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Winning back lost customers is simple if you follow these 7 steps

 

No one likes to lose a customer, whether he’s new to your company or has been around for years, but it happens. Clients leave for various reasons. They may have found a better rate elsewhere, or they may be leaving because they’re no longer satisfied with the product or service they are receiving at your company. Regardless of why they left, your job is to now focus on winning back lost customers.

  1. Identify at-risk customers at all times. Be proactive before your customers have a chance to leave your company. If you have at-risk customers, they’re already considering taking their business elsewhere. In cases like these, you have to restart the selling process with your very own clients! While the definition of at-risk customers varies in each industry, look for individuals or companies who have voiced concerns to your current sales staff. Also look for customers who were once very communicative and are now silent or hard to reach.

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  1. The first step to winning back lost customers is finding out why they left in the first place. There are many ways this can be accomplished. Phone calls, emails, or even in-person meetings will get you some one-on-one time with your lost customer. Don’t waste their time. Ask precise questions, including “What can we do to win back your business?”

  1. If you’re able to find out the reason why your customer left, take immediate action. Following up with their concerns should be your No. 1 priority. If they were displeased with their salesperson and would like another one instead, reassign them to a top performer on your sales staff.

  1. If you don’t know why a customer left, try reaching out with a small incentive. Tiny incentives such as a small monetary or percentage-off discount on their next order may work well as an email blast. This way, the customer feels no pressure and has the opportunity to make purchases on his own time.

  1. Bigger or long-term clients need larger incentives. If you lose a customer who you’ve been working with for years, put in more effort when winning back lost customers. If your customers have already made the decision to leave, you need to make the incentive you provide worth their time. Personalize the incentive based on the client and your industry.

  1. If incentives don’t work as a way to gain back a customer, be prepared to restart the sales process. If you’ve already built a rapport with a customer, why would you want to start from the beginning all over again? If you can’t regain a sale by learning why the customer left and taking action – or providing a small-to-large incentive – you’re going to need to re-pitch the deal. It might even be more difficult to sell to a customer who already knows both your strengths and your weaknesses.

  1. Schedule a check-up call with current customers. The time when this call should be scheduled depends greatly on the type of company you run. If your clients are selling year-round leases, it wouldn’t be a good idea to schedule a check-up at month two, or month 11, for that matter. Try scheduling a check-up before six months, and if necessary, after six months. Possibly months four and eight are the best time to check in during an annual contract.

If winning back lost customers takes a lot of your sales staff’s time, let us make other tasks easier. We can automate your processes so that you can give your salespeople more time to actually sell your product!

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lead-managerLet our automated software simplify your sales process.  Sign up for a 30-day FREE trial of our lead management software and turn more leads into customers with less work!

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What tips do you practice when winning back lost customers? Share your secrets with our readers in the comments below!