Deals Ghosting? 3 Ideas to Re-engage

You know that cold feeling of dread.

The one that hits when the reminder task pops back up …? and we see how long it’s been since we emailed our Champion….with no reply.?

The text we sent the Executive Buyer is 5 scrolls down on our phone. Unread. Our calls go right to voicemail.

At first we weren’t too worried. They were on vacation. They had a board meeting. Crap happens.

But now we know.? Suddenly it’s been too long.

And we’re right to worry.

40-60% of qualified pipeline is lost to no decision. For some companies, especially in SaaS, this figure may skyrocket to 70-80%.*

Right about now is when we’re tempted to fall back on those emails. The ones sellers made infamous:

• “Circling back”
• “Just following up here”
• “Bumping this to the top of your inbox”
• “Checking to see if you have questions”

??

We cringe when we send those, but what else can we do?

If your gut is telling you to find a better option, trust that.?

What we do next is crucial. ?Done right, we’ll not only revive the opportunity, we’ll get the Champion deeply engaged, revealing critical insight into what’s delaying this deal.? So we can move it to “Closed Won”. ?

Over my 12 year sales career, I’ve used 3 proven ways to get un-ghosted.?

First, we diagnose the root cause. Prospects ghost us because:

→ we didn't show enough value (top of funnel) → they're fighting hotter fires (mid/bottom of funnel)

→ they want to avoid giving us bad news (mid/bottom of funnel)

Here’s a detailed breakdown, with templates for each.

→ We didn’t show enough value

This is the hardest to recover from because it means discovery didn't go well.

What we can do: Major Reboot. Go to others in the org to re-do discovery. Usually, non-executives.? Managers & below. Here’s why:

Teams don't always speak candidly to leaders. Info on what the team is going through is a valuable asset you can use to get another meeting.

Sounds like:

--> To other team members: "I spoke with Leader last week about [problem we solve]. Would love your advice on how this affects you. Typically, our customers tell us they experience? A, B, or C. And [reference customer] noticed [ benefit to persona] when we started working together.? Worth a chat?"

--> After several calls with the team members, we go back to the leader: "Spoke with 6 members of your org. Two themes that came out of those chats, specifically [theme #1], [theme #2]. Typically, our customers tell us that means? [Point of View on the problem/industry insight]. Worth exploring a bit further?"

--> Prospect fighting hotter fires

What we can do: Dial down guilt & make it easy for them to re-engage.

Here’s why: Sometimes we get pushed to the back burner out of absolute necessity. People feel bad. So they avoid making contact.

Sounds like:

We call our prospect's office headquarters. We ask for the leader's assistant. We tell them "My boss wants me to send some swag to Leader. Can you confirm HQ address is the right place to FedEx it?"

Then we send a Yeti tumbler/Stanley cup & handwritten note: "You must be buried. Bet you can use extra caffeine. When you get your nose above water, I'll be here."

For a large/later stage deal, sending something tangible can be very successful. (Especially if they’re an Enterprise company and their folks come to the office.)? Alternative is sending a gift card via email.

?For a smaller/earlier stage deal, read on…

--> Prospect wants to avoid giving us bad news

Like a decision to not move forward, a delay, or an issue getting a signed order, etc.

What we can do:?

Again, make it easier for them to give us bad news.?

Here’s why:

People avoid things that are hard, or that will disappoint others. AND they don’t want to be “objection handled”.? The slow fade feels easier….

Sounds like:

-->(for delays) “Hey, it’s been a minute since we connected. Sometimes life happens. And sometimes entire company initiatives change. Seems like this may be a no go. Is that fair? I’d rather be more accurate than optimistic.” →(for deals that are likely dead) "I love to hear yes. Totally ok with no. What's hardest is silence. Can you help me understand? If we have to part ways, I promise we can be friends."

One other scenario that deserves a mention is when they’re deep into the sales cycle, and stuck because they can’t make a decision. Should they evaluate more vendors? Have they done enough due diligence? Which package is the best deal? And on, and on, and on.

The advice on this one could fill a whole book. (And has.) Highly recommend reading “The JOLT Effect” by Matthew Dixon to help folks move past analysis paralysis.

If you don’t have time to read an entire book or you need help that’s specific to your deal, you can always book a coaching session here.?

Want to see what more coaching clients are saying?? Check out the testimonials here.

Struggling with something else?? Shoot me a note. I respond personally to every email.

Rooting for you!

Krysten

*research by Matt Dixon / Challenger Sale