MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
OtherMar 16, 2017
Coach’s Corner: The truth about clienteling
Columnist Pat Henneberry exposes some of the myths surrounding “clienteling,” which she says is nothing new.
Let’s be honest; I’ve been teaching clienteling for 25 years … it’s not new. As a result of this new-found popularity, the meaning of the word has become blurred and obscured in a fog of hype. Let’s expose some of these myths so we can define what it really is.
Clienteling defined
We should look at it from a “business value” perspective, meaning that to truly qualify as clienteling, the solution must solve pertinent business issues while providing value--a return on your investment.
cli·en·tel·ing [klî-Ən-tel-ing] noun 1. A system to manage customer engagement business processes for bringing customers into your store, providing an exceptional in-store shopping experience, and keeping your customers coming back for more. Example: Sales increased after we began using clienteling to improve the customer experience in our stores.
This business process is circular in nature and delivers real business value by optimizing customer relationships to build loyalty, increase customer spend, grow store revenue and reinforce selling best practices for sales associates. In addition to managing the process, a true clienteling solution allows you to monitor and measure effectiveness for continuous improvement.
Elements of a clienteling business process
--Targeted and relevant customer engagement and outreach
--Empowering sales associates to provide an exceptional in-store customer experience
--Relevant and timely follow-up with the customer
--Integrated monitoring and measurement
Clienteling’s first goal is to reach out and engage customers in a personalized and relevant manner to drive traffic into the store. This is one of the most commonly absent capabilities in solutions labeled “clienteling.”
Targeted and relevant customer outreach means identifying key information about a given customer and taking appropriate action. A simple example of this might be triggered by the introduction of a new brand in the retailer’s stores--knowing that certain customers have a preference for a specific brand or have made a purchase from that brand in the past, it would be a good practice to notify them of the new product introduction.
Customer contact could be initiated in one or more forms. If, for instance, your customers are segmented into tiers based on Recency-Frequency-Monetary (RFM) values, you might choose to simply send an email for those classified as mid-tier customers. For your most valuable top-tier customers, targeted outreach might involve creating a to-do for un assigned sales associate to
make a personal phone call to the customer.
There is so much to discuss in clienteling. There are some great organizations in our jewelry industry that make this their specialty, and I recommend you seek them out and stay away from the new iPad apps (and I love my apps.)
Clienteling isn’t just a product app either--you need to be able to have key access to information about your customers, and you can’t miss the chance to grab today’s shoppers. Missing a chance to build loyalty limits the value of these “save the sale” solutions.
Today’s customers expect you to know all about their interactions with your brand, but simply knowing is not enough.
With targeted customer engagement and outreach, a clienteling solution increases customer traffic into the stores, thereby increasing store sales.
By empowering sales associates to provide an exceptional in-store customer experience, it will increase store sales, and with relevant customer follow-up, a clienteling solution will improve customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty. All of these factors ultimately drive an increase in customer lifetime value for your store.
More on Other
The Latest
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsThe deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.
SourcingMar 25, 2026
Rob Bates Steps Down as JCK News Director After 28 years with JCK, the veteran industry journalist is launching his own publication on Substack called The Jewelry Wire.
GradingMar 25, 2026
New York’s Natural History Museum, Wiley To Build Minerals DatabaseWiley said the project will give scientists worldwide access to the American Museum of Natural’s History renowned mineral collection.
CollectionsMar 25, 2026
Boochier Turns Flower Friendship Bracelets Into Fine JewelryThe “Flower Puff” collection looks to beaded flower friendship bracelets from childhood, turning the silhouette into nostalgic fine jewelry.
