5 Reasons That Client Is Not Returning Your Call… or Email (And What to Do About It!)

It can be one of the most frustrating things to happen in your business. Everything seems to be rolling along smoothly with a prospective client. The money is “practically in the bank.” And then suddenly, nothing. Not a peep. They’ve gone radio silent.

What happened? Was it something you said? Or did? Maybe. Maybe not. Let’s look at five of the most common reasons you’re not hearing back from them.

They don’t want to deliver bad news. Yes, it could be that your concerns are true. For whatever reason, the prospective client has decided against hiring you. It may be no fault of your own. (I once had a potential client project evaporate overnight because the primary point of contact was fired for embezzlement. So trust me when I say: anything can happen.) But bottom line is that people hate delivering bad news and, as a result, it’s natural for them to want to avoid you if this is the case.
Their priorities have shifted. It’s amazing how quickly things can change in the corporate world without any warning at all. For corporate decision makers this means things that were burning hot on their to-do list one day can disappear from the radar screen the next. And while common courtesy would be for them to call you and explain this, often times prospects won’t because of either #1 above or #3 below.
They're swamped. People in the corporate world are insanely busy. So much so that they often only accomplish one meaningful thing a day, if that. And typically the one thing they focus on first isn’t necessarily the thing that’s of greatest importance — it’s the thing that’s the most urgent. There’s a big difference between the two, and it’s good to understand what that difference is.
They’re waiting on an answer. A fact of life in the corporate world is that one person can rarely make decisions alone. Call it red tape. Or even death by committee. But because priorities shift constantly — and because everyone is so busy — it can often take a while for a potential client to come to a final decision and be ready to move forward. And when you’re on the outside, it can feel like an eternity.
They weren’t serious about buying from you in the first place. It’s an unfortunate truth. But every now and again, all a corporate representative really wants from you is information. Maybe they are tire kicking just to find out what something would cost — or even doing a quick cost comparison to find out if their current vendor is charging them fairly. Either way, if this is the case, you’re not likely to hear back from them.
So… what does this mean for you? First, if you’re not hearing back, don’t panic. It doesn’t necessarily mean the deal won’t get done.

Second, focus on what you can do to help prevent this from happening in the future. Spend time getting to know your target market inside and out. The better you understand their biggest pain points, the better you can align your services to what they need most. And, more importantly, the better you can articulate your value in a way that creates a critical sense of urgency.