Why Your Prospects Are Ignoring You (And How to Fix It)

We’ve all been there. You have a great call with a prospect, they seem excited, and then… nothing. Emails go unread, calls go to voicemail, and suddenly, they’ve disappeared. You tell yourself they got busy, but deep down, you wonder—did I lose them?

Most salespeople react in one of two ways:

1. They panic and flood the prospect’s inbox with “just checking in” emails.
2. They give up too soon, assuming the deal is dead.

Both are wrong. The real issue? You’re not staying relevant in their world.

The Problem with Traditional Follow-Ups

Most follow-ups fail because they’re transactional, not relational.

• “Just checking in” is about you, not them.
• Sending a proposal and waiting is passive, not proactive.
• Following up with generic value adds doesn’t make you stand out.

Your prospect isn’t ignoring you because they’re uninterested. They’re overwhelmed. Their inbox is full of salespeople just like you. If you want to get noticed, you need a better approach.

The Better Way: Personalization + Creativity + Consistency

Instead of blending into the noise, break the pattern. Here’s how:

1. Lead with Empathy Before assuming they’ve lost interest, assume positive intent.

• Call the office and ask, “Hey, I’ve been in touch with [Name], and we had a great conversation, but I haven’t heard back. I just wanted to check in and see if everything is okay.”
• This isn’t a sales call—it’s a human call. It shows that you care about them, not just the deal.

2. Use Creative, Unexpected Touchpoints Your prospect’s inbox is a battlefield. Win by using offline, personal touches:

• A handwritten note: “Really enjoyed our last conversation—looking forward to catching up when the timing is right.”
• A coffee gift card: “Thought you might need a pick-me-up between meetings.”
• A book with a highlighted passage: “This reminded me of our discussion—thought you’d appreciate it.”

These touches work because they feel intentional and personal—not automated.

3. Diversify Your Outreach Instead of hitting "send" on another email, try:

• LinkedIn video messages: Short, direct, and impossible to ignore.
• Voice notes: More personal than text and takes seconds to record.
• Postcards from conferences: A physical reminder of your conversation.

When your follow-ups are varied, valuable, and unexpected, you stop being a vendor and start being memorable.

Why This Works

This approach flips the traditional follow-up script. Instead of waiting for your prospect to respond, you stay top of mind without being pushy. It creates a relationship, not just a transaction. And most importantly? It sets you apart from every other salesperson flooding their inbox.

Your prospect doesn’t need more emails. They need a reason to remember you.

So here’s your challenge: Take one stalled deal and try one creative follow-up today. Call the office, send a note, drop a LinkedIn video. Do something different.

Then, watch what happens.