Marketing

Ghosted by a Prospect Again? The Sales Horror-Comedy You Didn’t Ask For!

Reviewed by Mahdi Khezri
administrator
Written by Parastoo Khalaj
editor
Ghosted by a Prospect Again? The Sales Horror-Comedy You Didn’t Ask For!

Warm and cold emails, warm leads you’ve been in touch with for weeks, calls that haven’t been cold for a long time, an undeniable chemistry between you and your prospect, and then…poof. Radio silence, just like the hero of a low-budget comedy, you are ghosted by a prospect. 👻

See also  Corporate Contacts Database

One moment, you’re on the verge of closing a deal or a sale; the next, your lead disappears. From cryptic email replies to sudden unresponsiveness, everyone in marketing and sales has probably had this experience.

In this article, we’ll become sales ghostbusters and see what we can do about these disappeared prospects.

The Case of the Vanishing Prospect (Sales Edition)

Well, it’s frustrating to spend weeks finding and nurturing a prospect, emailing and calling them, and then just when you’re sure you’re going to make a sale, being met with a wall of silence. Why does this happen? Is the prospect out of this world?

See also  What Is a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)?

I can think of a few reasons that can be a bit scary because they often cost me deals. How about we examine them?

The Phantom of Misalignment

Well, the first reason prospects ghost you is when the prospect thinks to themselves, “Well… do I really need this product/service?” The answer is usually a big “NO”. Why? Well, maybe you didn’t fully connect with them, or their priorities suddenly changed.

Misalignment is like inviting someone to a haunted house when they were expecting a spa day. It’s not what they signed up for, and they quietly fade away.

🔹 How to Exorcise This Ghost?

  1. Ask the right questions early to ensure your product/service fits well.
  2. Be clear about what you offer and what you don’t.
  3. Regularly check and confirm that their needs haven’t changed.

The Zombie of Overwhelm

Remember the movie World War Z? I’m talking about the highly aggressive zombies. When you bombard customers with emails, calls, and product information, they feel like you’re chasing them. They get scared and, in self-defense, ditch you like a real ghost.

🔹 How to Tame the Zombie?

  1. Break your information into small chunks.
  2. Focus on solving one problem at a time.
  3. Give them space to process before following up.

The Invisible Email Monster

Inboxes are a graveyard of unopened emails. We know this all too well; we have a huge collection of them ourselves. So, maybe the radio silence wasn’t intentional. Maybe the recipient didn’t see your message at all. In fact, your good email was buried by the anonymous unopened email monster among hundreds or thousands of other emails or even accidentally got deleted.

🔹 How to Outsmart the Monster?

  1. Use clear and engaging subject lines that stand out.
  2. Follow up strategically, and do not spam them.
  3. Use different communication channels like LinkedIn or even good old-fashioned phone calls.

Maybe They Got Abducted by Aliens

Let’s be real, maybe it’s not your fault, life happens. Maybe they’re just too busy, or maybe… aliens abducted them! We’re in the age of AI… so, anything could have happened, right?

🔹 How to Handle the Unknown?

  1. Be empathetic and give them the benefit of the doubt.
  2. Send a friendly, non-pressured follow-up.
  3. Accept it and move on to the next lead if they’re gone for good.

EMF Finder-The Warning Signs Before the Ghosting Hits

If you’ve worked on a sales or marketing team for even a week, you’ve experienced it. The customer disappears when you’re sure you’ve convinced them, and just the second, you are ready to sell the product/service.

Yes, Ghosting isn’t just for Halloween, it’s also one of the most unpleasant marketing phenomena. Let’s discuss the signs that can be detected before customers disappear. Let’s build our own EMF (Electromagnetic Field) finder like Ghostbusters.

The Warning Signs Before the Ghosting Hits.

⚠️ The One-Word Reply of Doom

One-word replies from customers are the first red flag to watch out for. Imagine that everything was fine until just the last call, this last email, or the latest LinkedIn message you sent them. 

They were giving you a lot of long and short answers with comments, jokes, etc., but now suddenly an “ok” or “got it” response is all you get. Like a warning on your phone before a terrible earthquake, that answer is telling you that something bad is about to happen. If your messages are met with less enthusiasm than a Monday morning, prepare yourself.

⚠️ The Calendar Blackout

They used to be eager to plan future meetings and more negotiations, but now? It’s like inviting a ghost to dinner. “Let’s talk about it later” becomes their motto; the later that will never come, and you feel like they want to end the conversation ASAP. If they refuse to continue the negotiations like a shadow running away from you, they are clearly telling you they will disappear soon.

🎯 What to Do When the Ghosting Begins?

Well, if you’re faced with ridiculous excuses like “my dog has a dentist appointment,” “I want to attend to the garden,” etc., it’s best to face reality. They’re giving you signs that they’re going to ghost you. 🙁

While sending texts or asking for a response is tempting, the best course of action is to take the easy way out. They’re not worth your energy if they’re not making an effort. 

Focus on relationships that give you back what you put into them, and sometimes, it’s not really about you. Some people disappear for their own reasons, and chasing them won’t change the outcome.

So, the next time these warning signs cross your path, don’t panic. Early signs could save you time, effort, and tears. And who knows? Your ideal connection could be just around the corner, waiting for you to find them. 

How to Exorcise the Sales Ghosts (Before They Disappear)

So, by now we know that customers disappearing isn’t that strange and happens to many of us, but that doesn’t make us feel better when it happens.

