The Client Who Said Yes to Everything and Then Disappeared
They agreed with every point. They asked for the contract. They said Monday works perfectly. Then the inbox went silent, the phone rang out, and the calendar invite sat unclaimed. This is the official investigation into the most common haunting in B2B sales.
Ghost Sighting Classification System
Not all disappearances are the same. After extensive field research, four distinct species of sales ghost have been identified. Each has a unique behavioral signature, vanish point, and underlying psychology. Understanding which type you are dealing with determines whether recovery is possible.
This classification connects directly to the broader question of why your best lead went dark - but focuses specifically on the over-agreeable pattern that precedes the vanishing.
The Over-Agreeable Prospect
Definition: A prospect who agrees with every point, volunteers enthusiasm, requests materials or meetings, and appears to be a certain close - but never follows through on any commitment. The over-agreeable prospect uses agreement as a social tool to avoid confrontation, not as a signal of buying intent. Their "yes" means "I do not want this conversation to become uncomfortable," not "I am ready to buy."
The Polite Phantom
Agrees to everything, mirrors your enthusiasm, asks smart questions, requests the proposal
After receiving the contract or pricing
Most common type in service sales
Conflict avoidant. Saying yes in the moment feels easier than saying no to your face. The email inbox becomes the escape hatch.
The Enthusiastic Apparition
Genuinely excited during the call, shares internal plans, mentions budget, volunteers next steps
After the first follow-up or after involving a second stakeholder
Common with solo decision makers who discover they need approval
Real interest that collided with reality. Something changed after the call - budget review, spouse input, a competing priority. They lack the courage to deliver bad news.
The Scheduled Specter
Books a follow-up meeting, confirms the day before, then no-shows
The meeting itself - never joins, never reschedules
Frequent with prospects who use calendar booking as a way to end the current conversation
Booking the meeting was an exit strategy, not a commitment. It felt easier than saying no right now.
The Residual Haunt
Goes silent but keeps opening your emails, visiting your site, watching your content
Never fully disappears - lurks without engaging
Common with prospects who are interested but facing internal blockers
Still evaluating. The silence is not rejection - it is indecision. Something prevents them from moving forward, but they have not ruled you out.
Early Warning Detection System
Every ghost leaves traces before they disappear. The problem is that the signals look positive on the surface. A frictionless sales conversation feels great in the moment, but friction is actually what separates real buyers from polite ghosts. If you have ever had a reply that means maybe, the early warning signs were likely present from the start.
The Ghost Probability Formula
When the numerator is high and the denominator is zero, you are almost certainly talking to a ghost. Real buyers push back. Real buyers ask how things work. Real buyers mention obstacles. The absence of friction is not the presence of commitment.
| Signal Detected | Looks Like (Normal) | Actually Is (Ghost) | Diagnostic Question |
|---|---|---|---|
They agree with everything you say | A prospect who understands your value | A person who avoids confrontation by defaulting to yes | "What concerns would your team have about this approach?" |
They rush to get the proposal | An eager buyer ready to commit | Someone who wants to end the conversation and review alone | "Before I send that over - what would make you decide NOT to move forward?" |
They volunteer a timeline without being asked | A prospect with urgency | A person giving you what you want to hear so you stop selling | "What happens if you do not start this by [their date]? What is the actual consequence?" |
They never push back on price | A well-budgeted buyer | Someone who has no intention of paying and therefore no reason to negotiate | "Most clients at this stage ask about pricing flexibility. What is driving your budget for this?" |
They ask zero questions about process or deliverables | A trusting prospect | A disengaged listener who already checked out | "Walk me through what happens on your end after you sign. Who needs to be involved?" |
The Core Insight
A real buyer creates friction. They negotiate. They ask about edge cases. They mention that their partner needs to review the numbers. A prospect who says yes to everything is not making it easy for you - they are making it easy for themselves to leave. The goal is not a frictionless conversation. The goal is a conversation that surfaces real commitment or real objections. Either one moves the deal forward. Only silence kills it.
The Agreement-to-Action Qualification Framework
Qualifying harder does not mean being aggressive. It means converting verbal agreement into observable action before investing more time. Every "yes" from a prospect should trigger a small, low-stakes ask that tests whether the agreement is real. If they cannot take a minor action now, they will not take a major action later. This principle also applies when a prospect asks for a proposal - the request itself is not commitment.
