[ANTI-CHURN GUIDE] Losing a 36k Project Became 327k

When you stay well-connected with your clients, even if you lose a project, you can still win. That’s how losing a $36k deal ended up making me $327k.

What I want to share with you is an invisible strategy:

It’s not about a new funnel.
It’s not about a new ad model.
And believe it or not, it’s not about a new offer.

The truth is, maintaining strong relationships with my clients brought me incredible results in referrals, even when the projects themselves didn’t go well.

Here’s one example that stood out:

A CEO in the manufacturing space had to cancel our project because his company couldn’t convert leads and his sales process was a mess.

Still, I kept in touch with him.

Months later, he referred us to a client 10X larger than his own company.

At the end of the day, we lost a $30k contract but gained one worth $300k.

I would take that trade any time.

After that, I started asking myself why this happened. Here’s what I found:

1) Stay Present:

CEOs, founders, directors, they’re all extremely busy. Still, it’s critical to stay present in their lives. That could mean a quick WhatsApp message, a call once a month, or even once a week.

2) Be Genuinely Interested:

Don’t spend calls talking only about yourself or your project.

Ask more than you talk.

Get curious about the real challenges they’re facing.

3) Spend 80% of the Time Breaking the Ice

If you have the rapport, talk about anything and everything.

The more time you spend on light topics, the smoother the serious conversations will be.

Relaxed and fun conversations build trust.

4) Show the Work

Whether in regular meetings or even during a cancellation, always show that you’ve been working hard. Demonstrate care for results. Propose solutions for problems outside of your immediate scope.

Show you’re invested in solving real challenges.

5) Exit Like a King

At the end of the day, strong relationships save weak projects.

Not because they work miracles, but because they come back to reward you in the future.

In short: accelerate your AI projects, don’t be afraid to sell to big companies, and make friends along the way.

Hope this was useful to you.🤙

Best,

Enrico Mkoa

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P.S. I’m new here and not sure if this type of post is valuable or if anyone’s interested.

My goal is to share as much as I’ve learned and connect with great people.

When I post, it sometimes feels like I’m speaking into the void.