Comic-book illustration of a snowy evening on a small-town main street: a couple walks arm in arm under one umbrella past the glowing window of the chalkthis. technology shop, full of retro computers, a toy robot and a rocket

chalkthis. presents · past customer follow-up

The Winter Warm-up.

Your next jobs are already on your customer list.

$2,500 one-time setup, then $299 a month subscription

See the Privacy Policy and Terms.

Nothing is charged here. Joe calls within one business day.

The Winter Warm-up is past customer follow-up, also called customer reactivation. We send short, friendly reminders to the people who already hired you and to the quotes that never closed, from your own inbox, so when they need something they think of you first. It costs $2,500 for the one-time setup, then $299 a month.

volume 1

Why follow up with past customers?

Comic panel: a tradesman in a navy work jacket has just fixed a furnace in a family’s basement, and the homeowner thanks him

Thank you. The house is warm again!

Last winter… You did good work for a lot of people. They were glad they called you.
Comic panel: a busy family kitchen, the tradesman’s business card lying in an open drawer among takeout menus and batteries
Then life gets busy. Your card ends up in a drawer. Nobody decided to leave. They just have other things on their mind.
Comic panel: back at the shop, the tradesman in the navy jacket looks at a long customer list on his computer, a stack of old estimates beside it
Meanwhile, at the shop… Your next jobs are already on your customer list: past customers ready for the next project, and quotes that never got a second call.
Comic panel: a past customer at his kitchen table reads a short email on his phone and smiles, a wall thermostat behind him

Good timing. Let’s book it.

So you send a reminder. “Cold weather’s on the way. Want us to service your heating system before it hits?” A short note from your own inbox, to someone who already knows your work.

They already hired you once. A friendly reminder makes sure they think of you next time.

volume 2

How does the Winter Warm-up work?

Two lists, one rule: everybody gets the right note, never a generic “just checking in.”

Comic panel: the tradesman in the navy jacket services a home heating system in the fall while the homeowner looks on, leaves blowing past the basement window

Past customers get a useful reminder

People you’ve already done work for hear from you when there’s a real reason: service that’s due, a season that’s changing, or the next project on their list.

Reminders like these

Heating and cooling
“Cold weather’s on the way. Want your heating system serviced before it hits?”
Plumbing
“It’s been a year since we put in your water heater. Want us to give it a check-up?”
Electrical
“Storm season is coming. Want your generator looked at before you need it?”

Four groups. Four different emails.

Every quote that never closed gets the right note.

  1. Comic panel: a couple at their kitchen table look over a printed estimate, one of them wincing at the total

    they said “Too expensive.”

    The price people

    they get Options that fit the budget: a phased job, a different model, or financing if you already offer it.

  2. Comic panel: a woman surrounded by moving boxes holds a phone to her ear and gestures that she has her hands full

    they said “Not the right time.”

    The timing people

    they get A short note asking if now works better, with the old quote attached.

  3. Comic panel: a homeowner at his front door gives an apologetic shrug as another company’s van pulls away

    they said “We went with another company.”

    Went with someone else

    they get A friendly check-in. If anything was left undone, you’re the one they call.

  4. Comic panel: an estimate pinned to a refrigerator under a magnet, forgotten, while a woman walks past it with her coffee

    they said Nothing at all.

    The ghosts

    they get A two-line email: “Still planning that panel upgrade?”

What comes back to you

  • Not interested

    Marked and left alone. Nobody gets pestered.

  • Questions

    Sent to you. Nothing is answered until you approve the reply.

  • Yes

    Handed straight back to you, ready to book on your calendar.

  • You approve every word
  • Sent from your own inbox
  • Opt-outs honored right away
  • Your list stays yours

chapter three

What stays in your control?

The rules are part of the build. They’re the reason past customers are glad to hear from you.

  • Only people who bought from you or asked you for something hear from you.
  • Every email has an unsubscribe link and your business address, and opt-outs are honored right away.
  • No offers, discounts or deadlines you didn’t approve in writing.
  • Email first. Texts only go to people who agreed to texts.
  • Customers who were just in are left alone.

the price

What does the Winter Warm-up cost?

The Winter Warm-up is a $2,500 one-time setup, then a subscription: $299 a month, or $199 a month when you pay for a year upfront. The setup covers getting your lists ready and your first full round of reminders. The subscription keeps the reminders going after that.

