You talked (often) to an extremely promising prospect. They loved everything you had to say. They responded to your emails and calls. Now it’s radio silence. What’s a salesperson to do?

The first thing you need to remember is that in almost all cases, it isn’t you, it’s them. In other words, chances are great that when a B2B prospect fails to respond after a period of great interest, it has to do with something within their company. You still, understandably, want to get back into their good graces and get them in the sales funnel once again. Here are some ways to do just that:

1. Avoid dwelling on the past. Desperation is never a good look. Start every follow-up call as if it is the first. Failing to act otherwise causes a prospect begins to feel guilty and uncomfortable when you call and that only leads to more avoidance.
2. Examine your close. If you try to close every interaction the same way, chances are it will end the same way: with no sale. A new close can spur a new reaction or help to reengage your prospect.
3. Don’t be so predictable. Are you calling at the same day and time? While this may work great for you, it might not for the prospect. Calling at different times means you may catch them when they have more time to talk and ponder what you have to say.
4. Ditch the drama. Sure, it’s tempting to leave a voicemail issuing an ultimatum: “If you don’t call me back, I guess that you are no longer interested.” This rarely, if ever, works. Instead, it may come off as rude. Instead, tell them that you will follow up in a few months if you don’t hear from them. This leaves the door open without feeling the need to pester.

Finally, sometimes the best approach is to ditch an approach all together. When a prospect sees that you are interested in helping them, whether or not they buy from you, you will build a solid relationship that may pay off in ways just as profitable as a sale. One of those ways is referrals. For example, an email including a link to something you know they are interested in (not necessarily business-related) will make them feel that you value them whether or not they become a customer. And this, in the end, may lead to their becoming a customer after all!