Elien Defraeije

Elien Defraeije is a Belgian entrepreneur, business consultant, and author who serves as the Leading Lady and founder of Connect Your Dots, a consulting firm specializing in sustainable commercial growth for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Based in Belgium and operating primarily in Dutch, Defraeije has established herself as an expert in customer retention and revenue optimization strategies.

As the founder of Connect Your Dots, Defraeije focuses on helping SMEs and their teams achieve sustainable commercial growth by maximizing value from existing customer relationships. Her approach centers on what she terms "customer deepening" - the practice of building longer-lasting customer relationships that result in increased frequency of purchases and enhanced trust.

Defraeije's methodology is built on the conviction that genuine business growth comes from deepening existing customer relationships rather than constantly acquiring new customers. She guides companies through the practical implementation of strategies that encourage customers to stay longer, return more frequently, and develop greater trust in the business.

Her consulting approach emphasizes creating concrete behavioral changes that are embraced by entire teams, moving beyond isolated actions or quick campaigns. Instead, she focuses on establishing simple structures and habits that generate predictable growth patterns. This methodology helps businesses build what she considers most valuable: customers who remain loyal, continue to grow their relationship with the company, and become brand ambassadors.

Defraeije's work particularly concentrates on upselling and cross-selling strategies, as well as structuring comprehensive customer journeys. She specializes in bringing clarity and direction to the commercial operations of SMEs, helping them identify where value currently remains untapped and providing frameworks to systematically capitalize on these opportunities.

Defraeije is the author of "Klanten voor het leven" (Customers for Life), a book that presumably outlines her customer retention and deepening strategies for Dutch-speaking business audiences.

Her consulting style is characterized as practical, clear, and human-centered, focusing on sustainable, long-term growth rather than short-term gains. Through her work with Connect Your Dots, she helps SMEs develop step-by-step approaches to building lasting customer relationships that drive consistent business growth.

Elien Defraeije previously worked with Creactiv Marketing before founding Connect Your Dots. She has given presentations on Facebook marketing and online marketing strategies. Connect Your Dots is officially registered in Belgium with company number BE 0740.548.973, with Elien as the official director.

Full name	Elien Defraeije
Role	Leading Lady
Organization	Connect Your Dots
Country	Belgium
Industry	Business Consulting
Specialties	Customer Retention · Upselling · Cross-selling · SME Growth · Customer Journey Design · Commercial Strategy
Languages	nl
Consulting rate	EUR 125 per hour
Bookable	Yes — via TinRate

• Ondernemerscafé networking event hosted by Connect Your Dots — LinkedIn (2026-04-09)
  Thomas Pen mentions attending a networking event organized by Connect Your Dots, hosted by Elien Defraeije and Sarah Vandewoude.

• Elien Defraeije - Connect Your Dots | LinkedIn
• Elien Defraeije on Twitter (X)

• Elien Defraeije, Cre@ctiv Marketing Presentation
• Facebook Marketing - Trollbeads presentation by Elien Defraeije

• How to improve customer retention rate? (Customer Retention)
• How can businesses effectively improve their customer retention rates? (Customer Retention)
• How can businesses effectively reduce customer churn? (Customer Retention)
• What is customer retention? (Customer Retention)
• What is customer retention and why is it important for businesses? (Customer Retention)
• What is customer retention and why is it important for businesses? (Customer Retention)
• What is customer retention and why is it important for businesses? (Customer Retention)
• What is customer retention rate? (Customer Retention)
• What is customer retention rate and how is it calculated? (Customer Retention)
• What is customer retention and why is it important for business growth? (Customer Retention)

Expert	Role	Country	Rate	Languages
Bart Verreydt	Founder - Growht & Scaling Advisor, BoostR	Belgium	EUR 150/hr
Benedikt De Vreese	Hands-on Accelerator for Professional Growth, Eagle Eye	Belgium	EUR 175/hr	en
Bert Slosse	Growth Consultant | Aligning Sales, Systems & Teams | Turning Complexity into Scalable Growth, MELIUS	Belgium	EUR 100/hr	nl, en, fr
Bram Sabbe	Founder & CEO, Stratyx	Belgium	EUR 500/hr
Carl Van de Velde	Ondernemer - Mentor - Coach - Spreker, The One B.V.	Netherlands	EUR 1250/hr
Christian Gombert	executive, CGO CONSULTING	France	EUR 300/hr

• Book Elien Defraeije on TinRate
• Elien Defraeije - Connect Your Dots | LinkedIn (linkedin)
• Elien Defraeije Email & Phone Number | Connect Your Dots Leading Lady Contact Information
• Connect Your Dots Management Team | Org Chart
• CONNECT YOUR DOTS - BE 0740.548.973 | Overzicht | Bizzy
• Elien Defraeije on Twitter
• Elien Defraeije, Cre@ctiv Marketing Presentation
• Facebook Marketing - Trollbeads presentation by Elien Defraeije
• Creactiv - Authentieke marketing & communicatie met impact
• Creactiv - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding

1. LinkedIn profile showing Elien Defraeije at Connect Your Dots — accessed 2026-04-09
2. RocketReach profile confirming Leading Lady role at Connect Your Dots — accessed 2026-04-09
3. Connect Your Dots management team listing — accessed 2026-04-09
4. Bizzy Company Registry — accessed 2026-04-09
5. SlideShare Presentation — accessed 2026-04-09
6. Creactiv Company Website — accessed 2026-04-09