Stop the Churn Band-Aid: The Real Fix for Retention

Most companies think they’re proactive about churn, but they’re not.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you don’t have a defined renewal engagement model, you’re reacting. Even if you’re “watching the health score” or “keeping an eye on the account,” you’re still showing up too late.

The real fix for churn starts long before the red flag. It starts with a purposeful, structured renewal lifecycle engagement model.

When Churn Prevention Is Just Churn Reaction

I’ve seen this in action across companies that truly believed they had proactive CS strategies. They monitored NPS. They tracked product adoption. They had QBRs on the calendar.

But when the renewal came around? They scrambled.

There was no defined renewal phase.

No specific roles or responsibilities.

No differentiated communication strategy.

They were flying blind - and in reality most companies are.

If you don’t know what your renewal phase looks like, when it starts, and what data informs your decisions in that phase, face it - you’re not proactive - you’re just better at reacting.

Why It Matters

Without a structured renewal lifecycle, you miss the chance to:

• Shape executive alignment before pricing becomes the topic.

• Collect meaningful customer sentiment, like likelihood to renew, before it’s too late.

• Activate the right roles, communications, and customer touchpoints early enough to influence the outcome.

Most churn strategies fail because they’re too little, too late.

What To Do: Build the Renewal Lifecycle

1. Start at the Renewal Date and Work Backwards

   Your renewal phase isn’t when the first quote gets sent. It starts 12-18 months before the contract end date in most B2B SaaS environments. Map your renewal phase by asking:

   • When does it start?

   • What are the key moments of truth?

   • What customer data should you track in this phase?

   
   

2. Define Specific Roles, Responsibilities, and Communication Plans

   You need a unique operating rhythm, automated reminders and milestones that are tied specifically to renewal. During the renewal phase:

   • Who owns executive engagement?

   • Who drives health scoring and sentiment tracking?

   • What differentiated communications are sent? (This isn’t your standard lifecycle messaging.)

   
   

3. Celebrate the Renewal and Use It to Drive Advocacy

   Stop treating renewals like paperwork. The renewal is a moment of truth, a moment of success to celebrate and a chance to reinforce customer value, deepen trust, and activate advocacy. You should be asking:

   • How are we celebrating this milestone?

   • How can we leverage this success to drive peer storytelling, reviews, or case studies?

Quick Win: Start This Week

Document your renewal lifecycle - start by asking yourself: Are we doing anything different starting 12-18 months out from the renewal date? If not, you’re likely missing opportunities to influence the outcome proactively.

Key Takeaways

• Churn prevention starts at the renewal date and works backwards.

• Proactive renewal requires purpose-built processes, roles, and communications.

• Without a defined renewal engagement model, even "proactive" teams are still reactive.

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

👉 Follow Xina on LinkedIn for more real-talk CX and CS strategy.

👉 Subscribe to the blog at cspillars.com for weekly insights you can actually use.