Why Customers Leave? How to Win them Back?

Business Owners; your team spend lot of time, enough money and intensive effort to attract new customers...instead they should effectively utilize time, save money and put moderate effort to re-engage inactive customers.

Customers stop buying for relatively simple reasons. They become inactive. They didn't intend to stop buying from you permanently. Maybe something unexpected emergency came up in their lives, or perhaps they had a bad experience or upset by client service. However, there's no reason why you can't win them back. Reactivating your inactive clients can bring your slump business into rapid development or steady growth.

Reasons why customers stop buying.

1. Had a bad experience with customer service.
2. Received an inferior product to what they were promised.
3. Felt that the price was unreasonably higher than your competition.
4. They are gone. They have moved to new location, got promoted, transferred, divorced, die or whatever.
5. They've changed the supplier on the strong recommendation of a friend or business associate.
6. Their lifestyle changes, their needs changed, their financial circumstances changed.
7. They haven't heard from your for a while, so they've forgotten your brand or company.
8. Their contact information has changed (i.e. they have a new phone number, email address).

Do you have Inactive or Lost customers list ready?

Look at your business. Do you have a clue how many of your customers have stop buying from you? Look over your customer list (presuming you have a customer list and you've maintained it for a long duration of time), filter out active inactive customers from the customer database. Your customer database should contain the detail information of customer name, their contact information, frequency of purchases made and their order size.

Why care for Lost Inactive Customers

We already know that a loyal customer is the most profitable customer and that a referred customer provides the best return on marketing - then lost customers have more value than cold prospects. Reactivating lost customers can be easier and less expensive than attracting new business, because former customers already have a need for your products, they know your brand and you don't have to spend more money and time to gain their loyalty again. Even if you could reactivate (bring back) 20% of your inactive clients, it's like adding 20% to your bottom line. Why go outside if you could maximize what's inside.

1. Decide if you want them back

Not every customer is an ideal customer. If the customer you lost is hard to deal with, then they may not be a potential customer to have. The best thing you can do at that point, is to make sure that they are leaving happy and that they will continue to refer you

2. Find out exact reason why they left

Find out exact reason why they left. Ask at least two or more probing questions to find out what you could do to improve the relationship.

3. Create Offers

Your lost customer insights might uncover some information that you can use to create a new and more profitable offers for your customers.

4. Take Responsibility

If you made a mistake to lose them ask them what they would need to make them stay. That means you can fix what went wrong.

5. Ask permission to send them Industry Information

create a marketing list that is for special prospects and past customers. This list should be used to send industry related information.

Ways to win back lost customers

You have a responsibility, obligation an opportunity to communicate with inactive clients and do every possible right thing to win them back. Prove them how much you care for them, how much more important they are and how ethical your organization is. Call them, send email or personally visit their office and tell them truth: "You've noticed they haven't bought products or services from you in a while, and you're sincerely concerned". Ask them outright reason for not doing business with you. This simple and sincere approach will immediately create a bond of trust between you and your client. Not only are you proving that you care about their well-being, you're opening the lines of communication to invite their constructive critique and value their feedback. And if you discover that they did face a problem, you have the perfect opportunity to apologize, acknowledge and make things right.

Once you've pulled up those inactive names on your computer, the next step is to reestablish contact, communicate with them.

Tools you can use to reestablish relationship with lost customers

1. Social Media Channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.
2. Paid re-marketing campaigns on Facebook.
3. Loyalty and referral programs.
4. Push notifications or SMS campaign.
5. Targeted re-engagement email campaigns.
6. And many more...

Reactivation email campaigns are the effective way of winning back lost customers if done well. These are series of targeted and personalized emails you send to your inactive customers.

1. Invented by Dean Jackson from I love marketing, the 10 word email to revive dead leads and re-engage customers. e.g. “Hi [First Name], Are you still looking for ___ (enter what you sell in 2 words)?” And that’s it. Short and simple. Some examples of this are:
   • “Are you still looking at increasing your website traffic?”
   • “Are you still interested in strengthening home security?”
   • “Are you still looking to have your home repaired?”
   • “Are you still considering buying a new laptop?”
2. Hello Emails - People forget. A simple "hello" email will remind customers you exist.
3. Miss You Emails - Customers want to feel recognized, appreciated. Miss you emails make them special and re-build the link.
• We miss you
• Need help?
• Haven't seen you for a while
• Concerned about you, is everythign ok?
• Did we do something wrong>
4. Incentive or Offer Emails - These emails offer an incentive to return and buy again. Discount, Savings, Free etc.
• We have discounted your favorite (product category)
• Save 10% on your next (product category) order
• Free shipping for your next order
• Concerned about you, is everythign ok?
• "Preferred Customer" offers

Are you doing everything possible to win customers back? Klick Digital can be helpful in terms of communication between you and your inactive clients Contact us to design your next re-activation marketing campaign.