Harnessing the Power of Leverage in Sales Conversations

Brian Kemski wants to know how to stop prospects from ghosting him. He asks a question that plagues salespeople everywhere: "What can I do about prospects who go through the process, seem interested, and then disappear into the witness protection program after I give them my information?" If you've been in sales for more than a week, you know exactly what Brian is talking about. You have a great discovery call, you build rapport, you send over your proposal or pricing...and suddenly—radio silence. The prospect ghosts you, leaving you frantically checking your email every five minutes and wondering what the hell happened. In this Ask Jeb episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast I'm going to teach you how to prevent it. You Gave Away Your Leverage for Free During our conversation, I asked Brian to consider what he'd do if I offered him $100 to go get me a Big Mac. He wasn't interested. When I upped it to $200, he started considering it. At $500, he was ready to make the trip. Why? Because at $500, the value exchange made sense to him. Your sales information works exactly the same way. Your pricing, specs, and solutions have real value. When you hand them over without getting anything in return—especially before completing your sales process—you're essentially giving away hundred-dollar bills for free. And once you give away all your value, the prospect has no more reason to talk to you. Understanding Power and Leverage in Sales In most sales situations, your prospect has more power than you do because they have more alternatives than you. They can choose your competitors or simply decide to do nothing. The only way to level the playing field is through leverage—something you have that they want because it provides value to them. It's like that hurricane example I gave Brian: If there's a hurricane in Miami, all the power is out, and you're the only person selling ice, you have all the power because there are no other options. But in normal business situations, your prospect has plenty of options, which gives them power. Your information is the leverage that gets prospects to "dance to your tune." Once you give that away without getting anything in return, you've surrendered all your power. Your Sales Process Should Be a Value Exchange Here's what your sales process should look like instead: Use discovery calls to build value: Ask questions that help prospects think differently about their problems. Create insights they can't get elsewhere. Meet multiple stakeholders: Insist on speaking with everyone involved in the decision. This builds relationships across the organization and prevents ghosting. Present your proposal in person: NEVER email a proposal. Your proposal meeting should be a closing meeting where you're getting a yes or no. Look for engagement at every step: If prospects aren't willing to invest time and effort in your process, they're showing you they aren't serious. Each step of your process should involve the prospect giving something (usually time and information) to get something from you. This creates what psychologists call the "investment effect"—the more effort people put into something, the more they value it. The RFP Trap The clearest example of giving away leverage is responding to RFPs without conditions. When you fill out all that information and send it without meeting the decision-makers, you'll rarely hear back. My approach? "I'm not filling out all that information until you meet with me." If they want your solution badly enough, they'll meet. If they don't, you've saved yourself hours of wasted time. I practice what I preach, but I'm not perfect. Just last November, I spent 12 hours on a proposal I knew had little chance of closing because I'd skipped steps in my own process. I gave away my leverage for free, and they ghosted me—exactly as I predicted they would. I have to relearn this lesson once or twice a year. Maybe you do too.= You Need the Power to Walk Away For this approach to work, you need a full pipeline. Because a full pipeline gives you more alternatives allowing you to walk away from prospects who won't engage in your process. This is precisely why I'm so fanatical about prospecting. When your pipeline is full, you have options. You can afford to lose deals that were never going to close anyway. You can sell without selling. Look for the Warning Signs As you engage with prospects, watch for these warning signs of future ghosting: Unwillingness to introduce you to other stakeholders Reluctance to share budgets or timelines Resistance to following your sales process Lack of engagement in discovery conversations Pushing for pricing or proposals too early When you see these signs, address them directly: "I notice you're hesitant to introduce me to your team. For us to create the right solution, I need to understand all stakeholders' needs. Is there a reason you're uncomfortable with that?" The Bottom Line on Ghosting Prospects ghost you when they've gotten what they wanted without having to commit to anything. The solution is simple but requires discipline: Don't give away valuable information for free Insist that prospects follow your sales process Look for reciprocal investment at every stage Be willing to walk away when prospects won't engage Keep your pipeline full so you can afford to lose bad deals Remember: What are prospects willing to do for your information? Hold the line on that question, and you'll dramatically reduce the number of people who ghost you and disappear into the "witness protection program." To learn more about how to avoid being ghosted take Jeb Blount's course on Sales Gravy University: The Real Secrets to Avoiding Stalled Deals and Prospects Who Ghost You