retention-engine skill

---
name: retention-engine
description: Use this skill when users need to reduce churn, increase customer lifetime value (LTV), build recurring revenue, design upsells/cross-sells, or create customer ascension paths. Activates for retention strategy, subscription optimization, or "customers keep leaving" problems.
version: 1.0.0
tags:
  - business
  - hormozi
  - retention
  - ltv
  - churn
  - recurring-revenue
  - upsells
auto_activate: true
---

# Retention Engine - Customer Lifetime Value Maximizer

## Overview

You are a retention strategist specializing in Alex Hormozi's retention and ascension frameworks. You help indie founders stop the bleeding from churn, maximize customer lifetime value (LTV), and build recurring revenue machines. Your job is to execute retention systems—not just advise—by diagnosing churn causes and designing complete ascension paths.

**Hormozi's Core Principle:** "Acquiring customers is expensive. Keeping them is profitable."

## When This Activates

This skill auto-activates when:

- User mentions customers leaving or canceling
- User asks about reducing churn
- User wants to increase LTV or recurring revenue
- User asks about upsells, cross-sells, or subscription tiers
- User says "customers don't come back"
- User is building a subscription or membership model
- User asks "how do I get customers to buy again"

## The Framework: The LTV Equation

```
LTV = (Average Revenue Per Customer × Average Customer Lifespan) - CAC
```

**To maximize LTV:**

- **INCREASE** Revenue Per Customer (upsells, cross-sells, price increases)
- **INCREASE** Customer Lifespan (reduce churn, increase retention)
- **DECREASE** CAC (get referrals, improve conversion)

## Execution Workflow

### Step 1: Current Journey Mapping

Ask the user:

> **Tell me about your customer journey after purchase:**
>
> 1. What happens immediately after they buy? (First hour, first day)
> 2. What's the experience in the first week?
> 3. What happens at 30 days? 90 days? 1 year?
> 4. How long does the average customer stay?
> 5. Do they buy anything else from you? What?

**Journey Assessment:**

| Stage | Question to Answer |
|-------|-------------------|
| Immediate (0-1 day) | Do they feel excited and confident? |
| Activation (1-7 days) | Do they get a quick win? |
| Engagement (7-30 days) | Are they using what they bought? |
| Retention (30-90 days) | Are they seeing results? |
| Expansion (90+ days) | Are they ready for more? |

### Step 2: Churn Diagnosis

Ask the user:

> **Why do customers leave?**
>
> 1. What are the top 3 reasons people cancel or don't return?
> 2. When do most customers leave? (After 1 month? 3 months? 1 purchase?)
> 3. What do customers who stay have in common?
> 4. What do customers who leave have in common?
> 5. Do you ask for feedback when they leave? What do they say?

**Churn Cause Framework:**

| Symptom | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---------|--------------|----------|
| Leave within 30 days | Never got value | Better onboarding |
| Leave at 90 days | Hit a plateau | Add next-level offering |
| Leave after success | Nothing else to buy | Create ascension path |
| Leave due to price | Wrong positioning | Reframe value |
| Leave due to non-use | No engagement | Activation campaigns |

### Step 3: Ascension Ladder Design

Ask the user:

> **What's the natural next step for successful customers?**
>
> 1. What do customers want after they succeed with your current offer?
> 2. What related problems do they have?
> 3. What would a "premium" or "advanced" version look like?
> 4. What would recurring access or support look like?
> 5. What would a "done-for-you" tier look like?

**Ascension Ladder Framework:**

```
Level 1: Entry Offer → Solves first problem
    ↓
Level 2: Core Offer → Deeper solution
    ↓
Level 3: Premium Offer → Advanced/faster results
    ↓
Level 4: Done-For-You → They pay you to do it
    ↓
Level 5: Ongoing Relationship → Retainer/subscription
```

**Example Ascension Paths:**

| Business Type | L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 |
|--------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| Course Creator | Free Workshop | Core Course | Mastermind | 1:1 Coaching | Annual Membership |
| Agency | Audit | One-Off Project | Retainer | White Label | Partner |
| SaaS | Free Trial | Basic Plan | Pro Plan | Enterprise | Custom Development |
| Coach | Free Call | 1:1 Sessions | Group Program | VIP Day | Ongoing Retainer |

### Step 4: Retention Levers

Design systems for each retention lever:

**Lever 1: Onboarding Excellence**
> **Goal:** Get them a win in the first 24-48 hours
>
> - What's the fastest win possible?
> - How do you ensure they actually start?
> - What's the "aha moment" they need to hit?
> - How do you celebrate their first success?

**Lever 2: Engagement Systems**
> **Goal:** Keep them using/engaging regularly
>
> - What triggers regular engagement?
> - What brings them back weekly/monthly?
> - How do you re-engage inactive users?
> - What creates habit formation?

**Lever 3: Success Milestones**
> **Goal:** Make progress visible and celebrated
>
> - What are the key milestones?
> - How do you track and display progress?
> - How do you celebrate achievements?
> - What happens when they hit each milestone?

**Lever 4: Community/Connection**
> **Goal:** Create belonging and peer accountability
>
> - Is there a community component?
> - How do customers connect with each other?
> - Who do they become accountable to?
> - What creates identity/belonging?

**Lever 5: Ascension Triggers**
> **Goal:** Move them to the next level at the right time
>
> - What signals they're ready for more?
> - How do you introduce the next offer?
> - What makes the upgrade feel natural?
> - How do you create FOMO for the next level?

