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How B2B Companies Can Win Back Customers They've Lost

By: Frank V. Cespedes and León Poblete
  • Format:Electronic
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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

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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About The Author

Frank V. Cespedes

Entrepreneurial Management
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  • Building Brand Engagement: Lessons from NFTs and Collectibles By: Frank V. Cespedes and Ben Plomion
  • Aphro Beverages By: Frank V. Cespedes
  • Belden and Digital Transformation: From Product Sales to Solutions Sales By: Frank V. Cespedes
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