How to Win Back a Client that’s Ghosting You

Yeah, your client stopped responding, but all hope is not lost! Here’s how you win back a client that’s ghosting you.

We can all agree that retaining clients that you already have is far more efficient and less costly than finding new ones. So obviously it makes a lot of sense to prioritize keeping your current customers happy. But what do you do when one of your long-standing customers starts ignoring your emails and stops answering your calls? How can you win back a client that you feel like you’ve lost? Sure, they could be busy! Life happens, and you can’t always expect people to operate on your time, but there’s also a chance you could be getting ghosted.

In case you’re not hip to Millennial lingo, being “ghosted” is when you’re in regular contact with an individual, and things seem to be going well. Still, then, they vanish suddenly, like an apparition, never to be seen or heard from again. People get ghosted for a lot of different reasons, some more valid than others, but it never feels good, and it’s hard to come back from. Hard, but not impossible. Here we’ll give you five ways to win back a client that’s ghosting you, saving your pockets and sanity.

People get ghosted for a lot of different reasons, some more valid than others, but it never feels good and it’s hard to come back from. Hard, but not impossible.

How to Personalize your Transactions

1. Show them they’re important

When you feel like you’re getting ready to lose a client, one of the best ways to win them back is to make them feel important. Everyone wants to feel like they matter to someone they’re putting their trust into, so it only makes sense to give them what they want. Whether you’re offering them an incentive to come back or promising better, more attentive service, treating a client that’s ghosting you like they’re your only client is an excellent way to show that you genuinely do care. That’s easy to do when you’re afraid of losing them, although the harder, more important part is keeping it up once you win them back.

2. Find out why

You’re not going to know how to learn from this experience if you don’t find out why you’re getting ghosted. However, a lot of the time, ghosting involves ignoring the ghostee even when they ask why they’re being ghosted. In simpler terms, there’s no guarantee that they’ll reply to you when you reach out, but it’s worth a shot.
Clients don’t walk away without reason, so if you can’t get them to tell you why, figure it out for yourself. Be honest with yourself, take inventory of your strengths and weaknesses individually, and your business as a whole. It’s important to be objective here, so if you don’t think you can, find someone who will tell it to you straight. You won’t win back your client if you’re not open to constructive criticism.

3. It’s (not) too late to apologize

Once you figure out what exactly it was that you did wrong, put on your big boy/girl pants and apologize sincerely. A lot of issues are simple misunderstandings that can be resolved with a proper apology. Tell them you’re sorry that things worked out the way they did, and that you’re committed to changing your behavior and providing a better experience should they choose to retain your services. The worst they can say is, “no,” right?

4. Small victories

In all likelihood, you’re not going to win back a client in one fell swoop. You’re going to have to claw your way back to re-earning their trust. Maybe you can get them to meet you for coffee, or attend an event you’re hosting. The plan is to get your foot back in the door and turn a small “yes” into a bigger one.

5. Fire Yourself

Relationships can be tricky. Be it personal or professional; sometimes the chemistry isn’t there. If a client has ghosted you, it’s possible to win them back, but in some instances, ghosts stay ghosts. If you feel like you’ve done everything you can to win back a client, but they’re still hesitant about moving forward with you, it might be time to suggest other options. You may need to refer them to someone within your company for the sake of retaining the overall relationship. Asking a client if they’d be interested in moving forward with a colleague of yours may lead to a much deeper and honest conversation that could lay the groundwork for fixing your relationship.

The important thing here is not to get too emotional. Client churn is part of the business, and while it might not feel good to say goodbye, think of the loss as a new opportunity to win their business. Whether they come back or not, getting ghosted is a chance to learn from your mistakes and better yourself in the process. As long as you’re genuine, honest, and professional, you never know if that door is fully closed. It’s a small world, and you may meet again when the timing is right.

Have you ever had to win back a client you thought you lost? Tell us about it! We love ghost stories.