How to reconnect with past clients

Every design agency evolves. The work you do now is likely different to what you did a few years ago. Your skills have deepened, your processes improved, and your thinking matured.

But here’s the problem: your past clients might not know this.

They remember the agency they worked with months or years ago—not the one you’ve become. This disconnect means missed opportunities for both of you.

Why past clients are your best prospects

Research shows acquiring a new client costs 5-7 times more than retaining an existing one.

Past clients already:

trust you (they’ve worked with you before)
understand your process (no education needed)
you know the budgets allocated for design (they’ve spent with you previously)

Yet many design agencies focus on chasing new clients while neglecting their most valuable asset—their client history.

Signs your past clients need updating

They refer you for work you no longer want.
They contact you for small projects when you now handle strategic work.
They haven’t engaged you for over 12 months despite having active projects.
They announced new funding.
Launched a new product/service.
Received awards or press coverage.
They increased marketing activity (ads, events, campaigns).
New CEO or founder announced.
Your former contact promoted to decision-maker role.

Practical ways to reconnect with past clients

The coffee catch-up

Sometimes it can be hard to lure a client out of the building but if you can, nothing beats face-to-face conversation. When you spot news or research relevant to a client’s sector, contact a past client and ask them for coffee to share the insights. This positions you as a partner in their industry, not just a service provider.

Can’t get them for a coffee? Email the relevant research or article with a note.

I once had a client we hadn’t heard from in 18 months called us after I mailed(!) them an article about sustainability regulations affecting their industry. They didn’t know we’d developed expertise in that area.

The capability update

Create a simple one-page PDF highlighting your new capabilities and how the fit with changes in their industry. Send it with a personal note: ‘Thought you might be interested in how we are seeing changes in your industry.’

Keep it brief—focus on what’s changed rather than listing everything you do. Sounds simple but we’ve seen it work time and time again.

Use LinkedIn to share a targeted case study

When you complete a project similar to what a past client might need, post about it on Linked in and message them with a note: ‘This reminded me of the challenges you mentioned last year—thought it might be relevant.’

Caveat. This is not an article about your folio. It’s an article about the problem you solved with design.

This demonstrates you remember their business challenges while showcasing your latest work.

The direct approach

Sometimes honesty works best. A simple message like: ‘We’ve evolved our offering significantly since we last worked together. I’d love 15 minutes to update you on how we might be able to help with your current challenges.’

What not to do

Don’t send generic newsletters and expect results.
Don’t immediately pitch for work.
Don’t apologise for not staying in touch.
Don’t discount your services to win them back.

So what?

Your past clients represent your most efficient path to new business. They already know and trust you—they just might not know what you’re capable of now.

Let’s keep the conversation going. Email Greg for a chat.

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Greg Branson
Design Business Council – business advice for creatives

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About Greg Branson

Greg’s passion is the research and development of methods that improve design management and the role of design in business.

His longevity is in his ability to change and adapt. Greg’s career as a traditionally-trained photographer; became an academic, teaching photography to design students. He co-founded and ran Mackay Branson design (for over 25 years) until, recognising an area that he loved – design management – was not an area traditionally covered in design education. This lead to him founding Design Business Council. Since then he has worked alongside hundreds of Australian creatives helping them manage their business better.

Greg has sat on the AGDA Victoria and National councils, on a number of University and TAFE Advisory Boards and helped rewrite the VCE Visual Communication curriculum.

Outside of DBC, he is a passionate analogue photographer who spends an inordinate amount of time in his darkroom. You can follow his work on instagram @gregurbanfilm

Always happy to chat, he can be contacted here.