Not every former client should be reactivated.

That may sound strange coming from someone who teaches Client Reactivation.

But good business development includes knowing which business you do not want back.

Some relationships were consistently unprofitable.

Some clients were a poor fit for the work.

Sometimes the practice has changed and no longer provides what the former client needs.

And occasionally a relationship consumed so much time and energy that ending it was healthy for both sides.

Reactivation should not mean trying to restore every name in the database.

I would be more interested in former clients who were once a good fit, produced worthwhile business, and left for a reason worth understanding.

There is also an important distinction between learning from a former client and wanting the client back.

I may want to understand exactly why a relationship ended even if I ultimately decide not to restart it.

The information can still improve the business.

So I think of reactivation as two separate questions:

What can we learn from this relationship?

And, only after that:

Would renewing the relationship make sense for both of us?