How B2B Companies Can Win Back Customers They've Lost

Frank V. Cespedes; León  Poblete

Article | Harvard Business Review (website)

How B2B Companies Can Win Back Customers They've Lost

Abstract

Most research and training in sales focus on acquiring new customers. But winning back previous customers is increasingly important: mergers, choice in supply chains, and uncertainty about trade wars mean that B2B customers are constantly re-evaluating relationships with suppliers and making changes. Meanwhile, large buyers account, on average, for over 25% of revenues at publicly traded firms, up from 10% in the 1980s. This article discusses how and why the process for reacquiring lost customers requires a different approach than acquiring new ones and illustrates the process and its implications via a case example.

Keywords: B2B; customer reacquisition; Customer Relationship Management;

Format: Electronic

Citation:

Cespedes, Frank V., and León Poblete. "How B2B Companies Can Win Back Customers They've Lost." Harvard Business Review (website) (June 3, 2019).

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How B2B Companies Can Win Back Customers They've Lost

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