$2,500one-time setupYour lists cleaned and sorted, your emails written and approved, and your first full round of reminders

Then pick how you pay for the subscription

Monthly

$299a month

Paid month to month. Cancel anytime.

Yearly save $1,200 a year

$199a month

Paid upfront: $2,388 for the year. Not refundable.

Either way, the subscription keeps the reminders going as service comes due, seasons change and new quotes go quiet.

What’s in the box

  • Your customer list and your unclosed quotes pulled out of the software you already use, cleaned and sorted
  • The right note for each group, written in your voice
  • Your approval on every word before anything sends
  • Sending in small batches from your own business mailbox
  • Replies sorted for you: a yes comes straight back to you, ready to book
  • A plain count of who replied, who booked and who opted out

Not included: text message marketing, bought or scraped lists, and promises about how many customers come back.

Claim my Winter Warm-up

letters page

Questions owners ask about the Winter Warm-up

What is the Winter Warm-up?

The Winter Warm-up is past customer follow-up from chalkthis., also called customer reactivation. We remind the people who already hired you, and the people you quoted, that you’re here, with short emails in your voice from your own inbox. “Winter Warm-up” is our name for it.

How much does the Winter Warm-up cost?

The Winter Warm-up costs $2,500 for the one-time setup, then $299 a month for the subscription. The setup covers getting it built and running your first full round of reminders. There’s no percentage of your sales and nothing extra per email or per customer.

Is there a discount for paying yearly?

Yes. Paid month to month, the subscription is $299 a month. If you pay for a year upfront it’s $199 a month, which comes to $2,388 for the year and saves you $1,200. The $2,500 one-time setup is the same either way.

Can I cancel the Winter Warm-up?

Yes. The $299 monthly subscription is month to month and you can cancel anytime. The yearly plan is paid upfront ($2,388) and is not refundable, which is why it costs less. The $2,500 setup is a one-time fee.

What does the monthly subscription cover?

The subscription keeps the reminders going after the first round. As service comes due, seasons change and new quotes go quiet, those people get the same short, approved follow-up from your inbox.

What kind of reminders go out?

Useful ones, tied to a real reason. For a heating company, a note to service the system before the cold comes in. For a plumber, a check-up on last year’s water heater. For an electrician, a generator check before storm season. You approve every one.

What happens to quotes that never closed?

They’re sorted into four groups, and each group gets a different email: people who said it cost too much, people who said the timing was wrong, people who went with another company, and people who never answered. Nobody gets a generic “just checking in.”

What happens when someone replies?

A yes is handed straight back to you, ready to book on your calendar. Questions are sent to you, and nothing is answered until you approve the reply. Anyone who isn’t interested is marked and left alone, so nobody gets pestered.

Is the Winter Warm-up an email blast?

No. It’s a few short, personal emails to people who already know you, sent in small batches from your own inbox. Each one asks for one thing, and the moment someone replies, books or opts out, they stop getting messages.

Which customers will hear from me?

Only past customers and people who asked you for a quote or information. Never bought, scraped or “met them once” lists. Customers who were in recently are left alone by default, and your list stays yours.

Do the Winter Warm-up emails come from chalkthis.?

No. They come from your own business email, signed with your name. Replies land in your inbox like any other email, so the customer is talking to you, not to us.

What do I have to hand over to begin?

An export of your customer list and your unclosed quotes (names, emails, the last job or estimate and what it was for) and 30 minutes to tell us what’s worth saying. If the list lives on paper, we start there.

What happens after I claim my Winter Warm-up?

Joe Lissy calls you within one business day. On that call you confirm it’s a fit, settle payment, and pick a time to pull your customer list. Nothing is charged on this website.

Is there a guarantee?

No. We don’t promise a number of customers or jobs, because that depends on your list and your work. You do see exactly who replied, who booked and who opted out, so you can judge it on real results.

Written by Joe Lissy, founder of chalkthis., Sound Beach, NY. Updated . More answers in the FAQ.

Comic panel: the tradesman in the navy work jacket waves from beside his work van outside a customer’s home on a snowy morning, the customer waving back from the door
This winter…

Your next jobs are already on your customer list.

One package, one price, and past customers who think of you first.

$2,500 one-time setup, then $299 a month

Claim my Winter Warm-up Looking for something else? See everything chalkthis. does →