# The Sunset Communication Template **The customer messaging framework for ending a pricing tier, in three waves.** By Falk Gottlob — falkster.com --- ## The premise Sunsets fail because of communication, not strategy. The customers who should have migrated didn't, because they found out via a blog post. The customers who would have churned politely instead churned angrily, because the announcement felt like a betrayal. Three waves. The order is the message. --- ## Wave 1 (Months 6-9): Strategic accounts (top 20) **Channel:** Individual call from CPO + CRO. **Format:** Conversation. Not a deck. Not a memo. A 60-90 minute conversation with the customer's executive sponsor and product lead. **Window:** 60 days to complete all 20 calls. **Talking points (template):** > [Name], I want to walk you through a pricing change we're making and what it means for your account specifically. > > [Frame the why.] We've been building [successor product] for the last 18 months. The pricing model that fits how you actually use the product is per-outcome, not per-seat. We've validated this with [lead customer reference], and we're now moving customers in cohorts. > > [Frame the path for them.] Your account is in the first cohort. Here's what migrating looks like: [specific terms, projected billing comparison, transition support]. > > [Frame the deadline.] We're sunsetting the per-seat tier in [month/year, 18-21 months from now]. We'd like to migrate your account on [proposed timeline]. We can adjust based on your fiscal calendar and your team's capacity. > > [Open the conversation.] What would make this work well for you? **Bespoke commercial terms are appropriate:** price cap for the first year, extended dispute window, custom unit definitions for their workflows. **What goes wrong:** the call gets delegated to an account manager. Tone shifts from "executive partnership" to "vendor change notice." Strategic account feels demoted. Don't delegate. --- ## Wave 2 (Months 9-12): Mid-market (next 200-500) **Channel:** Email + webinar + self-service migration tool. **Format:** Structured. Multi-touch. The customer can self-serve if they want. **Window:** 90 days to complete the wave. ### Email 1: The announcement (Day 0) Subject: An update on how we price your [product name] > [Customer name], > > We're changing how we price [product name]. Starting [date], we're moving from per-seat pricing to a hybrid model: a platform fee plus per-outcome charges. > > Why: the product does more work than a seat-based model captures. The new pricing reflects the value the product delivers to your team, not the number of people accessing it. > > What it means for your account: [link to projected bill comparison]. For most accounts in your tier, the new model is similar in total cost, with potential upside as your usage grows. > > When: we'll migrate your account between [date range]. You can also choose to migrate earlier and lock in [migration accelerator if any]. The legacy tier sunsets on [final date]. > > What you should do: [link to self-service migration tool]. Estimated time: 15 minutes. > > Questions: register for the [date] webinar, or reply to this email. ### Email 2: The reminder (Day 30) Subject: Reminder: your account is migrating to outcome pricing on [date] Same content, with named timeline. ### Webinar (Days 14-21) 60-minute session. Three questions: - What is the new pricing and why. - How to migrate your account (with the tool). - Q&A. Record. Make available to anyone in the cohort who didn't attend. ### Email 3: Final notice (Day 60) Subject: [Customer name], your migration deadline is [date] Specific. Personal. Includes the projected first-month bill on the new pricing for verification. --- ## Wave 3 (Months 12-18): Long tail (the remainder) **Channel:** Public announcement + documentation + deadline. **Format:** Self-service entirely. The cost of bespoke handling for the long tail isn't worth it. **Window:** 6 months to deadline. ### Public announcement (blog post + customer newsletter) > Today we're announcing the sunset of [legacy tier]. After [date], all customers will be on the [successor pricing] model. > > What changed: [link to pricing FAQ]. > > What you should do: [link to migration tool, deadline date, FAQ]. > > Why we're doing this: [one paragraph; honest; doesn't blame the customer]. > > Questions: [support channel]. ### Pricing FAQ (linked from announcement) Maintained as an updated public page. Common questions: - Why is per-seat going away? - How will my bill change? - What if I don't migrate? - Can I delay? - What's the dispute mechanism? - What does the timeline look like? ### Reminder cadence Day 0, Day 90, Day 30 to deadline, Day 7 to deadline. Each one specific. Each one with a self-service link. --- ## What goes wrong, by wave ### Wave 1 failures - Calls delegated to account managers instead of CPO + CRO. - "Bespoke commercial terms" turn into discounts that don't make economic sense. - Calls happen too late (after Wave 2 announcement is public). ### Wave 2 failures - Email tone is too corporate, customer feels like a number. - Self-service tool is broken or confusing. - Webinar isn't recorded; customers in time zones miss it. ### Wave 3 failures - Reminder cadence is too sparse; customers genuinely forget. - FAQ doesn't address the actual questions customers ask. - Support team isn't briefed and gives inconsistent answers. --- ## The legal review Every customer communication during a sunset goes through legal. Specifically: - Contract terms about pricing changes (most contracts allow it; some don't). - Notification windows (some jurisdictions require 60-90 days notice). - Refund mechanics for prepaid annual customers. - Data retention and export commitments after sunset. --- *This template pairs with [The Cannibalization Playbook](https://falkster.com/blog/cannibalization-playbook) and the handbook chapter [Pricing Migration: The 18-Month Quarterly Playbook](https://falkster.com/handbook/pricing-migration-18-month-playbook).*