This is your setup phase. Get the basics in place now so you're not scrambling later.

1. Get the right tools in place

If you're still managing customer outreach through spreadsheets or personal phones, now's the time to switch it up. A clienteling CRM that tracks everything across channels gives you what you need to personalize at scale without the chaos.

Here's the thing: 65% of customers expect brands to adapt to their needs, and generic mass emails won't cut it. A good CRM helps you meet customers where they are without burning out your team.

Dive Deeper: Things to Know Before Buying CRM Software: A Quick & Dirty Guide

2. Start collecting phone numbers

SMS isn't just another channel. It's your direct line to customers during the busiest time of year. Email open rates hover around 30%, but SMS? Nearly 100%. When we analyzed 5 million clienteling messages sent during BFCM 2024, the average conversion rate for SMS was 3.1% versus 2.6% for email.

Launch a keyword campaign now to build your list. Something simple like "Text HOLIDAY to XXX-XX for early access to our Black Friday sale" gives customers a reason to opt in and gives you a way to reach them when it counts.

For a more organic method, you can train your team to naturally ask for contact info during in-store interactions.

Dive Deeper: 3 Ways to Capture More Customer Data In Your Stores

3. Identify and segment your VIPs

Your top customers shouldn't feel like just another face in the crowd during the holiday chaos. They've been with you all year, and they deserve that personal touch.

Use your CRM to segment customers by purchase history, lifetime value, and engagement.

Create lists for:

• VIP clients by high-spenders
• Online-only VIPs who live near a store
• Lapsed VIPs who haven't shopped in 6+ months
  

These segments will power your personalized campaigns later.

Dive Deeper: How to Identify VIPs and Provide a Truly Exclusive Experience

Your foundation is set. Now it's time to build the campaigns and train your team so everyone's ready to go.

1. Build your message templates

Black Friday is overwhelming enough without your team writing every message from scratch. Create templates now for the most common scenarios:

• VIP early access announcements
• New customer welcome messages
• Gift guide recommendations
• Sale reminders
• Post-purchase thank yous
  

Keep them flexible enough to personalize (customer's name, a product they bought before), but structured enough that sending a message takes 30 seconds, not 30 minutes.

Dive Deeper: Get 24 SMS and Email Campaign Templates for the Holidays

2. Set up your automated campaigns


Not every message needs a human touch to feel personal. Smart automation handles the heavy lifting while still feeling warm and genuine. Set up automated campaigns for:

• Thank you messages after first purchase
• Sale announcements
• New collection drops
• Follow-ups for customers who browsed but didn't buy
  
  

When done right, these messages can come directly from the associate the customer shopped with, keeping that personal connection alive without adding to your team's plate.

Watch: The Best Text Campaigns to Send to Promote a Sale

3. Create gift guide templates

Holiday shopping is stressful. Your customers are buying for everyone from their spouse to their uncle who already has everything. Make it easy on them (and your team) by creating gift guide templates now.

With the right tools, your associates can pull together personalized, shoppable gift guides in under 5 minutes. Build a few templates based on price point, style, or recipient type. When it's go time, associates just plug in their picks and send.

Watch: How To Make A Personal Gift Guide For Every Customer In Under 5 Minutes

You've done the prep. Now it's time to execute without overwhelming your team.

1. Launch your VIP early access campaign

About two weeks before Black Friday, reach out to your top customers with early access to your sale. This isn't just about making them feel special (though that's important). It's about spreading out demand so your team isn't slammed on a single day.

Use your pre-built templates and audience segments to make this quick. Personalize where you can: "Hi Sarah, as one of our top customers, you're getting first access to our Black Friday sale. Here are a few pieces I think you'll love based on what you picked up last month."

2. Piggyback off your marketing campaigns

Your marketing team is sending big blasts to everyone. Great! But don't stop there. Follow up those broad announcements with personalized messages from associates: "Hey Maria, just wanted to make sure you saw our sale this weekend. Let me know if you need help picking anything out!"

This one-two punch keeps your brand top of mind and turns a generic promo into a real conversation.

Dive Deeper: 5 Steps to Craft Response-Driven Campaigns that Increase Holiday Sales

3. Set goals and track progress publicly

Give your team something to work toward. Whether it's total messages sent, conversion rate, or revenue driven through clienteling, make the goal visible and track it openly.

Post updates in your teams chat or on a dashboard in the break room. Wherever your team will see it. When people can see how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture, they stay motivated even when things get hectic.

Watch: 5 Essential Steps to Prepare Stores for Black Friday 2025

4. Keep going through Cyber Monday (and beyond)

Black Friday isn't the finish line. Eight of the ten busiest shopping days this year are predicted to be in December. Keep your clienteling momentum going:

• Follow up with Black Friday shoppers: "Hope you're loving that hoodie! Here's a pair of sweatpants that would go perfectly with it."
• Reach out to customers who missed Black Friday with last-minute gift ideas
• Send personalized thank yous to first-time buyers and invite them back in January

The retailers who win aren't just focused on short-term holiday sales. They're using clienteling to build relationships that drive repeat purchases well into the new year. Second order AOV increases by 19% when customers receive personalized outreach.

Dive Deeper: 2-2-2 Follow Up Strategy with Every New Customer