Have you ever gotten far along in the sales cycle with a prospect only to cease all contact just as you are ready to complete the deal? It may be disheartening when a prospect ghosts you, wondering what went wrong and what you could’ve done better. However, just because contact has ceased does not indicate that you will never hear from them again – there may be a variety of reasons for the “ghosting,” and if you had a good feeling about an eventual sale, the ghosting might be due to poor timing. Consider the following recommendations about what to do if a prospect ghosts you.
Has your email opened?
Your first task is to get your email opened. Your prospect may not recognize you unless you’re a coworker, friend, or Madonna (who stopped sending cold emails after Lucky Star).
Here are four follow-up topic lines with a 60 percent open rate:
- Do you still have feelings for me?
- Did I misplace you?
- Do you recognize me?
- Is it due to my receding hairline?
The salutation to prevent ghosting
Your prospects are privately pleading for non-boring conversations. Using surprising phrases is one method to prevent becoming dull. So, instead of opening your email with “hello,” use an alternative welcome. According to Sam Yagan, creator of OkCupid, males who start their online dating messages with “howdy” have a 40% greater success rate than those who start with “hello” or “hey.” Regarding welcomes, the more distinctive, the better it is.
As an example:
How-do-you-do?
How are things going?
What’s up, ‘name?’
Howdy
Have a fantastic Friday!
Greetings
Salutations
So far, here’s what we have:
Is it true that you still love me?
How are you, Beth?
Your very first sentence
Constant interruptions, cold emails, automated 7-touch follow-up sequences, and random phone calls requesting time have worn your prospects down. People are becoming more easily exhausted as a result of technological advancements. So, you’ll need tools to assist you in capturing your prospect’s attention and keeping them engaged with your message so that you can prevent them from ghosting you. Humor is one of the most effective strategies for breaking through and guiding people through your message. (Spoiler alert: your prospects’ sense of humor does not vanish when they get to work.)
The element of surprise is essential to comedy. (I put on my lab coat.) Unexpected connections and surprises cause our brains to chuckle, which creates a cognitive reward by boosting the released dopamine. Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter in “reward” pathways; it encourages pleasurable behavior and determines our happiness. (Removing lab coat.)
When your communications encourage others to smile and make them happy, you become more liked because you are linked with the emotion of happiness. Individuals prefer to be near people they like, everything else being equal. How many individuals do you hang out with that you don’t like? Okay, but leave family members at home. How many are there now? Exactly.
Making “smile moments” by making fun of oneself is one approach to becoming more liked (aka self-deprecating humor).
Like these two Jon Buchan-inspired sentences: I wanted to follow up in a way that shows I’m not salesy, manipulative, or gross. Instead, I wrote this email.
Assure them of what they want to achieve
Remind your prospect of their intended result.
As an example:
I haven’t heard from you in a few weeks, which is completely OK. However, based on our earlier interaction, you indicated a desire to increase your demo to win conversion rates by November 1st.
Give them a simple path out
Your following phrases will employ self-deprecating humor (in this example, a girl who left me for another male on prom) to allow prospects to say no. (Giving individuals the freedom to say no relieves both them and you of stress.)
As an example:
It’s not an issue if you have much on your plate and want to push this out a little. Alternatively, if you’re having second thoughts. I’m used to having second thoughts since a girl I asked to prom (Lisa) changed her mind and went with another evil (OK, maybe not evil, but not as great as me) dude.
Should I reserve time on my calendar for your kickoff?
Sign off
In the spirit of being unexpected, conclude your email as follows:
Have a fantastic Friday
Josh
Add a P.S. line
End with a final smile that brings us back to step 5. I’ll share an odd photo of my prom night with my ghosting story to create an unforgettable moment. Why this unusual image? Because novelty is a powerful tool that grabs attention and awakens people. So, let’s be unique and stand out from the crowd.
As an example:
P.S. This is a photo of myself and my prom date. (Is Lisa envious?)
In a nutshell
Following up is made easy for me by the following three factors:
- Be out of the box.
- Remind your prospect of what they want to achieve.
- Be amusing.
