How to Build a VIP Flow That Makes Your Best Customers Spend More

Here's a number that should change how you think about your email program: your top 10% of customers generate somewhere between 40-60% of your total revenue. We see this pattern across almost every eCommerce brand we work with. Ten percent of people, half your revenue.

And yet -- the vast majority of brands treat every customer the same. Same emails. Same offers. Same experience. Your best customer who's spent $3,000 with you over two years gets the exact same "20% off sitewide!" email as someone who bought one $30 item six months ago and never came back.

That's not just lazy. It's expensive. Because when your VIPs feel like just another email address on a list, they slowly disengage. And replacing that revenue costs 5-7x more than keeping them happy would have.

Let's fix this. Here's exactly how to build a VIP flow in Klaviyo that recognizes your best customers, makes them feel valued, and -- yes -- gets them to spend even more.

Step 1: Define Your VIP Tiers

Before you build anything, you need to decide who qualifies as a VIP. There's no universal definition -- it depends on your price point, order frequency, and business model. But here's the framework we use:

The Three-Tier Model

| Tier | Name | Criteria | % of Customers | |---|---|---|---| | Tier 1 | VIP Gold | Top 1-2% by lifetime spend OR 5+ orders | 1-2% | | Tier 2 | VIP Silver | Top 3-10% by lifetime spend OR 3-4 orders | 3-8% | | Tier 3 | Rising Star | 2 orders in last 90 days (showing momentum) | 5-10% |

Why three tiers and not two? Because VIP Gold customers respond to exclusivity, VIP Silver responds to aspiration ("you're almost Gold!"), and Rising Stars respond to momentum ("you're on your way!"). Different psychological triggers require different messaging.

How to Build These Segments in Klaviyo

For VIP Gold:

1. Go to Lists and Segments, then click Create Segment
2. Set the condition: "What someone has done" then "Placed Order" then "at least 5 times" then "over all time"
3. OR: "Properties about someone" then "Historic CLV" then "is at least" then your threshold (typically the top 1-2% value)

For VIP Silver, same structure but with 3-4 orders or a CLV range that captures your top 3-10%.

For Rising Star: "Placed Order at least 2 times in the last 90 days" AND not already in Gold or Silver.

Pro tip on CLV thresholds: Don't guess. Pull a report from Klaviyo or Shopify showing CLV distribution. Find the dollar amount that represents the top 2% and the top 10%. Those are your tier cutoffs. For most brands we work with, VIP Gold starts at $500-$1,500 lifetime spend, and VIP Silver starts at $200-$500.

Step 2: The VIP Welcome Flow (When Someone Enters a Tier)

This is the flow that fires when a customer crosses into a VIP tier for the first time. It's the single most important VIP email you'll ever send because it sets the expectation that being a VIP means something.

VIP Gold Welcome Sequence (3 Emails)

Email 1: "You've Made It" (Sent Immediately)

Subject lines:

• "Welcome to VIP. This is different."
• "[First Name], you're officially one of our top customers"
• "You just unlocked something special"

Body:

• Thank them specifically for their loyalty. Reference their order count or approximate spend if possible.
• Tell them what VIP Gold means: early access to new launches, exclusive offers, priority support, birthday surprises
• Give them something immediately. A 15-20% exclusive discount code, a free gift with next order, or early access to an upcoming product
• This email should feel warm, personal, and exclusive. Not salesy. You're recognizing them, not pitching them.

Email 2: "Here's What You Get" (Day 3)

Subject: "Your VIP perks, explained"

Body:

• Lay out the benefits clearly:
  • Early access to all new product launches (48 hours before public)
  • Exclusive VIP-only sales (2-3x per year)
  • Free shipping on every order (if you can offer this)
  • Priority customer support (dedicated email or faster response)
  • Birthday month surprise
  • First look at limited editions
• End with: "You earned this. We're just making sure you get it."

Email 3: "From the Founder" (Day 7)

Subject: "A personal note from [founder name]"

Body:

• This should actually read like it came from the founder. First person. Conversational.
• Thank them for being part of the brand's story
• Share a quick brand story or behind-the-scenes moment
• No hard CTA. Just a soft "reply to this email anytime -- I read every one" (and actually mean it)

VIP Silver Welcome Sequence (2 Emails)

Similar to Gold but positioned as aspirational:

Email 1: Welcome + perks (slightly fewer than Gold) + a clear note: "You're almost at VIP Gold status. Just [X more orders / $X more in spend] to unlock the full experience."

Email 2: "Here's what Gold members get" -- show the Gold perks as something to aspire to. This drives additional purchases.

Rising Star Welcome (1 Email)

One email acknowledging their momentum: "We've noticed you've been shopping with us a lot lately. That means a lot. Here's a little something as a thank you: [10% off code]."

Keep it simple. These customers are still building a relationship with your brand.

Step 3: Ongoing VIP Engagement (Beyond the Welcome)

The welcome flow gets them in the door. But VIPs need ongoing attention to stay engaged. Here's what to build:

Early Access Emails

Every time you launch a new product or collection, your VIPs should know about it first. Not at the same time as everyone else. First.

