A brand's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a goldmine of customer data that remains the key to personalized messaging, be it email, SMS, or chat. By leveraging the insights culled from the CRM, brands can segment their audience based on purchasing habits, style preferences, browsing behavior, and important to the current topic: location.

Imagine a customer who often browses leather goods online but never completes a purchase. By segmenting such an audience, brands can craft personalized promotions, such as a discount on leather items, but with a twist: the discount can only be redeemed in-store. Not only does this entice the customer with a relevant offer, but it also drives foot traffic, bridging the online-to-offline gap.

But brands can offer even more to entice segments of their audience to their brick & mortar locations. Maybe the leather discount also comes with a personalized styling session. Or it’s a “bring a friend” promo to offer discounts to someone else as well. Brands that can experiment with the right combination of enticing digital promotions with the right one-on-one clienteling in-store experience can increase not just engagement, but conversions into sales as well.

In the age of digital transformation, online consultations are gaining traction. For fashion and lifestyle brands, offering one-on-one virtual styling sessions can be a game-changer. Through these sessions, brands can understand the shopper's style, preferences, and needs; all while the customer experiences it from the comfort of her home.

After a successful online consultation, transition the conversation by offering an in-store styling session for the next meet. This encourages the customer to visit the store, where the likelihood of making a purchase increases significantly. The beauty lies in establishing that initial relationship online, making the in-store experience a natural progression of the journey.

And that jump is a relatively easy one to make. After all, your stylist will recommend pieces that are only in-store for the shopper to try the next time they’re there. Brands can elevate this experience even further by pre-pulling those recommended pieces, and others, and having them waiting in a reserved dressing room for the customer’s appointed style-session. Again, elevating that in-person experience is the best way to capitalize on good online engagement.

Of course, offering this level of service can strain a small in-store team. Look at your CRM data to offer virtual-to-store sessions to your top 20% of shoppers first, segmenting out your biggest spenders in order to make each appointment worth it.

While emails can often go unread, SMS boasts an impressive open rate. Capitalize on this by rolling out targeted SMS campaigns to specific audience segments. But don't just stop at promotions. Allow for two-way conversations, enabling customers to interact directly with a store representative. Endear’s own Shoppable Stories can turn a simple text dialogue into a virtual gallery of personalized recommendations, intelligently queued up by the data in the CRM.

In general, all of the previous sections were building to this. While physical stores offer tactile experiences, the online realm presents an opportunity for "virtual clienteling." This involves mimicking the in-store experience online, complete with personalized recommendations, one-on-one chat assistance, and even virtual store tours. This is the true power of a robust CRM platform that can segment a brand’s audience into manageable groups, and spark personalized conversations.

By being able to offer a virtual white-glove service through a smartphone, brands can make much more of their customers feel valued, even if they're sitting behind a screen miles away – and even if they’re not in-store. And once they've experienced the brand's commitment to service online, they're more inclined to visit in person, seeking that same level of personalized attention.

The future of retail lies at the intersection of traditional clienteling and cutting-edge online segmentation. By creating tailored experiences that begin online and culminate in-store, brands can foster deeper relationships, drive sales, and distinguish themselves in a crowded marketplace.