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Ken Chang
Ken Chang

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The One Metric Most Startups Ignore (Hint: It’s Free)

Customer retention costs 5x less than acquisition, yet most founders obsess over new leads. Here’s how to fix it:

  • Personalized Follow-Ups: After a purchase, send a handwritten thank-you note (yes, snail mail!) or a personalized discount for their next order. Tools like Mailchimp automate this affordably.

  • Upsell with Value: Instead of pushing random products, recommend add-ons that actually complement their purchase (e.g., “Customers who bought X also loved Y”).

  • Fix Churn Fast: Survey customers who leave with one open-ended question: “What’s one thing we could’ve done better?” You’ll uncover gold.

Example: A local bookstore increased repeat sales by 20% just by texting customers about new arrivals in genres they’d bought before.

What’s your retention secret?

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