I’ve rebuilt churned enterprise accounts more times than I can comfortably admit — and each win taught me something repeatable about re-engagement. If you’re managing renewals or responsible for account resurrection, you don’t need a miracle playbook: you need a precise, human 5-touch comeback sequence that treats the lost account like a high-value experiment, not a lost cause.

Why a 5-touch sequence (and why it works)

Enterprise churn isn’t usually about a single event. It’s a trail of small frictions: poor onboarding, executive alignment that didn’t happen, unmet expectations, or a product gap. A short, consistent sequence gives you multiple angles to reframe value, rebuild trust, and surface decision-makers who still care.

I use five deliberate touches because it balances persistence with respect for the buyer’s time. Too few touches and you haven’t proven the business case. Too many and you look desperate. Each touch has a distinct purpose — from curiosity to value exchange to executive alignment — and a clear CTA that moves the account toward a renewal conversation.

The 5-touch comeback sequence

Below is the sequence I run when I decide an enterprise account is worth attempting to win back. Timing depends on contract cadence and the reason for churn, but a typical cadence is 7–10 days between touches over ~35 days.

Touch Channel Goal Example CTA
1 — Reconnect with insight Email (personal, from exec or AM) Open the door with a relevant insight; remind them you understand their context “Can I share a 15-minute observation that’s specific to [Company]?”
2 — Tactical value Direct message + shared asset (LinkedIn/InMail) Deliver immediate tactical value they can use without your product “A quick playbook we used to cut onboarding time by 30% — interested?”
3 — Proof & social Case study + customer reference (email) Show measurable outcomes from a similar client “Here’s how Company X regained 18% ARR through feature Y. Want a short brief?”
4 — Executive alignment Phone / video from Head of Customer / Sales Leader Re-establish sponsor-level alignment and address commercial concerns “Can we block 20 minutes to align on what a successful renewal looks like?”
5 — The tailored proposal Email + follow-up call Present a short, tailored re-onboarding and pricing offer with clear KPIs “Here’s a 90-day plan and a pilot pricing option to prove impact in 60 days.”

What I include in each touch

Details matter. Here’s how I craft each message so it’s not another “we miss you” template.

  • Touch 1 — Reconnect with insight: A one-paragraph email that references a recent market development or public signal from their company (funding round, leadership change, product launch). Keep it about them. Offer a single tiny ask: “May I share a 15-minute observation?”
  • Touch 2 — Tactical value: Share a downloadable short playbook (2–3 pages) or a checklist that addresses a common pain you suspect they have. For example, “3 steps to reduce time-to-value for X team.” This is non-commercial — you’re giving away something useful to rebuild credibility.
  • Touch 3 — Proof & social: Send a brief one-pager case study and offer a reference call. Use numbers: ARR recovered, retention uplift, implementation time. If possible, include a quote from a named customer.
  • Touch 4 — Executive alignment: This is where a senior voice matters. The call should be framed as collaborative: “We want to ensure our work drives the KPIs you own.” Avoid product demos; focus on success criteria and barriers — and ask about budget cycles, exec sponsors and timing.
  • Touch 5 — Tailored proposal: Deliver a concise document (1–2 pages) with a clear 90-day plan, a financial rationale (ROI or payback period), and a low-risk pricing option (pilot, milestone payments, money-back SLA). Include success metrics and a rollback plan to remove fear.

    • Templates I use (short snippets)

    Use these starter lines and adapt them to your voice:

  • Reconnect email subject: “Quick observation for [Company] on [topic]”
  • Reconnect body: “I noticed [signal] and thought you might find this short note useful. I’ve helped teams facing [specific problem] reduce [metric] by [X%]. If you’re open, I can share a 15-minute observation customized to [Company].”
  • Tactical value message: “A short checklist that has helped peers reduce [time/cost] — no commitment needed. If this is useful, I’ll follow up with one concrete idea for [Company].”
  • Executive call ask: “Our Head of Customer, [Name], would like 20 minutes to align on measurable outcomes we can commit to if we re-engage. Are you available next Tuesday?”
  • Proposal opener: “Attached is a 90-day plan and pilot offer designed to produce [specific KPI] within 60 days. If this looks interesting, we can get signoff from both sides and start a light re-onboarding.”

    • KPIs and how I measure success

    When trying to win back churned enterprise accounts, I track a short list of KPIs that map to stages of the funnel. These help me decide whether to escalate or close the recovery attempt.

  • Engagement rate: % of accounts that respond to Touch 1.
  • Value downloads: % who download/open the playbook (Touch 2).
  • Reference/Case acceptance: % who request the case study or reference (Touch 3).
  • Executive meeting held: % who agree to Touch 4.
  • Win rate: % who accept the pilot/proposal (Touch 5).
  • Time to revenue: Days from sequence start to pilot revenue or signed contract.

    • I typically aim for at least a 15% win rate on targeted churned accounts when the sequence is executed well. If it’s below 5% after 30 accounts, I re-evaluate messaging, pricing or the segment itself.

    Common objections and how I handle them

    There are predictable objections. I prepare scripts and options so we never make the buyer solve the problem for us.

  • “We already moved on”: Acknowledge, then offer a low-effort value exchange: “Totally — can I send a one-page that’d help your new provider get to value faster?” This reduces friction and keeps a door open.
  • “We don’t have budget”: Present a pilot with outcomes-based billing or deferred payments. Show how early wins fund the next phase.
  • “We had poor service”: Own it, share what changed (team/process/SLAs), and propose a short governance cadence to rebuild trust: weekly check-ins, success metrics, and a customer advocate.
  • “Not the right timing”: Use the executive call to map the internal timeline and identify the real decision-makers. If timing is the issue, negotiate a small proof-of-concept that can be done asynchronously.

    • Examples from the field

    One of my favourite wins came from an account that churned after a failed pilot — they cited slow onboarding. I ran this sequence, but for Touch 2 I offered a specific checklist: “5 steps to onboard your procurement team in a week.” Touch 4 was led by our CCO who committed to an 8-week SLA and weekly executive reviews. We offered a performance-based refund if the onboarding KPIs weren’t met. They signed a pilot, hit the KPIs in 45 days, and renewed for 18 months.

    Another case: a global retailer churned when a competing vendor undercut them. Rather than match price, we rebuilt the commercial case: a 60-day pilot that proved unit economics improved enough to cover the cost difference. The tailored proposal included a clause to scale pricing with usage — giving them flexibility and removing long-term risk.

    If you want, I can share a copy of the one-page proposal template I use and a short playbook for onboarding acceleration. Or, if you prefer, tell me one specific barrier you face with churned accounts and I’ll sketch a tailored touch sequence for that scenario.