Let me paint you a picture: I’m a small business owner who finally managed to overcome the massive hurdle of not just landing but almost converting a new client. I fully engage them in deep discussions, and everything seems to be going well. Perfect symbiosis, right? Then all of a sudden - poof. The client ghosts. All of a sudden, I’m left with this nagging feeling in my gut that I did something wrong. I said the wrong thing, I didn’t do what they expected. Now, I’m left in the lurch with an unsigned agreement, wasted time, and a cash flow that won’t flow at all.
A feeling that haunts me
One of the real reasons ghosting hurts so much is because we spend so much energy nurturing a relationship that never lifted off. It’s like a great date that didn’t go anywhere. We’re left thinking “What if?” or wondering what could have been. And, that feeling bites. I can’t express how frustrating it is to invest time and effort into client acquisition and service delivery, only to have a client disappear without explanation.
It’s no secret that attracting and converting a client is one of the toughest tasks for small business owners and as you can see, I feel your pain. Others do, too, and sometimes, we even need to get a little creative to drive potential business our way. Many of us try our hand at social marketing, advertising, or joining a network to increase the number of clients we acquire. It’s a tiresome, constant hustle to attract and retain anyone, period. And, when It’s such a hard-fought battle, every client lost is one we feel we missed out on.
Vanishing into thin air
To back it up for just a second, ghosting is when someone abruptly cuts off all communication without any explanation, leaving the other party uncertain and without closure. For us small business owners, this makes it difficult to move forward with projects or secure payments.
Being ghosted as a small business owner never feels good because it's more than just a financial setback. For me, it’s a blow to my professional pride and personal morale. On top of that, getting left without feedback makes it difficult to improve or learn from the experience, leading to a sense of helplessness. This emotional toll can be heavy, especially when my intentions are centered on helping my customers succeed and grow. It’s a stark reminder that, despite my best efforts, client relationships can be fragile and unpredictable.
Reasons they get spooked
My feelings, as well as yours are valid. And even though ghosting feels personal (it can even keep you up at night), sometimes it’s just not about me or you. There are other reasons that clients ghost that we typically can’t fathom so early on, but come to realize later when we look back at the lost deal.
- The timing is off: Sometimes, clients go silent because the timing isn’t right for them. They might be dealing with internal issues, budget constraints, or simply not be ready to commit.
- It’s just not a good fit: clients might realize that my services don’t align perfectly with their needs, but instead of communicating this, they choose to disappear.
- They’re exploring a competitor: clients often explore multiple options before making a decision. If they find a competitor offering a better deal or service, they might ghost me without notice.
- They have buyer indecision: Indecisiveness can paralyze clients. They might feel overwhelmed by the decision-making process and don’t want to let me down, so they opt to avoid it altogether by cutting off communication.
Goodbye to Ghosting
Ghosting can be a demoralizing experience, however, there are ways to handle and even prevent it. You have the wise approach, the smart approach and of course, the Anchor way of preventing client ghosting. If you want to learn more about these strategies, find out which one you’ve been implementing, and how the latter can work for you, check out my session on avoiding ghosting on the CPAacademy website. We no longer need to feel the sting of being ignored or forgotten; instead, let’s try and re-engage clients.
