Latest / Sales Leadership with Fexingo: Quota Carriers, Sales Managers, and Revenue Teams / How to Handle a Prospect Who Ghosts You
Transcript
- Lucas: You sent a great proposal. The demo went well. The prospect said they'd circle back. And then... nothing. No reply, no call, not even a 'not interested.' Luna: The ghost. It's one of the most frustrating things in sales. And it's happening more now than ever. Lucas: Yeah, data from HubSpot last year showed that over 60 percent of sales reps say ghosting is their biggest prospecting challenge. And it's not just early-stage leads—it happens at every stage. Luna: So why do buyers ghost? I've always assumed it's because they're not interested but don't want to say no. Lucas: That's part of it. But research from Gong actually found that the top reason is decision fatigue. The buyer is overwhelmed. They have multiple vendors, internal stakeholders, budget approvals—and silence is easier than a difficult conversation. Luna: So it's not personal. It's just... noise. Lucas: Exactly. And once you frame it that way, you stop taking it personally. Then you can build a system for re-engagement. Today I want to walk through a three-step approach I've seen work: the pause, the value-drop, and the graceful exit. Luna: Okay, let's start with the pause. How long do you wait before following up? Lucas: I like what sales trainer Mike Weinberg calls the 48-hour rule. If they said they'd get back to you, give them exactly two business days. No sooner, no later. Too soon and you look pushy. Too late and you lose momentum. Luna: And if they didn't set an expectation? Like, you just sent a proposal and heard crickets. Lucas: Then I'd wait a full week. Send a short, neutral email—something like 'Hey, just checking in. Any questions on the proposal?' No pressure. No 'did you get this?' Luna: That's the pause. Then step two: the value-drop. Lucas: Right. If another week passes with no reply, you need to give them a reason to re-engage. Not a 'just following up'—that's noise. You need to drop a specific piece of value. A case study relevant to their industry. A new data point. A one-sentence insight from a recent customer conversation. Luna: So it's not about your product. It's about helping them do their job better. Lucas: Exactly. I had a rep I coached who was selling to HR teams. A prospect ghosted after a great discovery call. So the rep sent a short email with a link to a benchmark report on retention rates. The subject line was 'Thought this might help with your Q4 planning.' No ask. Just value. Luna: And did they respond? Lucas: They did. Two days later. The prospect said, 'Thanks, this is exactly what I needed. Can we reschedule?' That deal closed three weeks later. Luna: So the value-drop is really about repositioning yourself from 'vendor' to 'resource.' Lucas: That's the whole idea. And if that still gets no reply, you move to step three: the graceful exit. Luna: Which is what—a breakup email? Lucas: Sort of. But framed as a release. You write something like, 'I'm going to assume this isn't a priority right now. I'll close your file, but if anything changes, feel free to reach out. No hard feelings.' Luna: And that actually works? I'd think they'd just ignore it. Lucas: Counterintuitively, it often gets a response. Because it removes the guilt. The buyer no longer feels obligated to reply. And sometimes that relief makes them say, 'Wait, actually, I do want to talk.' Luna: Huh. So the graceful exit is almost a reverse psychology play. Lucas: It is. And it's honest. You're not playing games—you're respecting their time while keeping the door open. Luna: I'd love to hear a specific script for that. What does the actual email look like? Lucas: Sure. The one I've seen work best goes something like: 'Hi, I've reached out a couple of times without hearing back. I'm guessing this isn't the right time for you, so I'll close the loop on my end. If your situation changes down the road, feel free to ping me. Wish you all the best.' Luna: No 'let me know if I can help'? Lucas: No. That's still a soft ask. You want to fully release them. That's what makes it effective. Luna: Interesting. So the key is to actually mean it. You're not trying to trick them into responding. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the mindset shift a lot of reps need. Ghosting isn't a rejection—it's a signal that the timing or priority isn't aligned. Your job isn't to chase; it's to stay visible and add value until the timing changes. Luna: Speaking of staying visible—and this is a bit of a tangent—but one thing that keeps our work visible is listener support. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these conversations going. If you've gotten something out of them, buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo makes a real difference. Lucas: Yeah, it's modest but it adds up. No pressure, but if this show has moved your thinking forward in some small way, that's the place. And we're back to ghosting. Luna: Right. So we've got the pause, the value-drop, the graceful exit. But what about timing? Are there certain days or times that work better? Lucas: There's data on that. According to a study by HubSpot, Tuesday and Thursday mornings tend to have the highest open and reply rates for sales emails. But honestly, I think the content matters more than the timestamp. Luna: So don't obsess over sending at 8:02 AM on a Tuesday. Lucas: Right. If you're sending a value-drop that's genuinely helpful, they'll open it whenever it lands. Luna: One thing I've wondered about: what if the ghosting happens after a verbal commitment? Like, they said yes, but then went silent. Lucas: That's a different beast. Usually it means something internal changed—budget freeze, new stakeholder, a competitor swooped in. In that case, I'd skip the pause and go straight to a value-drop that addresses a potential internal objection. Luna: So you'd assume there's an obstacle, not disinterest. Lucas: Exactly. Send something like a one-page ROI summary they can share with their boss. Or a comparison chart against the competitor you suspect they're considering. Luna: That's smart. You're giving them ammunition for an internal conversation. Lucas: And you're showing you understand their world. That's what breaks the silence. Luna: Let's talk about the channels. Email is the obvious one, but should you try LinkedIn or a phone call? Lucas: I'd stick with email for the first two touches. Then switch channels. A LinkedIn message can work, but keep it short—'Hey, sent you an email last week. No rush, just wanted to make sure it didn't get buried.' Then if that doesn't work, a phone call as a last resort. Luna: But not voicemail, right? Nobody listens to voicemail. Lucas: Surprisingly, some do. But I'd leave a brief voicemail only if you have a specific reason—like a new piece of information they need to know. Otherwise, it's better to send a text or a follow-up email. Luna: So the takeaway is: ghosting is mostly noise, not rejection. Have a system. Don't take it personally. Lucas: Exactly. And remember, the goal isn't to force a reply. It's to stay top of mind so that when they're ready, they think of you first. Luna: I like that. It takes the pressure off both sides. Lucas: Alright, that's the ghost. Next episode, we'll tackle something even trickier—the prospect who says 'not interested' but clearly has a need. How do you handle that? Luna: Looking forward to it.