When Your Client Ghosts You: How to Get the Ghost to Speak

Last week I talked about the infamous client we’ve all experienced in sales: they're so excited about a product or service that you have, but then along the process, it seems as if they almost disappear…

You try everything from voicemails, text messages, and emails; nevertheless, the client seems to have dropped off the face of the earth—like a ghost! As we talked about last week, it’s often our reaction to a temporary delay that creates the ghost, not that the client has bad intentions. That’s why it’s critical to give them a graceful way out.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “ghosting,” it means to cut off all communication or contact with someone. It’s easy to understand ghosting a bill collector, but it can be frustrating when a client seemingly cuts off communication regarding something they wanted.?

In my previous article, I talked about the first key for re-sparking communication with clients who have gone silent: give your prospect the benefit of the doubt—I call it giving them a graceful way out.

In other words, instead of calling the overzealous client whose trail has grown colder than an iceberg and leaving borderline assaulting messages, give them a graceful way out. Remember that they are human, and life happens. Stuff comes up that hinders big purchases, regardless of how much they want it. Don’t let your response create more distance in your relationship.

But what do you do when you’ve graduated from Humanity 101 and still feel like you’re being ghosted? Everything in you still feels a flicker of a flame toward the sale. You saw how their eyes lit up. You noticed how the tonation of their voice changed when they were talking about the possibilities.?

If you've called a couple of times and taken a breather for a few days but you're still not hearing back, there’s something else you need to do...?

Take your last shot. For all you know the client is ready to speak but feels that if they did resurface, you will demand they explain why they ghosted you, and so the awkwardness keeps them ghosted. Now that you’ve given them a graceful way out, try this…

Be straightforward. Simply send them a text or email and say, “Did I do anything wrong?” Or, “I respect if you changed your mind, but please tell me so that I don’t have to keep wasting your time with follow-ups.” Remember, questions are always better than demands.?

When I tell salespeople this, many complain, “I’ll lose the sale if I send a text like this. It will make me look weak.”

Here’s my question… What do you have to lose? It’s like playing a game of blackjack (kvittlech). If you’re at 16, while the dealer is showing a 10, it’s best to hit again. You’ve got nothing to lose. Either you’ll get closer to 21 or bust! If you stay at 16, you’re statistically guaranteed to lose anyway!?

In other words, the client is already ghosting you, and at this point, the sale is seemingly lost… so you can only gain by sending a message like this. Asking a simple question shows that you value the relationship and you’re open to hearing their feedback. People don’t like letting people down—most of the time, they’ll send a quick response letting you know you didn’t do anything wrong and explain the real delay and then this leads to dialogue again. Even if they turned the deal down for personal reasons, how you treated them will leave a lasting impression—good or bad. People always remember who was nice and helpful when it comes to sales.?

What if you did do something the prospect didn’t like? Well… they'll either continue to ignore you or tell you what happened. Either way, it’s a win! You have new information to grow from, and/or you're no longer wasting your time chasing someone who isn’t doing business with you anyway.

One of the most important keys is that whatever you do, it has to be genuine. At the end of the day, you should genuinely want the best for the prospect. If you do any sales method as a way to manipulate the client, it will ultimately come off as disingenuous.

If you want the ghost to speak, treat the client as a human with kindness and ask questions. Let them know you’re open to their feedback. You have nothing to lose. If there’s one thing humans like sharing, it’s their opinions!?

Check back next week when I share one of the biggest lessons I learned from my dad.