How to Stop Prospect Ghosting and Move Stalled Deals

In today’s tough economy, it’s (unfortunately) become the norm for deals to stall out—even when everything felt great on the call. 

You’re not imagining it, prospect ghosting has increased and sales cycles are longer (it’s brutal). But that doesn’t mean you’re helpless. By making some tweaks and improvements to your approach and outreach, you can get deals moving again. 

READ: Top Sales Closing Techniques

Whether it’s ensuring you’ve locked in next steps, gotten a commitment from your prospect, or revived stalled conversations, these tactics will help you avoid deals slipping through your fingers.

1. Close Every Call

If you’re not securing the next step before you hang up, you’re missing out. Deals don’t move themselves, you have to drive them forward. That’s why it’s crucial to close every call. The best way to do this is by using the 4 Cs of closing:

• Check-in: Ask your prospect, “Did we hit all your top questions today?” This ensures they feel heard and reassures them that you’re paying attention.
• Commitment: Make sure everyone knows what’s expected before the next call. Are you sending them more info? Are they bringing pricing from a competitor? Clarify all deliverables to ensure everyone’s prepared. It sounds like, “Will you send over the pricing you received from the competition next week after your meeting?”
• Call bridge: Here’s where the magic happens. Lock in the next step on the spot. Don’t settle for a vague promise of a follow-up. Instead, say, “How does Tuesday at 10 AM look for us to review the proposal?” Pull up your calendars and nail it down before you hang up. No next meeting means no progress. Important: Don’t wait to do this 2 minutes before the call ends! Give yourself time to schedule the next call (so they’re not eagerly rushing to their next meeting).
• Close: Finish strong with a positive sign-off. “Thanks, I’m looking forward to our next call!” Leave the prospect feeling good about keeping the deal in motion.

TIP: Master the 4 Cs of closing by taking our course, “Closing Confidently”

Now, to ensure no prospect ghosting ensues, you need to lock in your next meeting with these three key steps:

1. Calendar Invite: Don’t leave the meeting up to chance! Get them to pull up their calendar and schedule it right then. If it’s not on their calendar, it doesn’t exist.
2. Reminder: As soon as you hang up, send a meeting invite with a clear agenda. This helps keep both of you accountable and sets expectations for the next conversation.
3. Cell Phone: Always, always get their cell number. This is your backup plan in case they go dark. Having a direct line makes all the difference when it comes to securing that next call.

Combine the 4 Cs with these three steps, and you’ll ensure that every call ends with a solid plan and keeps your deals moving forward. No more ghosting, no more stalled deals!

2. Get a Customer Commitment

Don’t let the conversation end without getting a customer commitment. It’s simple: give them a little “homework” before the next call. When you ask a prospect to bring something to the table for your next meeting—like competitive pricing or feedback from their team—you secure mindshare.

Why does this work? People are less likely to ghost you if they’ve agreed to do something for the next step. It turns your prospect into an active participant, making them more invested in the process and, ultimately, the deal. This tactic keeps things moving forward while solidifying your partnership.

Here’s another way to think about it: Imagine your friend invites you to a party and asks you to bring the beer. You agree, but when the day comes, all you want to do is stay home in your sweats and binge Netflix. Then you remember, you promised to bring the beer, and your friend is counting on you. So, you get up, get dressed, and head to the party, knowing they’d be upset if you bailed after committing. That’s how mindshare works. By giving you a responsibility, your friend increased the chances you’d follow through.

Securing even a small commitment can be the difference between a deal that fizzles out and one that’s locked in with purpose and momentum.

TIP: Take our 15-minute online course “Getting Deals Moving” to get more customer commitments

3. Re-engage Prospects

When a deal stalls or a prospect ghosts, it’s easy to assume all is lost. But a stalled deal doesn’t mean a dead deal! To re-engage those quiet prospects, you need to get creative and tune into buying signs and signals. What’s going on under the surface? Are they asking about functionality or delivery times? Are they showing glimmers of interest but not committing? Recognizing these signals helps you approach the next touchpoint strategically.

Mix up your communication channels and don’t just stick with email. Reach out through LinkedIn, send a personalized video, or even text (that is, if you’re text buddies). Keep your messaging light but direct. Something like, “Hey, are you buried in work? Let’s reconnect when you’re ready,” shows empathy. Or, if you want to go a bit bolder, say, “Did I drop the ball somewhere?” to draw out what’s really happening.

Urgency also plays a role here. Is there a deadline approaching or a new feature/product that could catch their attention? Mention that to reignite their interest and get them back in the conversation. And when you do get them back on the phone, don’t book them two weeks out. Leave room for urgent follow-ups so you can capitalize on those buying signals.

READ: How to Quickly Transition to Close on Sales Calls

In this tough sales environment, deals won’t close themselves (in fact, only 10% of customers close themselves). You need to be proactive in securing next steps, getting commitments, and re-engaging prospects when things slow down. Whether it’s using the 4 Cs to bridge every call, locking in a prospect’s commitment with small tasks, or mixing up your re-engagement tactics, these strategies will get your deals moving and keep them on track for a win.

The insight in this article was shared in our webinar, “3 Tips to Get Deals Moving NOW (So You Hit Quota!)” 

Watch it here: https://factor8.com/get-deals-moving-workshop/