22nd May 2025
In the race to win new customers, it’s easy to lose sight of the business opportunities that could be generated from pre-established connections. Some of your previous customers who have decided to stop working with you could be won back with a targeted marketing campaign. As they have already experienced the value you provide, they may be more ready to invest in your help again.
Whether they left because of financial uncertainty or they were drawn to an alternative, some customers may realise that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, or their circumstances change and they could do with your help again. It can take just a few interactions to get them back on board.
So, as you create marketing to reach out to new clients, don’t forget to reach back to previous clients, and even enquirers that didn’t convert. This is a fast and cost-effective way to win more customers, maximise marketing outcomes and support continued business growth.
There is a lot of noise about marketing for acquisition. New clients are, of course, valuable to businesses. However, I know many of the business leaders I speak to feel like they are doing a lot but not getting a lot back. They need to generate more customers, but are up against an uncertain market and longer decision-making times.
My question to them is, who can you talk to now to get some quick wins? The answer is in what they have available to them now – their database of previous clients and enquirers. Focusing on re-engagement (with the right ones) can get some amazing results.
Acquisition costs have increased by up to 60% over the last 5 years, so improving customer lifetime value (how much each customer spends with you) is even more important. Instead of only chasing new customers, look at winning back lapsed customers to boost the revenue generated from each customer.
Many of your previous clients already know, like and trust your business because of their experience working with you. There are far fewer hurdles to overcome before getting a yes. With marketing to previous clients, you start in a much stronger position, which is more likely to lead to a sale and in less time. As new customers are taking longer to come to a buying decision, these quick wins are sought after.
As business leaders, we know the full scope of our products and services inside and out. That’s rarely the case for new, existing or previous clients! It’s surprising what gets lost in translation. You could have a client who loved working with you previously and needs a service you offer, but they don’t realise you offer it. They don’t know how to reach out to you, which could lead to a lost sale. A win-back marketing campaign builds understanding of our full array of offerings and secures the opportunities right in front of us (and that would otherwise get lost).
Touching base with previous clients leads to sales in more ways than one. If the client had a positive experience with you, they could become a brand ambassador and promote you to their network. Asking for specific referrals helps your client base identify contacts to introduce you to. Knowing what you know about your clients, who could they be connected with that would make a good potential client for you?
One way to reach back to clients is to ask them for testimonials and information to build a case study. This is great to have in the bank and encourages them to think about all the benefits they got from working with you, which in itself could turn into an enquiry. Additionally, sharing the experience of a client who fits into your ideal client profile could attract other ideal clients. They see themselves in the testimonial and realise that if it worked for your previous client, it can work for them.
This is the win-back marketing process I use with my clients as well as in my own business to ensure we aren’t missing opportunities for valuable repeat business.
Review your client database, filter out previous clients and organise it in terms of priority for your win-back efforts. Be selective about who you would most like to work with again and who you think has the highest potential for repeat business.
I usually organise the client list into 4 categories:
Where there are clear opportunities for working together again, ask yourself whether the client understands your full product and service offerings. If there’s doubt, organise a meeting where you catch up, reignite the working relationship and share business updates, particularly around the offerings most relevant to them. Ensure they have the information they need to make a buying decision delivered through a warm, empathetic and personalised interaction.
You could also write personalised emails to previous customers you’d like to win back. Remind them of the full scope of what you offer, make it relevant to their situation today and highlight the results you can achieve for them. Consider their buying history and specific industry to make it as personalised as possible. Ensure that they’re on your mailing list also for your wider email marketing campaigns.
Filter out the clients who could make a great referral partner due to the kind of work they do or the type of customers they serve. Then ask the question. Reach out to them and ask them if they have any contacts they could introduce you to. This might not pay off immediately but often asking the question helps them to connect the dots and pass on potential clients. These leads are particularly valuable because they are warmed up through the recommendation of a mutual connection.
It’s definitely worth sending personalised invitations to previous clients whenever you are running an event. It could be the prompt that encourages them to work with you again or refer a contact to you. You could also invite previous clients to business events you’re attending that they could benefit from. For example, ask if they’d like to join you at a networking event to meet new contacts or an industry talk to update their knowledge. These interactions nurture the relationship and give you opportunities to catch up with what they need at the moment and how your business could help.
Staying in contact by connecting with them on social media, e.g. LinkedIn.through social media adds to a warm and personable customer experience. Seeing you pop up on their likes and comments as you interact online keeps your business top of mind and shows continued care for clients.
Get back to basics with your marketing. We can put so much effort into attracting new clients that we drop the ball on nurturing the clients we have already worked with and could work with again. Put renewed effort into a win-back campaign that reaches back to remind previous clients of your value and full array of products and services. It provides quick wins and eases the pressure of acquisition as you generate more business from your known contacts.
Who can you talk to now to drive sales now? Don’t miss the opportunities right in front of you!
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But not the in-house financial headaches because you only pay for a day or two of my time instead of a monthly salary. Plus, our agreement is flexible, so you can add and take away the support you need depending on your changing circumstances.
Book a discovery call to discuss outsourced marketing support and how it can help you win more customers.
