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How to Win Back Cold Leads and Past Customers

Simple outreach campaigns to reactivate leads who never booked and customers who haven't called in a while.

What You'll Need

Steps

1

Make a list of people to contact

Gather your cold leads and dormant customers.

  • Cold leads: People who got quotes but never booked
  • Past customers: Haven't hired you in 6+ months
  • Check your texts, CRM, and invoices
  • Start with 10-20 people
Tip: Past customers are gold — they already trust you. Reaching out is easy revenue.
2

Create a reactivation message for cold leads

Use ChatGPT to write a 'checking in' message.

  • Go to chat.openai.com
  • Type: 'Write a short, friendly text to follow up with someone who got a quote from my [trade] business 2 months ago but never booked. Keep it casual, not salesy.'
  • Example output: 'Hey [Name], this is Mike from [Business]. Wanted to check in — still need help with that [project]? Happy to answer any questions or re-quote if things have changed. No pressure either way!'
3

Create a message for past customers

Remind them you exist and offer value.

  • Prompt: 'Write a friendly text to a past customer I haven't heard from in 6 months. I'm a [trade] business. Remind them I'm available and mention seasonal relevance if applicable.'
  • Example: 'Hey [Name]! Hope you're doing well. Just wanted to check in — if you need any [service] help this season, I'd love to work with you again. Let me know!'
Tip: Timing matters — reach out before their busy season (spring for landscaping, winter for HVAC, etc.)
4

Send the messages

Personal texts work better than mass blasts.

  • Personalize each message with their name
  • Reference the specific job or quote if you remember it
  • Send via text — higher response rate than email
  • Space them out (don't send 20 texts in 5 minutes)
5

Track responses and follow up

Some won't respond — that's normal.

  • Expect 10-20% response rate
  • Reply quickly to anyone who responds
  • No response after a week? One more message, then move on
  • Add responders back to your active pipeline

You're Done!

You just reached out to dormant contacts! Expect 10-20% to convert into jobs.

Pro Tips

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