Winback Playbook

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name: winback-playbook
description: "Turn an at-risk or churned account into a save play — root-cause hypothesis, the offer ladder, the outreach sequence, and the honest call on when to let go. Use when asked to save a churning customer, build a win-back plan, re-engage a lost account, or stop a renewal from slipping. Produces the churn diagnosis, a ranked set of save levers, a timed outreach sequence, and the walk-away line so you don't over-invest in an account that's gone."
---

# Win-back Playbook

Most churn saves fail because they lead with a discount before anyone knows *why* the customer is leaving. This starts with the diagnosis — is it value, fit, budget, a champion who left, or a competitor? — then matches the save lever to the cause, sequences the outreach, and sets a walk-away point so a healthy team doesn't burn a month chasing an account that was never coming back.

## What This Skill Produces

- **The churn diagnosis** — the most likely root cause(s), and the evidence for each
- **The save ladder** — levers ranked by cost and fit-to-cause (not "offer 20% off" reflexively)
- **The outreach sequence** — who reaches out, when, with what message
- **The walk-away line** — the signal that says stop, and the graceful close (leave the door open)

## Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:
- **The account** — size (ARR), tenure, product usage trend, and how they're leaving (churned vs at-risk renewal)
- **What you know** — stated reason, support history, champion status, usage drop, competitor mentions
- **Your levers** — what you can actually offer (discount, plan change, roadmap commitment, exec sponsor, services)
- **Economics** — the account's value vs. the cost/effort to save it

## Framework: Diagnose Before You Discount

1. **Find the real cause.** Value not realised, wrong fit, budget cut, champion departed, competitor won, or product gap — each needs a different save.
2. **Match lever to cause.** A discount fixes budget, not value; a champion loss needs a new relationship, not a coupon.
3. **Sequence, don't spray.** Diagnostic call → tailored offer → exec touch, timed to the renewal clock.
4. **Set the walk-away.** Define the "this account is gone" signal in advance so effort is bounded.
5. **Close gracefully either way.** A well-handled loss can return in a year; a desperate one won't.

## Output Format

### Win-back Plan — [account] · [$ARR] · [at-risk / churned]
**Diagnosis:** most likely cause(s), with evidence · **Save odds:** honest read

### Save ladder (ranked)
| Lever | Fixes which cause | Cost/effort | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|

### Outreach sequence
| Day | Who | Channel | Message focus |
|---|---|---|---|

### Walk-away
- Stop if: [signal]. Graceful close: [message that leaves the door open].

## Quality Checks
- [ ] A root-cause diagnosis precedes any offer
- [ ] Each save lever is matched to a specific cause, not applied blanket
- [ ] The sequence is timed to the renewal/churn clock
- [ ] A walk-away signal is defined, with the account's economics behind it
- [ ] The plan is honest about save odds — no false hope
- [ ] The close preserves the relationship if the save fails

## Anti-Patterns
- **Leading with a discount** before diagnosing — trains customers to churn for a deal.
- **One-size outreach** regardless of cause.
- **No walk-away** — a healthy team drained by an unsavable account.
- **Guessing the cause** when you could ask — the diagnostic call is the first step.
- **Burning the relationship** with a desperate final push.

## Example Trigger Phrases
- "Build a win-back plan for a churning enterprise account."
- "This renewal is slipping — help me save it."
- "Re-engage a customer who left for a competitor."
- "Give me a save play and tell me when to walk away."