One thing is sure in sales – You can’t convert every prospect to customers. You will win some and lose some. That is because not all customers will find whatever you are selling appealing. But sometimes, with the right strategy, you can win your lost customers back. Here are the 5 subtle arts of winning back lost customers;
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#1. Consider Why the Customers Left
One of the arts of winning back lost customers is considering why the customer left in the first place. Once you know why your customer left, it’s easier to win them back.
But remind yourself that some customers may not be salvageable. If you identify these customers early enough, you will spend the time and effort trying to win them back on something better.
Most times, customers may leave if there’s a misalignment between their expectations and your offering. That is why it’s important to reach out to the customers who left and ask them to give you honest feedback.
From their feedback, you can point out why they leave, how you can win them back, and what you can do to prevent more customers from going in the future.
But generally, here are some of the possible reasons why your customers left;
- Your product fails to meet the customers’ expectations
- You are not engaging them enough.
- They aren’t getting any value from your products or services.
- Competitors’ perceived value is more appealing than yours.
- Your customer service is poor.
- You don’t provide multi-channel support.
- You ignore negative feedback.
#2. Adapt Your Offer
Sometimes, your customers may be leaving because your competitors are enticing them with better offers. The offer could be a better-perceived value or low price; try to know why your customers are leaving.
And once you realize that it has to do with your offer, adapt it immediately. It’s one of the arts of winning back lost customers.
Review your offer, if possible, reduce the price, increase the value of your product or services, and reposition them strategically in the market.
Most times, adjusting the way you present your offer could make it more appealing and possibly attract some of the customers that left.
Here are some tips to help you improve your offer and possibly win back your lost customers;
- Review your product portfolio before you decide to improve your offer
- Be current about changes in your industry.
- Think of how you can expand the existing offer
- Complement the offer to make it more valuable.
- Provide additional value to your customers.
- Reconsider how you sell and who you sell to.
- Ask your customers and suppliers for their honest feedback.
- If possible, expand into new sales channels.
- Create a continuous feedback process.
#3. Accept Responsibility and Apologize
One of the arts of winning back lost customers is to accept responsibility and apologize. It doesn’t matter whether you are right or wrong; the most important thing is to apologize. After all, customers are always right.
Trying to shift the blame of whatever makes a customer dissatisfied will only make things worse. But when you accept responsibility and apologize, you give them the confidence to keep using your products or services.
Every customer wants to be treated specially. And if your customer support team treats customers with the utmost respect, they will always come back for repeat business.
Here are ways to make the customer feel confident of doing business with you again;
- Focus on the way forward rather than blaming someone else for the problem.
- Identify the things you have control over and improve them immediately.
- Don’t argue with the customer, and try not to take it personally.
- Make the customer feel calm and confident about your service again.
#4. Don’t Send in a Newbie
If you are trying to win back lost customers, always send experienced salespeople or marketers to engage them.
Sending a newbie to discuss with a customer who already has a negative impression of your company would only make things worse.
So, one of the arts of winning back lost customers is to send a member of the management or someone who has dealt with the customer in the past to deliver the win-back sales pitch.
Experienced salespeople or marketers always find a way to resolve issues with customers. Especially those the company has an existing relationship with.
#5. Make Them Feel Important
Once you realize that one of your customers is leaving, try to make them feel important. It’s one of the arts of winning back lost customers.
Regardless of why they are leaving, do everything within your power to get them back and make them feel they are the only thing that matters.
The desire to feel important is a human instinct. Just think of something special to make the customer feel that your company truly values them. It works like magic.
These are some of the art of winning back lost customers. But these strategies may differ from one organization to another. And it depends on the customers and the reasons they left.
You have to approach each customer differently, understand their situation, and develop strategies to win them back.
In a nutshell, almost every customer can be won back if you apply the right strategy. But there will always be one customer who won’t want to come back regardless of the offer on the table.
Once you identify these customers, don’t waste your time on them. Let them go. After all, you can’t win them all.