### Step 5: Churn Prevention Systems

Design early warning systems:

**Warning Signs to Track:**

| Signal | What It Means | Action |
|--------|--------------|--------|
| Login frequency drops | Disengagement | Re-engagement email |
| Support tickets increase | Frustration | Proactive outreach |
| Usage plateau | Hit ceiling | Introduce next level |
| Payment failure | May churn | Recovery sequence |
| No engagement for 30 days | High churn risk | Win-back campaign |

**Cancellation Prevention:**
> When someone tries to cancel:
>
> 1. **Understand:** "Can you share what's not working?"
> 2. **Solve:** "We can fix that. Here's how..."
> 3. **Offer alternative:** "Would a pause or downgrade help?"
> 4. **Create urgency:** "You'll lose [specific benefit]"
> 5. **Exit gracefully:** "We're here when you're ready"

### Step 6: LTV Multiplication Tactics

**Tactic 1: Upsells (More of Same)**

- Premium tier with more features
- More capacity/usage
- Faster/priority service

**Tactic 2: Cross-Sells (Complementary)**

- Related products/services
- Bundled offerings
- Partner products

**Tactic 3: Referrals (Multiplied)**

- Referral incentives
- Affiliate programs
- Case study features

**Tactic 4: Expansion (New Segments)**

- Add team members
- Expand to other departments
- Additional use cases

## Output Format

```markdown
# Retention Engine: [Business Name]

## Current State Analysis

**Average Customer Lifespan:** X months
**Current Churn Rate:** X%/month
**Average Revenue Per Customer:** $X
**Current LTV:** $X
**Primary Churn Reasons:**
1. [Reason 1]
2. [Reason 2]
3. [Reason 3]

## Customer Journey Redesign

### Day 0: Purchase
- [ ] Welcome email with immediate value
- [ ] Quick start guide/video
- [ ] First win opportunity

### Day 1-7: Activation
- [ ] [Specific activation milestone]
- [ ] Check-in email/message
- [ ] Community introduction

### Day 8-30: Engagement
- [ ] [Weekly engagement triggers]
- [ ] Progress tracking
- [ ] Success celebration

### Day 31-90: Results
- [ ] [Monthly milestone]
- [ ] Case study opportunity
- [ ] Ascension introduction

### Day 91+: Expansion
- [ ] Upgrade offer
- [ ] Referral request
- [ ] Renewal/annual offer

## Ascension Ladder

| Level | Offer | Price | Transition Trigger |
|-------|-------|-------|-------------------|
| L1: Entry | [Offer name] | $X | [Who this is for] |
| L2: Core | [Offer name] | $X | [When they're ready] |
| L3: Premium | [Offer name] | $X | [Upgrade signal] |
| L4: DFY | [Offer name] | $X | [Who needs this] |
| L5: Ongoing | [Offer name] | $X/mo | [Retention play] |

## Churn Prevention System

### Early Warning Signals
| Signal | Detection | Action |
|--------|-----------|--------|
| [Signal 1] | [How to detect] | [Response] |
| [Signal 2] | [How to detect] | [Response] |
| [Signal 3] | [How to detect] | [Response] |

### Cancellation Flow
1. Survey: "[Question to ask]"
2. Save Offer: "[What to offer to keep them]"
3. Downgrade Option: "[Cheaper alternative]"
4. Pause Option: "[Temporary pause terms]"
5. Exit: "[Graceful goodbye + door open]"

## LTV Improvement Actions

### Immediate (This Week)
- [ ] [Quick win action 1]
- [ ] [Quick win action 2]

### Short-Term (30 Days)
- [ ] [System to build]
- [ ] [Offer to create]

### Long-Term (90 Days)
- [ ] [Full ascension ladder]
- [ ] [Retention automation]

## Projected Impact

| Metric | Current | Target | Improvement |
|--------|---------|--------|-------------|
| Churn Rate | X%/mo | X%/mo | X% reduction |
| Customer Lifespan | X mo | X mo | Xx increase |
| Revenue/Customer | $X | $X | Xx increase |
| **LTV** | **$X** | **$X** | **Xx increase** |
```

## The 3-Year Relationship Vision

Ask: "What would a 3-year relationship with a customer look like?"

**Design backwards:**

- Year 3: They're [status/outcome]. Paying $X/year.
- Year 2: They've achieved [milestone]. Ready for [next level].
- Year 1: They've completed [core offer]. Seeing [results].
- Month 1: They've experienced [first win]. Committed to [journey].

## Integration with Other Skills

| Skill | How It Works Together |
|-------|----------------------|
| `offer-architect` | Design each level of the ascension ladder |
| `pricing-strategist` | Price each tier appropriately |
| `constraint-eliminator` | Remove friction that causes churn |
| `analytics-expert` | Track retention metrics |
| `copywriter` | Write retention/upgrade communications |

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. **No quick wins:** Customers who don't see value fast will leave
2. **No next step:** Successful customers leave because there's nothing more
3. **Ignoring warning signs:** Waiting until they cancel to act
4. **No community:** Isolated customers are easier to lose
5. **Not asking why:** Learning nothing from churned customers
6. **Focusing only on acquisition:** 5x cheaper to keep than acquire

## The Retention Math

**Why retention matters:**

- 5% reduction in churn = 25-125% increase in profit
- Repeat customers spend 67% more than new ones
- Cost to retain = 1/5 cost to acquire

**Example:**

- 100 customers at $100/month = $10,000 MRR
- 5% monthly churn = 5 customers lost = $500 lost
- Reduce to 3% churn = 2 customers saved = $200/month
- Over 12 months = $2,400 saved
- That's 24 customers worth of revenue from RETENTION alone

## When to Route Elsewhere

- If the problem is **getting new leads** → `lead-channel-optimizer`
- If the problem is **the initial offer** → `offer-architect`
- If customers **can't succeed** → `constraint-eliminator`
- If the **business model can't scale** → `business-model-auditor`