New client or a regular who comes back: which pays off more?
In a small business it's easy to focus only on new clients: Instagram photos, ads, first-visit discounts. Meanwhile your client list holds hundreds of people who have already trusted you once. This article shows how to work out what they're worth, and why it pays to get back to them before you spend more money on ads.
Sławomir Kwaśny
Cold to Close
What a new client costs
Work it out for your own business: how much you spent last quarter on ads, promoted posts, discounts for new clients and time spent on quotes that never became a job. Divide that by the number of new clients. The result can be higher than you expect - especially once you add your own hours.
On top of that, a new client doesn't know you. They compare prices, ask about the details, need more time to decide. That's normal - it just has to go into the calculation.
What a regular client brings
They know your work and know what to expect. You don't have to win them over from scratch. And their car often needs another visit: a ceramic coating needs a service, PPF needs an inspection, paint needs a proper wash after winter. In a workshop there are oil changes, tyres and air conditioning before summer. For an installation company, the yearly air-conditioner service.
Each of these visits is a job you don't have to fight the competition for. As long as someone reminds the client about it.
Why clients don't come back
Not always because they were unhappy. Often nobody simply reminded them it was time for a service. And when they remember on their own, they type the service into Google and may end up with someone else.
Work out what you lose on the ones who don't come back
- 1Pull out a list of clients from the last two years - from invoices, your calendar or your phone.
- 2Mark the ones who are due another visit: coating service, film inspection, seasonal wash.
- 3Check how many of them came back.
- 4Multiply the number who didn't come back by the average value of that visit.
Example: 300 clients with a coating, of whom 60 came back. If a coating service costs EUR 95 at your place, the 240 clients who didn't come back add up to EUR 22,800 in jobs nobody went after. Not everyone will come back after a reminder. But everyone who does come back comes back without any ad.
How to remind clients so they come back
Short and specific, at the right moment: when a year has passed since the coating, or when the film is due for an inspection. No pushy promotions - rather a note that it's time for a service, with a suggested date.
One important thing: you can only send messages like this to clients who agreed to be contacted. If you don't collect that consent yet, start now, for example when you hand the car back. Before you message your whole list, check the consents with a lawyer.
If you don't have time to keep track of it: the system sends a reminder when a client's coating or film needs a service. Only to clients who agreed to it, and they can opt out with one word.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't a message to a past client pushy?
Not if it's rare and specific. A reminder that the coating is due for a service is about something the client needs. Weekly promotions for no reason are what's pushy.
My client list is in Excel and on my phone. Is that enough?
To start with, yes. What matters is that every client has the date of their last service and a note on whether they agreed to be contacted. We'll sort out the rest at the start.
How many clients will come back after a reminder?
Nobody can honestly promise that up front - it depends on your list, your trade and how long ago clients were last in. After the first few weeks you'll see it in the weekly SMS with your numbers.
Is this a one-off campaign?
No. Each client gets a reminder when their coating or film needs a service, not everyone at once, once a year.
How much is it?
We work out the price on the 15-minute call, for your city and services, before you sign anything.
Let's see how much you're leaking
15 minutes on the phone. We'll work out how much is leaking at your place, and at the end you'll see on your own phone what a client gets when nobody picks up.
Book 15 minutes