Looking for ways to engage former or inactive customers? Take a stroll through your customer database with the same approach you might take on an evening stroll in your neighborhood as you reconnect with neighbors. Sometimes it really is as simple as by stopping to ask, “What’s new?”

‍Simple? Yes, but overwhelming if you don’t have a plan. Before you hit the phone or the keyboard, prioritize which dormant customers you want to reach, and have a plan as to how you will engage them.

First, whom will you contact? Sort dormant accounts by the size of the opportunity and length of time since your last contact. Decide how many contacts you will reach per day or per week. Now you have a manageable approach to your reconnection effort.

Next, use the “what’s new” approach to expand the Common Ground in your business relationship and determine on what premise you will contact them – either identifying something new with you/your organization (reducing the Unrevealed information for your customer) or expressing interest in something new on their end (reducing your Blind Spot regarding changes they may have experienced). Make a list of new developments/offerings at your organization over the past 12 months. Who on your contact list might be unaware of these updates? Next, do a quick LinkedIn/other search to see if the individual has changed position or organizations. Either change is the perfect reason to make contact.

Sometimes addressing your dormant accounts can feel entering a black hole; but if you segment and prioritize to make the effort manageable, your re-engagement effort (Future Potential) will take on new life with great rewards!