Your Client Retention Checklist: 10 Touchpoints Before Year-End
As the calendar winds down and budgets shift into planning mode, now is the moment to focus on one of your biggest growth levers: client retention. For business owners and sales leaders in construction, home services, or any relationship-based industry, keeping existing clients engaged ensures your revenue doesn’t just come from new jobs, but from lifetime relationships.
In this post, you’ll discover a 10-step client retention checklist you can execute before year-end, touchpoints designed to deepen loyalty, generate referrals, and create raving fans. We’ll also show how platforms like Building Raving Fans can support your efforts with tools such as the Raving Fans Reviews platform, automated gifting & appreciation programs, long-term nurture email campaigns, and scan-to-review QR code cards.
Why Year-End Touchpoints Matter
According to industry data, retaining an existing client is 5-7 times less expensive than acquiring a new one.
Loyal clients spend more and refer friends: A satisfied client will often spend 60-70 % more in lifetime value than one who doesn’t feel appreciated.
The end of the year is prime time: Budgets shift, decisions are made, new planning occurs, and a well-timed check-in can lock in repeat business or referrals.
By prioritizing meaningful engagement now, you cement your position before your client’s attention turns elsewhere. Let’s walk through the 10 touchpoints.
Personalized Thank-You Note
Start with one of the simplest yet most impactful gestures. Send a handwritten thank-you card to each key client.
Why it matters: Authentic gratitude strengthens emotional connection and differentiates you from competitors. Many business owners underestimate the power of a simple note.
Tip: Use your automated appreciation program (via Building Raving Fans) to schedule this at scale. Pair it with a small gift or treat.
Year-End Review & Insights
Reach out to your client with a one-page summary: what you accomplished together this year (milestones, savings, outcomes) and what’s ahead for them.
This positions you as their strategic partner, not just a service provider.
Use this as an opportunity to remind them of your value and invite their input on future goals.
Check In with a “How Are We Doing?” Survey
Send a short, simple survey to ask:
What went well this year?
What could we improve?
What does your 2026 plan include?
This shows you care, and provides you actionable feedback.
You can integrate this with your Raving Fans Reviews platform to capture testimonials from delighted clients.
Share Relevant Education Content
If you run a home-services or construction business, your clients will appreciate insights like “What’s trending in smart home systems for 2026?” or “Top maintenance tasks before the rainy season”.
Send them a value-packed email linking to a helpful blog like our post on “Client Appreciation Isn’t Seasonal. Here’s How to Make It Year-Round (Without Burnout)” from Building Raving Fans.
This keeps your name top-of-mind and positions you as a trusted advisor.
Automated Gift Deployment
This is where technology meets gratitude. Use automated gifting programs to send a thoughtful gift to clients right before the holidays.
Why automated? Because volume and timing matter: you want each key client to feel valued without over-taxing your team. Building Raving Fans makes this scalable.
Remember: the gift isn’t about size, it’s about timing, personalization, and authenticity.
Scan-to-Review QR Code Cards
Make it easy for clients to leave reviews with a scan-enabled QR code card. Hand them a card that, when scanned with a smartphone, takes the client to your review form or Google My Business listing.
This is a smart, modern touchpoint that drives social proof and word-of-mouth. With the Building Raving Fans’ QR code card platform, you can automate distribution and tracking.
Client Referral Ask with Incentive
At this stage, you’ve expressed gratitude, gathered feedback, educated, and made it super easy to review you. Now ask: “Do you know someone who could use our services next year?”
Provide a simple incentive (discount, gift, etc.) or highlight the referral’s benefit.
Because you’ve already reinforced value and connection, your ask will feel natural, not salesy.
Long-Term Nurture Email Campaign
Rather than one-off emails, set up a long-term nurture sequence (monthly or bi-monthly) that keeps clients engaged all year. Include:
Maintenance/upgrade reminders
Success stories or case studies (e.g., link to our “Are You Forgetting This Critical Step in Your Sales Process? (Hint: It’s Post-Sale)”)
New service or product launch announcements
Using Building Raving Fans’ nurture-campaign feature, you can set this up once and keep the rhythm without repeated effort.
Holiday / Milestone Acknowledgement
Don’t stop gratitude at just one holiday. Acknowledge:
The client’s anniversary (when they first signed)
Their company’s major milestone or community event
Relevant seasonal timing (especially in home services: e.g., “Thanks for your spring maintenance check-in”)
These micro-events strengthen loyalty because they feel hyper-personal.
Plan Their Path Forward in 2026
Wrap it up by scheduling a short call or sending a “What’s next?” packet: highlight upcoming opportunities, maintenance schedules, possible upgrades or expansion.
Give them the chance to commit (or at least plan) for next year. This reduces churn by keeping you in their mental budget for 2026.
Putting It All Together: How to Schedule
Here’s a quick calendar view for your year-end efforts:
Week 1: Send thank-you note & gift
Week 2: Email year-end review & survey
Week 3: Share educational blog/link
Week 4: Distribute scan-to-review QR code cards
Week 5: Send referral ask
Week 6: Kick-off nurture campaign
Ongoing: Holiday/milestone acknowledgements + 2026 planning call
You’ll finish the year not just with a satisfied client list, but with a loyal base that refers and advocates.
Why These Touchpoints Create “Raving Fans”
A “raving fan” isn’t just a customer; they’re an advocate, a repeat buyer, a referral generator. Research shows that turning a client into a fan requires going beyond just delivering good service.
These 10 touchpoints tap into:
Gratitude: making clients feel valued
Recognition: acknowledging their milestones
Ease: removing friction from reviews and referrals
Long-term relationship building: via nurture campaigns
Strategic partnership: by planning for future value
And that’s the ethos behind Building Raving Fans: to help you create clients for life, not just one-time transactions.
Soft Introduction to Our Services
If you’re ready to accelerate your retention strategy, here’s how we help:
Our Raving Fans Reviews platform makes gathering authentic testimonials and referrals effortless.
With automated gifting & appreciation programs, you send meaningful tokens of gratitude at scale without manual overhead.
Our long-term nurture email campaigns keep you front-of-mind all year, not just when a job’s done.
The scan-to-review QR Code cards deliver a modern, low-friction way for clients to share reviews from their smartphones.
Together, these tools let you execute the checklist above with consistency and professionalism.
Pro Tips for Success
Segment your clients: high-value vs. standard clients, some touchpoints may vary in gift size or frequency.
Personalize your outreach: use the client’s name, refer to their project specifically, mention something they care about.
Track your results: measure repeat business, referrals gained, review volume. These metrics will show the ROI of retention.
Don’t let this checklist sit until December, start now and schedule in each touchpoint with the year-end in mind.
Combine digital and physical: digital nurture + physical gift + personal outreach = powerful combo.
Your clients are one of your most valuable assets and the year-end period is your opportunity to cement those relationships, boost referrals, and build a foundation for next year’s growth. By executing this 10-touchpoint client retention checklist, you don’t just finish the year strong, you launch into next year with momentum.
If you want help streamlining this process, the team at Building Raving Fans is ready. From the Raving Fans Reviews platform to automated gifting and Scan to review cards, we’ll help you turn clients into raving fans with ease.
Ready to make your best clients lifetime fans? Contact us today and let’s build your retention engine together.
