Ghosted? Good for You
Let’s flip the script on something that drives sellers nuts: Getting ghosted.
You finally had momentum. A strong first call, maybe even a great demo. They said, “Let me talk to my team” or “Circle back next week.”
Then… silence. No replies. Nothing but echo.
Frustrating? Yes. But bad? Not necessarily.
Here’s the reframe top sellers understand:
Ghosting isn’t rejection. It’s exposure.
Exposure to:
Misaligned fit
A shaky buyer
A deal that wasn’t qualified as tightly as you thought
Or simply a buyer that lacked urgency (and wasn’t ready to buy anything—yours or anyone else’s)
That silence? It’s not the death of opportunity. It’s the beginning of clarity.
Here’s how elite reps use ghosting to get better:
They re-qualify, not just re-follow-up. If you’re chasing a ghost, pause and reassess: Did I miss the real decision-maker? Did I attach to a blocker instead of a champion? Did I mistake interest for intent?
They revisit the value gap. Sometimes the silence isn’t about price—it’s about priority. Top reps revisit pain, impact, and urgency. If those aren’t clear to the buyer, no amount of email follow-up will close them.
They remove the ego. Elite sellers don’t take silence personally. They take it professionally. Ghosting isn’t a character judgment—it’s data. Use it to sharpen your read and improve your targeting.
They reclaim their energy. A slow “no” is still a “no.” And high-performers don’t spend 80% of their time chasing 20% of their dead pipeline. They move on with intention and fill their funnel with new, qualified momentum.
A reflection for this week:
What if the silence in your inbox is a favor, not a failure?
Because a buyer who ghosts you is doing one thing very clearly:
Showing you they’re not ready.
And now, you’re free to pursue the ones who are. Let the dead leads go. The right ones won't disappear.
About Brian Sullivan
Brian Sullivan, CSP, is the author of 20 Days to the Top and a leading voice in sales training and development. He helps sales teams perfect their prospecting and performance with PRECISE Selling.