How do we bring these fugitive ghosts back to the living world? With the right strategy!

🔵 Don’t be the Vampire for the Prospects

Believe me, general sales is the first thing that turns customers off. To revive ghosted leads, personalize the messages you send them. This way, they may be convinced that you are worth their time. 

Mention specific details from your last conversation, mention the latest news from their company, or share a customized solution tailored to their pain points. Show them that you care about them and are not just a vampire looking for their jugular vein.

I recommend using lead generation platforms to move away from this predatory role. With data on over 419 million people and 269 million companies, the CUFinder platform can help you in this way, not to mention its free trial and data accuracy of over 98%.

CUFinder's Prospect Engine.

🔵 Don’t Be the Chainsaw Guy

Nobody likes the stalkers, and nothing scares off the leads and prospects like aggressive follow-ups. Calling every day, sending multiple emails, or demanding a response can turn you into the chainsaw-wielding villain of their inboxes. Just follow up with a more patient approach and give them enough time to think. Remember, no one likes to feel like they’re being chased anywhere.

🔵 Offer a Peace Offering

Does the prospect seem too out of reach? Don’t you think that you can lure them back with offering something valuable? A well-crafted guide, free resource, or exclusive offer can restore their interest and remind them why they were drawn to you in the first place. Who doesn’t love free candy?

🔵 Keep the Door Open

Even if your efforts fail, keep the door open for future negotiations. End your emails with an offer to reconnect when ready, and don’t burn all the bridges. Sometimes, leads just need a little more time to think without feeling that someone is watching them.

Tales from the Sales Crypt-When Prospects Vanished

In this section, I will explore two scenarios of prospect ghosting that can help you visualize how to utilize different strategies better. However, just like objections, ghosting can be considered a part of sales. But a much more unpopular part. 

Let’s explore two of these cases that happened to me and one of my colleagues.

1️⃣ The Wrong Link

I think it was early 2022 when one of my colleagues, a gifted marketer, was guiding a promising prospect through the sales funnel. The discovery calls went very well; the prospect’s needs were very clear, and he had prepared a great offer. 

At the same time, the company I worked for was hosting a huge event, and we were all too busy. In this chaotic environment, my colleague sent an email with his proposal. But, instead of the video he had prepared, he accidentally posted a YouTube link from one of our competitors.

The prospect disappeared into thin air, and we could never reach her again. My colleague found out about his mistake roughly two days later. He was surprised by his prospect’s radio silence. 

💡 Lesson learned?

No matter how busy you are, proofread your email thoroughly before you hit the send button. Use tools like Grammarly to minimize grammatical and typographical errors. Double-check all links and apologize politely and calmly if you make a mistake (please don’t bombard them).

2️⃣ “Did I scare you?”

It was the summer of 2021, and I was still recovering from my COVID-19 quarantine habits. I had been nurturing a lead for a long time (yes, I had found him during quarantine and while working remotely.) He seemed really interested, but suddenly, poof! No response, no callbacks, nothing. I was disappointed and frustrated, but I decided to get creative, not pushy. 

On Halloween, I sent him an email with the subject line “Did I scare you?” and in the body of the email I had sent a big picture of a funny ghost waving at the recipient. To my disbelief, that same night, my prospect replied, “No, you didn’t scare me 😂, but I’m terrible at responding to emails 😣. Let’s set up a call next week.”

Not only did I close that deal, but that prospect has been a good friend and a loyal customer for years.

💡 Lesson learned?

Creative touches and personalization break through the noise. If somebody ghosted you, you should do something that is out of the ordinary-just align it to a prospect’s personality and yours.

Conclusion

When you are ghosted by a prospect, you might get overwhelmed and disappointed. In fact, you probably feel like hitting a concrete wall at 150 km/h. You might think, “Nah, she is talking about some imaginary motivational clichés.” But let me tell you that it is not the end of the road. Maybe you never actually hear from that prospect again. Yes! But you can find out why it happened so you don’t repeat your mistake with another one. 

Also, you can and will learn to accept that not every prospect is to end up in a deal or purchase. People might change their minds in a second, and you can do little to nothing about it.

Yet, I tried to tell you that sometimes you can use some strategies to lure those ghosts back and close that deal. Still, there is no 100% probability. So deal with it.

FAQs

1. How can I avoid a prospect ghosting me in the first place?

Build trust upfront by being transparent and open. Send follow-up relevant content but not too often; don’t be overwhelming for the potential customer. Make it easy for them to move forward by tailoring your proposal to their needs.

2. What is ghosting in business?

Ghosting in business is when a prospect stops all forms of communication without any notice or explanation.

3.  Where would you research a prospect before you reach out?

A handful of places can be helpful for research prospects, including LinkedIn, Twitter, and their company’s website and CUFinder. Don’t forget to search for any news articles about them.

How would you rate this article?
Bad
Okay
Good
Amazing
Comments (0)
Subscribe to our newsletter
Subscribe to our popular newsletter and get everything you want
Related Posts
Keep on Reading
Marketing Marketing

Email Marketing Lists Free: Building, Managing, and Using Them

Marketing Marketing

What is a social media strategy and why do we need it?

Marketing Recruiting Marketing

How to Find Employees on LinkedIn? A Recruitment Guide

Marketing Marketing

CUFinder vs. Apollo: A Lead Generation In-Depth Comparison

Comments (0)