The overlooked power of reactivation: Why ‘old’ leads and existing customers are your best asset

We’ve covered this topic before, but because it’s so important, we’re going again…

There’s something I’ve noticed over the years: businesses are obsessed with ‘new’. New leads, new customers, new markets and new opportunities that promise growth if you just push hard enough.

But in that constant chase, something unintentionally gets forgotten. And that’s the people who already know who you are. They might be the prospects you had a good conversation with but weren’t ready, or the customers who bought from you, got value, and then drifted away because life moved on.

Most companies treat these people as if their interest came with a sell-by date. If they didn’t convert quickly, they must no longer be interested. But that’s not how real people work.

Leads don’t go cold, they just go cold for now. And ‘for now’ is a very different thing. People step away for all kinds of reasons, possibly timing, capacity, unexpected fires in the business, budget cycles, leadership changes and so on. It may have absolutely nothing to do with you or the quality of your offering. And when their circumstances shift back, they don’t reset to zero. They remember who you are and what you talked about. There’s already a foundation; it’s just that nobody ever checked back in.

The cost of ignoring what you already have

Whenever I look under the hood of a business that’s anxious about the pipeline, it’s rarely the sales or marketing plan that surprises me. Most often it’s the CRM. Or more accurately, the forgotten treasure chest inside it.

Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people who once showed interest are now just… abandoned.

Left untouched while the organisation runs louder campaigns, spends more money, and burns more energy trying to attract brand-new attention.

But here’s the truth: those people cost a LOT to acquire. Letting them slip away isn’t just inefficient, it’s genuinely wasteful. So, reactivation isn’t a last-resort move - it’s one of the most sustainable, cost-effective, and human ways to grow. You don’t need to shout louder all the time, you just need to remember the conversations you already started. You will be amazed at how many of those conversations can be picked up again with a simple, sincere message.

Behaviours not tactics

When I talk about reactivation, people often picture some automated email sequence that reeks of desperation and that’s not what moves people. What works is far simpler and far more human. It’s simply restarting a relationship that never fully ended.

It could be a thoughtful note about something you discussed months ago or a useful resource that relates to a challenge they once mentioned. Or just a genuine check-in that feels like a person talking to a person.

Past customers tend to respond even better. They’ve already trusted you once and know your values. A well-timed check-in can open the door to opportunities you never expected.

Most sales teams massively underestimate how often past customers think, ‘I’ve been meaning to get back in touch,’ but simply haven’t had the nudge.

3 key thing to focus on If you want this to work for you:

1. Keep your CRM alive.
   A CRM is not an archive. Don’t treat it that way and reactivation can become a natural part of how you work.
2. Reach out with relevance.
   People don’t want generic check-ins, they want to feel remembered. Reactivation only works when it feels like continuity, not intrusion.
3. Treat it like a relationship, not pipeline filler.
   If you’re only reaching out because you need numbers, don’t bother. If you reach out because you actually value the connection, the contact will feel it and it’ll work better.

These are behaviours rather than tactics. 

Reactivation is really about remembering who’s already in your world

Most businesses spend far too much energy chasing strangers. It’s an odd habit, but an easy one to change. When you stop seeing your database as a graveyard of ‘old leads’ and start seeing it as a community you haven’t spoken to in a while, it feels different.

The best opportunities might not be out there somewhere in the ether. They might already be at your fingertips, waiting for you to say, ‘hey, how’s things?’

How Disruptive Thinking can help

This approach sits right at the heart of how we work at Disruptive Thinking. We’re not interested in piling more noise, more tools or more complexity onto your business. Growth doesn’t come from frantic activity, it comes from clarity and consistency.

We help businesses:

• Make sense of the chaos inside their CRM and uncover the value that’s already there
• Build simple, meaningful rhythms for reconnecting with old leads and past customers
• Develop messaging that sounds like a human, not a funnel
• Create growth that feels healthy, sustainable and honest, not frantic

Get in touch if you’d like some help - email me at yiuwin@hellodisruptive.com