Greetings!

Let’s talk about one of the most irritating, soul-sucking trends in business today: getting ghosted. You know the drill — someone promises to call you back, meet next week, or “circle back soon.” You wait, you text, you follow up… and nothing. Crickets.

Getting ghosted may not be your fault — but it is your problem. Luckily, it’s also within your control.

Not Your Fault, Oh Really?

So, your contact swore they’d get back to you. What are the odds that your scheduled follow-up happens when and where you planned? Statistically speaking — about 38%. Eventually, you’ll reconnect with some of them, but a few will vanish faster than a free trial that asks for your credit card.

Do most people intend to follow through? Sure. Are they trying to deceive you? Probably not. Then why don’t they call, reply, or show up? Maybe they…

Do most people intend to follow through? Sure. Are they trying to deceive you? Probably not. Then why don’t they call, reply, or show up? Maybe they…

• Got busy.
• Forgot.
• Changed their mind.
• Were abducted by aliens (still more believable than “I didn’t see your email”).

Those may be partly true, but here’s the uncomfortable truth:

They don't think your callback is important enough

Let's pose two extreme scenarios as an illustration. Would a hypothetical person follow through with a call, meeting, or email?

Pretty sure they’d find a way to show up for scenario #2. Taylor Swift doesn’t have problems getting people to show up the second tickets go on sale. Nobody ghosts Taylor Swift.

If urgency and value are high, people move mountains. If not, they move your call into next week — indefinitely.

The Un-Motivational Speaker

This brings me to a hilarious and insightful story. Larry Winget, the self-described “Pitbull of Personal Development,” spent decades on the speaking circuit preaching the usual motivational slogans: “Be your best self,” “Plan your work,” “Turn lemons into lemonade,” and other bumper-sticker wisdom.

One day, Larry snapped. He realized his audiences didn't need more sunshine and affirmations. They needed truth — rough, honest, blunt truth. So, he rebranded himself as The Un-Motivational Speaker.

Prevent Ghosting

If we redefine Ghosting as being the result of the person not being motivated enough to respond, what's our solution? Prevention.

1. Build clear value. Make the “what’s in it for them” obvious.
2. Ask about timing. If mornings are chaos, book late. If afternoons are dead zones, go early.
3. Confirm the channel. In-person > video > phone > text > email. (In that order.)
4. Be specific. “Next week” isn’t specific. Try: “Tuesday at 9:15 AM EST on Zoom.”
5. Get a real commitment. If they sound uncertain, they are uncertain. Push gently until you get clarity.
6. Run the Devil’s Advocate test. Ask: “Is there anything that might throw this off?”
7. If they hesitate, go back to value — they don’t see enough reason to follow through.

The Nuclear Option

Use this one sparingly, but when you need it, it works.

People fear losing something more than they crave gaining it. Examples:

• “That slot’s almost full — next one won’t open until next week.”

• “This special bid expires Friday, so we’ll need to connect beforehand.”

• “Our engineer’s booked solid after Thursday.”

The goal isn’t to manipulate — it’s to highlight real consequences.