Drop-Offs

Everyone talks about abandoned carts like they’re the holy grail of CRM. But here’s the thing: not every business has a cart. Julien — a seasoned CRM freelancer in Berlin — made a point that hit home: drop-offs happen everywhere. And if you’re not watching for them, you’re bleeding potential revenue.

Julien’s worked with scrappy teams, tight budgets, and messy platforms. And still — he finds ways to fix conversion leaks fast. In this talk, he walked through his no-fluff framework for tackling drop-off behaviour in any business. Real examples. Real results. No fancy tools required.

Drop-Offs Are Everywhere. Not Just in E-Commerce.

Julien kicked off with this: “What if your business doesn’t even have a cart?”
Exactly. Doesn’t mean people aren’t dropping off.

It’s not about abandoned carts. It’s about abandoned intent.

Think about it:

• They browse but don’t buy

• Start a free trial, never subscribe

• View a product, ghost the seller

• Begin a form, never finish

For folks in SaaS, marketplaces, or B2B, this mindset shift is key. Your “cart” might be a demo request or a signup. Doesn’t matter. What matters is someone wanted something, then didn’t follow through.

If you only track purchases, you’re missing the real story.

Why People Bail (And What You Can Actually Do)

Julien breaks it down simply:

Psychological stuff:

• Too many choices

• Fear of commitment

• No trust

• Mental overload

Structural stuff:

• Buggy flows

• Bad UX

• Slow load times

You can’t fix everything with CRM. But Julien’s message is clear: if you can’t fix the structure, at least fix the story. A timely nudge can turn hesitation into action.

Why Drop-Off Campaigns Are Your Best Bet

Julien doesn’t waste time with fluff. He goes straight for what moves the needle:

• Massive conversion holes
  70% of people drop off before converting. In SaaS? Try 60% not upgrading from trials.
  

• Faster results than lifecycle flows
  You’re not starting cold. These people already showed interest.
  

• Makes your ad spend worth it
  If you paid to get them to your site, don’t just let them disappear.

Two Simple Stories, Big Results

Kleinanzeigen — Push to Convert

They ran ads for a free secure payment tool. People clicked… and stopped.
So they followed up with a push message.

Here’s what changed:

• 5× engagement

• 3× conversions

Outfittery — Lighten the Load

During COVID, their full stylist flow felt like too much.
Julien saw the drop. They had a lighter option — buy a single item from a list.

They sent one ugly-but-effective email to users who bailed mid-funnel.
“Maybe this is more your thing right now.”

What happened?

• More opens

• More clicks

• 2× conversions
  And yes — some of those users came back for the full service later.

In the Q&A, someone asked how they tracked it. Julien said they looked for users who started the flow but didn’t place an order. That was the trigger.

The Framework: No Overthinking, Just Action

Julien’s method is all about momentum:

1. Map the journey
   Where do they start? Where should they land?
   

2. Make a smart guess
   What’s stopping them?
   

3. Send one basic message
   No design. No magic. Just test your theory.
   

4. Check the right numbers

   • Are they progressing?

   • Are they converting?

   • Is it making you money?

5. Double down if it works
   Add personalisation. Test new channels.
   

6. Know when to walk away
   If it takes too much effort for little return, move on. Fix something else.
   

One more tip Julien shared: don’t open with discounts. Your first message should feel like a reminder, not a bribe. If you do test incentives, do it later (maybe step three) and always run an A/B test.

Key Takeaways

• 🧠 Forget carts — track intent

• ✉️ One message is enough to start

• 💸 Don’t chase opens. Chase revenue.

• 👥 Sometimes you need the product team, too

About the Speaker

Julien’s a freelance CRM expert in Berlin. He’s not here for buzzwords, just solid CRM that works. He helps small teams build smart, simple campaigns that actually move the needle. His style? Launch fast. Learn fast. Keep it human.

About the Meetup

Organised by Audrey Mann and Jessica Jantzen, the INSIDE CRM Meetup is a platform for CRM professionals to share insights, strategies, and success stories. It brings together experts from various industries to discuss the latest trends and innovations in customer relationship management.

Disclaimer: This article has been generated with ChatGPT based on an audio transcript and presentation slides from the INSIDE CRM Meetup. The content has been reviewed by the presenter to ensure accuracy and relevance.