Read Time = 4 minutes
Every tech salesperson deals with prospects going dark. It’s frustrating - especially after you felt like the conversation was heading somewhere. But, it is just a part of being in this business.
Whenever I can’t understand why my outbound isn’t getting responses, my calls aren’t converting to where I want them to, or deals aren’t progressing, it is important to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes.
We can get so caught up in our work & lose sight of the purpose of our job:
To provide value & guidance to our prospects to fix their pain.
Our prospects don’t care about us - they care about their problems & getting them fixed.
So as a simple reminder: prospects don’t “ghost” you - they get busy, priorities shift, internal politics happen / organizations get restructured, & projects stall.
Silence isn’t necessarily rejection, it’s about timing.
Here are 5 simple ways I’ve brought conversations back to life that went cold:
1. Send something useful - not “just checking in.”
If your follow-up adds no value, don’t expect a response.
Drop a case study, article, webinar link, event… anything that shows them you are valuable, understand their pain, & can help.
Give → then ask.
2. Change the channel.
If they’ve gone dark on email, call them.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone back n forth with someone on email & then there was complete silence. Call them up. 9 out of 10 times they will tell you they got super busy & would like to continue the conversation.
If calls aren’t working, DM them on LinkedIn.
A simple pattern interrupt can restart the convo instantly. If a prospect keeps seeing your name pop up in different channels it’s almost impossible to ignore you.
3. Try a new angle.
Don’t repeat the same pitch like a robot.
Mention a new feature, a company update, or something happening in their industry.
Sometimes they’re ignoring the angle, not necessarily you.
If you keep pitching the same angle you might of limited yourself. I’ve had plenty of conversations restart after offering info on other features / products. Don’t box yourself in.
Chances are your product is much more elaborate than your prospect realizes… let them know.
4. Use a low-pressure touch.
Instead of jumping straight to: “When’s a good time for a call?”
Try a softer 1-liner:
“Curious if [X project / pain] is still a focus for your team?”
“[Name], is this still relevant?”
etc.
Easy to answer. Low effort. Low friction.
You’ll be amazed on how many more responses you get when you give your prospect an ‘out’.
5. Call it out, lightly.
This one works more than you’d think:
“Not sure if now’s a bad time or you’re just ignoring me 😅 - let me know either way.”
A little self-awareness goes a long way.
The best reps don’t panic when things go dark. They realize that the prospects they’re dealing with have many things going on.
Just because conversations ‘go cold’ doesn’t have to mean it is all negative. You planted the seeds… things can take time to grow.
Continue to nurture, provide value, and constantly position yourself as a problem solver & they will come back around.
Until next week.
– Rook ♜
ps… I respond to all messages