Has this ever happened to you?
A prospect contacts you, you submit a proposal, the prospect says “Yes, let’s do this,” and then… they disappear.
It’s happened to me twice.
Disappearing Act #1
The first time, the client said “Let’s go ahead. Please write my sales letter.” So I send her my client questionnaire and don’t hear from her for days. When I followed up with her, she replied, “Oh, I found a copywriter who charges less and, you know, things being what they are these days, I’m keeping a close watch on my budget. I hope you understand.”
Well, yes, of course I understand. But she could have told me earlier, right?
Disappearing Act #2
Here’s the second case of my disappearing prospect: Again, she says “Your proposal looks reasonable. Please write my sales letter because the one I have now totally sucks.” I send her the questionnaire and the invoice, and never hear from her again.
I follow up with her after almost two weeks. Because, you know, she might have missed the questionnaire and invoice. After all, those things happen. Still, no response.
So the only conclusion I can draw is that, like Disappearing Prospect #1, she found a cheaper copywriter and decided to go with that one.
Which is perfectly fine with me. Really. I don’t want to work with entrepreneurs who can’t afford me. Or who are less than fully convinced that my work will help them make more money.
The Real Problem
On the other hand, I have to wonder: whatever happened to common courtesy? And word of honor?
Verbal agreements are considered legally binding. So are emails!
What saddens me even more is that these prospects and I circulate in the same virtual circles. It’s awkward because I know some of our common friends regard them highly… and yet I know that they’ve been less than professional with me.
A Message to Outsourcers
If you’re an entrepreneur who hires freelancers, please always be forthright with the service providers you deal with. I know it’s hard to say you chose somebody else, but it’s the right thing to do. Just send off an email that says something like, “Thank you very much for your quotation, but I decided to go with somebody else at this time.”
And when you’ve said that you will hire somebody, please be true to your word. Even if it is a written word.
Or if something came up and you have to change your mind, then please let the person on the other end know. Don’t leave them in the dark. It’s not nice. And it’s not polite.
A Message to Fellow Freelancers
If your prospect disappears on you, don’t jump to conclusions. It’s easy to beat yourself up and blame yourself for what happened.
However, it could be a number of things. They may have missed your message altogether, be going through a really tough time, or a million other things.
Do follow up politely after a reasonable amount of time, say, 3 days to a week. You may or may not get a response. If not, then assume that the prospect has decided to contract somebody else. No biggie. He or she wasn’t the perfect client for you, so move on.
And if you want to learn more about this phenomenon of the “disappearing prospect,” I highly recommend Mark Silver’s post, “Why People Disappear After They’ve Said Yes.” You’ll find plenty of wisdom there.
How About You?
Have you ever had prospects disappear on you, even after they’ve said “yes” to you? How did you handle it? What other thoughts do you have on this mystery?
I’d love to hear what you think.
photo credit: askthepixel
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Lexi,
I think you’re right on point with this topic. As you say, communication is merely a professional courtesy that shows respect for the other person’s time and talents. It also allows the other person closure.
Jennifer Brown Banks´s last blog ..Guest Post***The Roar Series**Pamela Ferdinand
You got it, Jennifer. Unfortunately, it looks some entrepreneurs forget about professional courtesy. Hey, just because we’re not in a corporate setting doesn’t mean we deserve any less respect, right?
Great post, Lexi. I’m dealing with a similar situation right now and have found myself asking the same question. How hard is it to simply shoot off an e-mail saying that you have decided to go in a different direction? You’ve hit the nail on the head here – just because we’re freelancers doesn’t mean we don’t deserve a little old fashioned common courtesy. At the very least, it definitely makes you think about how business relationships are evolving in today’s marketplace.
@Bridget – Sorry to hear you’re going through this now. I guess every freelancer is bound to experience this. It’s really annoying and sad at the same time.
Well, I can definitely relate.
As a stuffy Brit, I see this as the equivalent of holding the door open for someone, who then shuffles silently by without so much as a “thanks”
However: like you point out, be careful of jumping to conclusions. I met up with a prospect a few months back. Went out of my way to see them. All went well – agreement in principle to work together.
I email a couple of days later to follow up and…nothing. For two weeks.
By that time I’ve decided that this person is a rude timewaster and a filthy stain on humanity. Then I get a call. Turns out he’s been in hospital with a burst appendix.
I finished the contract last week, he paid three days later. So beware of rushed judgements!
Hi Paul! Thank you very much for sharing your recent experience. That’s an excellent reminder that we should NEVER jump to conclusions.
Hi –
I design custom needlepoint stitch guides, charts, and plaids. I work for designers, shops, and individuals. In general people in this industry are not quick to pay and often find YOU in the wrong if you press them for payment. I lost one designer client because I had to demand payment that was 90 days late.
It’s gotten so bad that now for customs stitch guides for all but a few long-time designer clients a 50% non-refundable deposit must be paid at the time the work is commissioned. For individuals they do not get their product until the balance is paid in full.
For shops they have 30 days to pay, but a history of late payments means future work must be paid in full before work commences.
With plaids payment must be complete before work starts.
I like to think people are honest, but I’ve had enough times when I’ve done work and not been paid, that now I am very cautious.
Keep Stitching,
Janet
Janet Perry´s last blog ..Feb 18, Needlepoint Cruise to Alaska with Janet Perry
Thanks for sharing your experience, Janet. All the more reason why freelancers should require at least a deposit before starting work. In my case, I sometimes require full payment upfront. We do have to protect ourselves.
There’s a number of reasons why it has happened to me. First off, I think it’s fair to say first where I’m from and who I generally work with. I’m from Mexico and Mexicans do these kinds of things, of not responding.
One is: prospect doesn’t really see the business value of Graphic Design, they just see it as a personal ego booster, at least that’s how medical doctors are in general over here, I’ve worked with lots of them. It’s funny how when you start talking numbers they disappear.
Two: They have a million things going on, it’s not that they’re not interested, they’ve just postponed the project, they’re procrastinating maybe. Again, lack of interest in the project because they probably don’t have a clear vision of the business value of Graphic Design.
Thanks for sharing, Etienne. It’s a frustrating experience. As freelancers, we just have to learn to live with it and roll with the punches.