The right winback email can be an extremely effective way to re-engage inactive customers.
The problem you might be experiencing is trying to figure out how exactly to create that winning winback email.
Well, if that’s you, today you’re in luck.
Because today, I’m going to give you an example you can rewrite and reimagine for your own purposes.
But first, I have a question for you: How many times do you think the same story can be told effectively?
The answer just might surprise you.
Plus, understanding the answer will show you the incredible value of the letter you’re about to see.
The Many, Many Adaptations of The Prince and the Pauper
In 1881, Mark Twain’s novel The Prince and the Pauper was published in Canada.
It was later published in the U.S. in 1882.
Within Twain’s lifetime, the story was adapted into a stage play.
But I don’t think Twain could ever have imagined how popular and long-lasting his story would become.
Believe it or not, over the 141 years since The Prince and the Pauper was first published, it has been adapted 35 times.
The adaptions have ranged from other plays to comic books, films, TV shows, and even video games. Some have been direct or faithful adaptions like the 2000 film of the same name.
Other adaptations have been loose adaptations like the 2011 film Monte Carlo (starring Selena Gomez) or the CGI musical adaption Barbie Princess Adventure (2020).
Why am I talking about The Prince and the Pauper?
Because I want you to see that some themes and types of content have a lasting impact. That means that they can be effectively used over and over again.
That’s good news.
Because that means you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
All you have to do is reimagine the original theme.
Today, I’m going to show you a letter that one business used 100 years ago to successfully re-engage, or winback, their inactive customers.
The basic theme you’re about to see can easily be used to create your own winback email that can help you to re-engage your inactive customers.
Before I show you the letter, I want you to see the results that this letter got. Why?
Because when you see the results, you’ll be even more convinced to pay close attention to this letter.
The Incredible Results of a 100-Year-Old B2B Winback Letter
The letter was mailed in 1922 to just 425 customers who had stopped buying.
And here are the amazing results that one letter produced:
- It brought in 32 direct orders amounting to $1,092 ($18,122.13 in 2022).
- It brought in 15 payments of small past-due accounts totaling $789 ($13,093.74 in 2022).
- It brought 103 answers from B2B customers saying that they would order more gloves as soon as their stock ran down.
- That’s already a 35% response rate. But wait, there’s more…
- 32 said poor business (on their part) was the only reason for not ordering.
- And they received 9 answers with specific complaints.
That’s amazing, isn’t it?
Are you ready to see the letter itself?
Good. I’ll show it to you and then reveal some lessons that you can learn from it and apply to your own re-engagement email.
The Successful Re-Engagement Letter
Below is the original letter.
See how many lessons you can learn from it before you take a look at the eight lessons that I’m about to reveal to you.
8 Lessons You Can Learn from This Letter
Let’s look more closely at the letter and I will point out eight lessons you can learn from it to create your own winning winback email campaign…
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Gentlemen:
Ever had a good customer suddenly quit buying goods in your store? If so, what did you do? (LESSON 1: With B2B customers, you can and should start in a way that helps to put them in your shoes.)
You waited until you saw him again and then said, frankly: “We haven’t seen you in the store lately, Mr. Jones. What is the matter?”
You went at him STRAIGHT FROM THE SHOULDER in an attempt to find the real reason why he quit you.
Then Mr. Jones probably told you EQUALLY FRANKLY his reasons. If his complaint was a just one and you had made a mistake — we’re none of us perfect — you did your level best to make amends.
This is just the attitude in which I am writing YOU this morning. I can’t see you face to face, but I can TALK with you. (LESSON 2: Be upfront and transparent about the purpose of your email.)
We haven’t had an order from you since last fall, and I would certainly appreciate it if you told me “right out in meeting” WHY NOT. (LESSON 3: Tell them specifically how long it’s been since they’ve purchased from you.)
If any department of this business has failed you, I want to know it.
The fact that this business isn’t PERFECT is surely not due to any lack of effort on our part, or because we aren’t trying to make it so. (LESSON 4: Admit that you/your business isn’t perfect.)
Every season finds us grown out of last year’s clothes — literally so this year, when we had to move into larger quarters.
Every season finds us selling better gloves and working harder WITH our customers to make THEIR sales larger, cleaner, and better. (LESSON 5: Tell your lapsed customers about the new products that you have since they’ve been gone.)
Just put yourself in my place for a minute or so. Turn this sheet over NOW, and answer this letter as you would like to have it answered if you had written it. Don’t mince words. (LESSON 6: Ask for an immediate response.)
Give it to me “hot off the bat.” Enclosed is a stamped envelope to make an answer convenient. (LESSON 7: Provide a link or phone number as a way for them to reply.)
I am looking forward to hearing from you with the keenest interest.
Very sincerely,
FRANCIS T. SIMMONS & COMPANY
P. S. I am enclosing two yellow order blanks. If, as I sincerely hope, nothing whatever is wrong, and you have merely overlooked filling in your stock, these blanks will be an easy way for you to tell us your needs. Any gloves that we send you must please you, your sales people, and your customers, or we do not expect you to keep them.
(LESSON 8: I love this because they’re not afraid to ask for the sale. Remember the great response rate they got and let that give you the boldness and confidence to do the same!)
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Now, it’s your turn.
Take this basic template and add your own twist and style to it.
8 Steps to a Winning Winback Email
To get you started, I’ve listed the 8 lessons or steps below to make it easier for you to write your winning email to re-engage your former customers.
- Start your email in a way that helps to put them in your shoes.
- Be upfront and transparent about the purpose of your email.
- Tell them specifically how long it’s been since they’ve purchased from you.
- Admit that you/your business isn’t perfect.
- Tell your lapsed customers about the new products that you have since they’ve been gone.
- Ask for an immediate response.
- Provide a link or phone number as a way for them to reply.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for the sale.
The only thing left for you to do is to come up with the subject line of your email.
(Maybe you could try a shortened version of the first sentence of the letter?
Subject Line: Ever had a good customer suddenly stop buying?)
Can you do me a favor?
If you test this out, I’d love to hear the results you get.
Keep your eye out for my next article. It’s the last article on the 11th marketing fundamental and it will reveal…
6 Powerful Ways to Win Back Former Customers.
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