Why this is the first campaign to run
Every name on the list is a customer you already paid to acquire, who has already used you, and who — in most cases — has simply not thought about you since.
They are not cold. They are not comparing. They just need reminding, and possibly a reason.
For a service business with a couple of hundred past customers and no email programme, this is the single highest-return thing available, and it can run this month.
Why customers go dormant
Almost never dissatisfaction. Usually:
- The problem was fixed and did not recur
- They forgot the company name
- Nobody told them what else you do
- Nobody told them the thing needed doing again
That last one is the big one for maintenance-shaped trades. A homeowner does not know their system needs annual attention unless somebody says so.
The three emails
One — the reminder. Reference when you last worked with them and what you did. No offer. Just a reason to remember you exist, plus what to check at this time of year.
Two — the reason. Why now: it has been a year, the season is starting, the thing you fixed has a service interval. This is where a genuine offer belongs if you have one.
Three — the close. Short, direct, easy to reply to, and easy to opt out of.
Three is generally enough. A dormant list mailed five times produces complaints instead of bookings.
Warming a cold list carefully
If the list has not been emailed in a year or more, do not send to all of it at once. A sudden burst to a list with no recent engagement looks exactly like a compromised account to mail providers, and can land the whole thing in spam.
Send in batches over a few days, starting with the most recent customers, and watch bounces and complaints as you go. This is the part people skip and then blame email for.
What to expect
Some bounces — addresses change. Some unsubscribes, which is fine and healthy. And a response rate that is usually far better than any cold channel, because these people know you.
What to do with the ones who reply
Have a person call them. A reactivation email that produces a reply and then a delay has wasted the interest.
Making it repeatable
Once it works, the same campaign becomes an automatic sequence triggered at twelve months since last service — and then it runs forever without anyone deciding to send it.
Starting
Export your past customers with the date of last service. That file is the campaign.
Frequently asked questions
How many emails should a reactivation campaign have?
Three: a reminder with no offer, a reason to act now, and a short direct close. A dormant list mailed five times produces complaints rather than bookings.
Can I email a list I have not touched in two years?
Yes, but not all at once. Send in batches over a few days, starting with the most recent customers, and watch bounces and complaints. A sudden burst to a dormant list looks like a compromised account to mail providers.
Why do customers go dormant?
Rarely dissatisfaction. Usually the problem was fixed and did not recur, they forgot your name, or nobody told them the thing needs doing again.
What should happen when someone replies?
A person calls them, quickly. A reactivation email that generates interest and then sits unanswered has wasted the only expensive part of the campaign.