They left. It happens. But here's what most MSPs don't realize: a significant percentage of churned clients will come back — if you stay in touch and time your outreach right. The key is understanding why they left and watching for the moment when their situation changes.
of churned customers will return if you stay in touch and ask
Source: Marketing Metrics
Why Clients Leave
Understanding the "why" shapes the "how" of your reactivation approach:
Found cheaper
They went with a lower-cost competitor. They may regret it when service quality suffers or hidden costs emerge.
Had issues
Something went wrong — response time, communication, a botched project. This may be fixable if you've addressed the underlying problem.
New decision maker, acquisition, moved
Circumstances changed. New leadership brought their own vendor. Company was acquired. They relocated out of your service area.
Needed something you didn't offer
They needed capabilities beyond your scope at the time. But do you offer those services now?
Hired IT staff
Decided to bring IT in-house. This often fails within 12-18 months when they realize one person can't do it all, or that person leaves.
Pro Tip
The Reactivation Window
Timing matters. The sweet spot for reactivation outreach is 6-18 months post-churn:
- →Long enough for them to experience the alternative and potentially be disappointed
- →Short enough that they still remember you and the relationship hasn't gone completely cold
The competitor honeymoon: Most vendor relationships look great for the first 6 months. Then reality sets in — response times slip, promises aren't kept, hidden costs emerge. That's when your window opens.
Don't reach out at 30 days (too soon, they're still in honeymoon phase). Don't wait 3 years (they've forgotten you). The 6-18 month window is optimal.
Trigger Events for Reactivation
Beyond time-based outreach, watch for these trigger events that create natural reactivation opportunities:
Their new provider has issues
Public breach, outage, or bad press. "I saw what happened with [provider]. Just wanted to check in and see how you're handling it."
They post IT job listings
If they went internal, job posts for IT roles signal struggle. Their IT person may have quit, or they realized one person isn't enough.
Leadership change
New CEO, new COO, new office manager. New leadership often reassesses vendors. The person who chose your competitor may be gone.
Acquisition/merger
Company changes hands. Everything is being reassessed. IT decisions are back on the table.
Growth signals
Funding, new locations, hiring sprees. Growth strains whatever IT setup they have. Their current solution may not scale.
Compliance deadlines
New regulations, insurance requirements, industry standards. If their current provider can't help, you have an opening.
Set up alerts for your past clients: LinkedIn changes, news mentions, job postings. These triggers create warm, relevant reasons to reach out.
The Reactivation Campaign
A simple 3-touch sequence for reactivating past clients:
Touch 1: The Check-In (No Pitch)
Subject: Hope things are going well Hey [Name], It's been about [X months] since we worked together. Just wanted to check in and see how things are going with [new situation/provider]. No agenda - genuinely curious how it's working out. [Your Name]
Why it works: Genuine, no pressure, opens the door without pushing through it.
Touch 2: The Value Add (2 weeks later)
Subject: Thought of you Hey [Name], Saw this [article/news/update about their industry] and thought of you given [specific context]. [Brief insight or summary] Hope it's useful. Still here if you ever need anything. [Your Name]
Why it works: Provides value without asking for anything. Keeps you top of mind.
Touch 3: The Soft Open (2 weeks later)
Subject: Quick question Hey [Name], Working on [relevant service/solution] for a few clients in [their industry] and remembered you had [specific challenge/situation]. If things have changed on your end and you're ever looking at options again, happy to chat. No pressure either way. [Your Name]
Why it works: Creates an opening without desperation. Easy to respond to either way.
The "We've Changed" Campaign
If they left for a fixable reason — service issues, missing capabilities, poor communication — and you've genuinely addressed it, you can run a "we've changed" campaign:
Subject: Things have changed here Hey [Name], I know we had some challenges when we worked together, specifically around [acknowledge the issue honestly]. Since then, we've [specific changes you've made - new processes, new team members, new tools, new services]. I'm not asking for a second chance - just wanted you to know that we took the feedback seriously and made real changes. If you're ever evaluating options again, I'd be happy to show you what's different. But no pressure - I understand if the ship has sailed. [Your Name]
"Customers whose problems are resolved quickly and effectively often become more loyal than customers who never had a problem in the first place."
Pro Tip
What NOT to Do
Do This
- Reach out with genuine curiosity about how things are going
- Provide value without expecting anything in return
- Watch for trigger events that create natural openings
- Acknowledge past issues honestly if relevant
- Offer low-risk re-entry (assessment, project) rather than full commitment
Avoid This
- Bash their current provider (makes you look petty)
- Sound desperate (desperation kills deals)
- Pretend you don't know why they left (they remember)
- Offer huge discounts (devalues your service)
- Reach out too soon (let them experience the alternative)
- Give up after one attempt (reactivation takes multiple touches)
Key Takeaways
- ✓20-40% of churned clients will return if you stay in touch and time your outreach right.
- ✓The optimal reactivation window is 6-18 months post-churn — long enough to experience the alternative, short enough to remember you.
- ✓Watch for trigger events: competitor issues, IT job postings, leadership changes, growth signals.
- ✓Use a 3-touch sequence: check-in, value add, soft open — no desperation, no bashing the competition.
- ✓If you left on bad terms and have genuinely improved, the "we've changed" campaign can rebuild trust.