Accepting Agreement at Face Value
- They said yes, so you send the contract immediately
- You book the next meeting without confirming who else needs to be involved
- You count this as a pipeline deal with high close probability
- You wait days before following up because it felt like a sure thing
Testing Agreement with Micro-Commitments
- They said yes, so you ask them to share a specific detail before the proposal goes out
- You ask who else reviews spending decisions and whether they should join the next call
- You mark it as qualified only after they complete one action outside the conversation
- You follow up within hours while the commitment is still fresh in their mind
The Micro-Commitment Ladder
Each rung tests whether agreement translates to action. A ghost fails at rung one or two. A real buyer climbs without prompting.
Rung 1: Reply to a follow-up email within 24 hours
Can they respond to a simple message?
Ghosts fail here most oftenRung 2: Share a specific piece of information you requested
Will they invest effort outside the meeting?
Eliminates polite phantomsRung 3: Introduce you to a second stakeholder or decision maker
Are they willing to put their internal credibility on the line?
Strong qualification signalRung 4: Confirm a meeting with a calendar invite they created
Will they take ownership of the next step?
Near-certain commitmentFrequently Asked Questions
QWhy do prospects agree to things they have no intention of doing?
Most people are conflict avoidant. Saying yes in a live conversation is the path of least resistance. Saying no requires explanation, pushback, and emotional labor. The prospect calculates - consciously or not - that agreeing now and ignoring later costs them nothing. For the salesperson, it costs everything: time, pipeline accuracy, and emotional energy.
QHow can I tell the difference between genuine enthusiasm and polite agreement?
Genuine buyers surface obstacles. They ask about timelines, implementation, internal approval processes, and what happens if things go wrong. Polite agreers stay positive and frictionless. If a conversation has zero objections, zero concerns, and zero questions about process, the prospect is likely performing agreement rather than committing to action.
QShould I confront a prospect about ghosting?
Not directly. Accusatory language kills any chance of re-engagement. Instead, send a low-pressure message that gives them an easy exit: 'If the timing has changed or this is no longer a priority, no hard feelings - just let me know so I can update my notes.' This works because it removes the social cost of saying no. Many ghosts reply to this message because you made it safe to be honest.
QIs ghosting always a lost deal?
Not always. Some ghosts are the Residual Haunt type - still interested but stuck. Budget freezes, internal politics, personal emergencies, and shifting priorities all cause silence. The key is distinguishing between prospects who disappeared because they were never interested and those who disappeared because something changed. Email open tracking and site visit data help with this distinction.
QHow many follow-ups should I send after being ghosted?
Three to five over a 30-day window, each with a different angle. Do not repeat the same message. Try a value-add, a case study, a direct question, and a graceful exit. If five well-crafted messages get no response, move the prospect to a long-term nurture sequence and stop active pursuit.
The follow-up cadence after ghosting matters as much as the detection. For guidance on timing and approach, see what to send after they said not now and what happens to leads you never follow up with.
Ghost Hunter's Field Notes
Field Note #1
Agreement Is Not Commitment
Discovery Call
Verbal confirmation with zero pushback detected. No questions about process, timeline, or obstacles.
A prospect who agrees with everything is performing social politeness, not demonstrating buying intent. Treat frictionless conversations as a warning sign, not a green light.
Field Note #2
The Vanish Point Reveals the Type
Post-Proposal Phase
Subject went dark after receiving contract. Email open tracking shows document was viewed but not forwarded internally.
Where a ghost disappears tells you what they were avoiding. After pricing means cost shock. After contract means commitment fear. After involving others means they never had authority.
Field Note #3
Micro-Commitments Expose Ghosts Early
Between First and Second Meeting
Subject failed to complete a low-effort action requested during call. No reply to simple follow-up within 48 hours.
If a prospect cannot respond to an email or share a detail they offered, they will not sign a contract. Test with small asks before investing in proposals.
Field Note #4
Asking About Obstacles Creates Safety
Mid-Conversation Qualification
Introducing questions about concerns and blockers produced more honest responses than asking for buy-in.
Prospects ghost because saying no feels uncomfortable. Asking what might prevent this from working gives them permission to surface real objections instead of faking agreement.
Field Note #5
The Graceful Exit Recovers Some Ghosts
Post-Ghost Follow-Up Sequence
Low-pressure closure messages received higher response rates than persistent follow-ups from confirmed ghosts.
When you make it safe to say no, some ghosts come back. A message that removes social cost - 'no hard feelings, just updating my notes' - often gets the honest reply that aggressive follow-ups never will.
Case Closed
The ghost was never a mystery. They told you exactly who they were by agreeing to everything without hesitating, questioning, or pushing back. Real prospects create friction because real decisions involve trade-offs. The next time someone says yes to everything, do not celebrate. Investigate. Ask what could go wrong. Ask who else needs to weigh in. Ask for one small action before the next step. If they cannot give you that, they were never going to give you the contract. The haunting ends when you stop mistaking politeness for commitment.