#LapsedCustomers

When you lose a customer the last thing you should do is the first thing most people do…the sand is no place to find a solution..

Lets be honest, it’s a natural response, especially if that client was a major one and pivotal to your business.

If that is the case then maybe you should be thinking about how they got to leave? Could we have found out they were leaving before they did?

Lapsed not Lost…

Once the shock has passed get thinking about what can be done and how to turn this to your advantage. Look at all your lapsed customers..we all have them, show me someone who says they haven’t and I’ll show you a liar…harsh but true.

Get a programme of action that addresses

• Why they left? What was the main issue?
• What do you really think of us? Ask this direct question, sometimes painful but more often illuminating
• Could we have improved? Maybe the service you were offering wasn’t right and needs a tweak..by finding out you are improving product offerings
• What would it take to come back to us? Brave question but a no brainer..you have nothing to lose and many companies that had a relationship with you would like to re establish it.
• Ask if there is anyone they know that might benefit form your service..an easy question that will get you new prospects..it’s a great way to open a conversation  ” Hi person X at company Y suggested that we might be able to help..” what an easy opener..

How to Re Engage?

Combination of Business Social Media and using the weapon of mass discussion, the Telephone..

• For long lost customers use LinkedIn - create a Tag called Lapsed Customers and populate it with connections who are no longer clients
• Message all of them,you can 50 in any one message but make sure you un tick the email box to avoid each seeing the others details
• Send a link to a page that invites them back, a page that looks like it’s been created just for them…powerful way to offer a compelling reason to reconnect
• Put all Lapsed customers into their own Twitter list and start to reconnect with them,re Tweet some of their content, offer help and advice, refer them to others

socialmedia@customeyes-research.co.uk

Tagged as: businessintelligence