#16 - The Winback Flow

We all know not to do it.

We’ve went thru the fallout, the ugly sobbing, and now after a girls night out…

Hmm… Maybe he wasn’t that bad after all (que the collective exasperated sighs of your girlfriends).

Today, we’re going to be talking about the Winback flow - where you convince your customers to ‘please come back’, after not purchasing for some time (usually 60 - 90 days).

Winback Flow - Key Considerations

• What’s the best offer you can put out (note: best offer ≠ cheapest, but what makes the most sense for your customer. This is going to be one of your last swings, so swing hard)

• What’s the customer repeat rate (useful if you products with recurring subscriptions like supplements, beauty, household supplies)

• What are the reasons my customer is not coming back (and can I use humor/respond to ‘bad reviews’/objection handle in my emails to get them to come back)

• Did my customer face any fulfillment issues (this one is impt - if yes make sure you delay your flow by x days/months based on how far back the backorders are)

Best Practices/Examples

You’re going to be filtering for customers who placed an order from your store but didn’t make another purchase in the last X days (typically 2 - 3 months).

Email Pillar 1: Being Human

Sometimes we just get busy. Remind them of the benefits/reasons why they initially purchased, as well as what they were trying to ‘get away’ from (eg: acne cream for acne, fat burner to lose weight, supplements to not fall sick).

Also, a nice touch to ask about email scheduling - would they like to receive less emails to feel less overwhelmed?

Often, it can be what’s needed to get them re-engaged, as well as the subsequent purchase.

Email Pillar 2: Big Convincing Offer

Again, big offer doesn’t have to mean big discount.

Hypothetical exaggerated example here, but let’s say the ‘average’ customer purchases a 3 seater sofa every 3 months.

Would a 10% discount make sense? Or would a white-glove custom delivery service where they make sure everything fits right be more enticing?

You’ll need to do a little bit of ‘shoe-wearing’.

Email Pillar 3: What’s Complementary/New

When everyone is zigging, zag.

If they don’t want to buy the same product, why not offer them something that would complement their product?

Create dynamic blocks to show recommendations based on that (guide here).

For single product stores, this could come in the form of how your product has improved since its first iteration, as well as reasons why they should upgrade (think iPhone).

Take a look at some examples below 👇

• Discount treat (you might even want to explore upgrading the discount the further they get into the flow)

• Making your customers decide/cleaning the list

• Or even using it as a replenishment flow

And that’s a wrap!

Now if you don’t mind me, I’m going back to Friends - where ‘breakups’ are actually hilarious (I can’t believe Joey’s dealbreaker was no sharing of food 😂)

Have a great weekend!