Channel, a pivotal credibility moment for the watchmaker.