Set up a campaign workflow:

1. Send the launch email to VIP Gold 48 hours before public launch
2. Send to VIP Silver 24 hours before public launch
3. Send to your full list at launch time

Why this works: Exclusivity is a powerful motivator. VIPs who get early access buy at higher rates because there's no "I'll wait for a sale" mentality -- they're buying at full price because they feel special.

Across our client base, early access emails to VIP segments convert at 8-15%, compared to 2-4% for general launch emails. Same product. Same price. Wildly different conversion rate.

VIP-Only Sales

Run 2-3 VIP-exclusive sales per year. These are sales that your general list never sees.

Structure:

• 24-48 hour flash sale
• 20-30% off (higher discount than your public sales)
• Email subject: "VIP-only: this sale isn't for everyone"
• Emphasize exclusivity: "This link only works for VIP members"

Revenue impact: We've seen VIP-only sales generate $5-$25 per recipient, compared to $1-3 for general sale campaigns. The key is that these sales feel exclusive, not like a recycled promo code.

Birthday and Anniversary Flows

Birthday Flow:

• Trigger: 7 days before the customer's birthday (collected via profile property)
• Email 1 (7 days before): "Your birthday gift is ready" + 20% off or free gift with purchase
• Email 2 (on birthday): "Happy birthday! Your gift expires in 7 days"
• Email 3 (3 days after): "Your birthday gift is about to expire"

Birthday flows for VIP customers typically generate $5-$10 per recipient. And they generate goodwill that's impossible to put a dollar value on.

Anniversary Flow:

• Trigger: 1 year from first purchase date
• One email: "It's been one year since you first ordered. Here's what we've built together: [X orders, X products tried]. Thank you. Here's a gift: [exclusive offer]"

The Handwritten Note Tactic

This isn't an email. It's a physical card.

For your top VIP Gold customers (we're talking your top 50-100 customers), send a handwritten thank-you note once per year. Include a gift card or exclusive product sample.

Cost: Maybe $5-10 per customer including the gift. Impact: Massive. We had a client do this for their top 75 customers. Within 30 days, 40% of those customers placed another order. Several shared the notes on social media. You can't buy that kind of loyalty with a promo code.

Step 4: Preventing VIP Churn

Your VIPs are your most valuable customers. Losing even one hurts. Here's how to catch them before they leave:

The VIP Engagement Monitor

Create a segment: VIP Gold or Silver AND has not opened an email in the last 30 days AND has not placed an order in the last 60 days.

This segment identifies VIPs who are starting to disengage. Build a flow for this trigger:

Email 1: "We miss you" (Sent when they enter the segment)

Subject: "Is everything okay, [first name]?"

This email should feel genuine. Not salesy. Ask if there's something wrong. Did they have a bad experience? Is there a product issue? Offer a direct line to customer support.

Include a compelling offer (20-25% off) but position it as a "welcome back" gift, not a desperation discount.

Email 2: "Your VIP status" (7 Days Later)

Subject: "Quick heads-up about your VIP status"

Body: "You've been one of our best customers, and we want to keep it that way. Your VIP Gold perks are always here for you -- including [list key perks]. We'd love to have you back."

Include the discount code again in case they missed it.

SMS (3 Days After Email 2): "Hey [name], your VIP discount is about to expire. 25% off anything: [link]"

The VIP Downgrade Warning

If someone drops from Gold to Silver (their purchase frequency or CLV falls below the threshold), send a notification:

"Your VIP Gold status is changing. You've dropped below our Gold threshold, but you're only $X away from keeping your benefits. Here's a list of what you'll miss..."

This creates urgency. It works. We've seen 15-20% of customers who receive a downgrade warning place an order within 7 days to maintain their status.

Measuring VIP Flow Performance

Track these metrics monthly:

| Metric | Target | |---|---| | VIP segment revenue as % of total | 40-60% | | VIP welcome flow revenue per recipient | $8-15 | | VIP repeat purchase rate (within 90 days) | 60%+ | | VIP churn rate (no order in 120 days) | Under 15% | | Early access email conversion rate | 8-15% | | VIP-only sale revenue per recipient | $5-25 |

If your VIP segment revenue is under 30% of total, your tier definitions might be too narrow. If your VIP churn rate is above 25%, your ongoing engagement program needs work.

The Bottom Line

Your best customers don't need more discounts. They need to feel recognized, valued, and exclusive. A well-built VIP flow does exactly that -- and the revenue follows naturally.

The brands we work with that have mature VIP programs see 15-30% higher LTV from their top customers compared to brands that treat everyone the same. That's not marginal. That's a fundamentally different business.

Start with tier definitions. Build the welcome flows. Add early access and VIP-only sales. Monitor for churn. The entire system takes a few days to build and runs on autopilot from there.

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Want us to build your VIP program? At GOSH Digital, we've set up loyalty and VIP flows for 150+ eCommerce brands, driving over $23M in client revenue. We'll audit your Klaviyo account and show you exactly how much your VIP segment is worth -- and how much more it could be.

Book a free strategy call with Mark

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Mark Cijo is the founder of GOSH Digital, a Klaviyo Gold Partner agency based in Dubai. He helps eCommerce brands turn their best customers into lifelong advocates through email, SMS, and retention strategy.