How to Manage the Elusive Client

Is He Worth Chasing After?

You just completed a sales call with someone you think will be a great client. The conversation went well. He answered all of your discovery questions. He has a budget. He has an interest in what you are selling. All the boxes are checked. The next appointment is set.

But when you call back at the appointed time, your client ditches you. No advanced notice of him canceling the meeting. No excuses.

Or the client does postpone the appointment but promises to “call you back.” He gives you lame excuses like his mother is in the hospital, or he has to take his cat to the vet. But he doesn’t give you a firm call-back date.

Or better yet, the client recommends a better time for you to follow up. He accepts your meeting invite. But when you call again, there is no answer.

Crickets.

What is going on?

You are working with an elusive client. Like a prairie dog, he pops his head out of the hole one minute, and then before you know it, he retracts his head back into the hole.

Now you see him, and now you don’t.

Before going further, let’s clarify the difference between the elusive client and the ghost client. While an elusive client will occasionally make his presence known, the ghost client will completely disappear. You will never hear from him again.

He’s a disappearing act. Better to leave the ghost client alone and stop pursuing him with calls, emails, and social media messages.

But the elusive client — that’s where you have a reasonable chance of bagging him before he slips away from you again.

But is he worth your time? Let’s consider.

First, why is he a client? Did he contact you, or did you call him?

It matters.

If the client reached out to you first, he’s interested in your company, product, or service. Maybe he heard about you from a referral or discovered your website. Regardless of how he found you, you have initially piqued his interest.

But if you contacted him with a cold call or email, he may be only mildly curious. The elusive client goes through all the motions, grunting at your questions and making passive statements. But in the end, he wants you off the phone or the presentation. Sure, he may schedule an appointment with you to be polite, but when you call back, he’s a no-show.

Second, are you speaking with the right person? Regardless of who contacted who first, what is his position at the company? Is he an entry-level or C-level employee?

That matters too.

If he’s an entry-level employee, he may be too shy to facilitate a meeting between you and key decision-makers. Or worst, he’s just a window shopper who only has a casual interest in what you’re offering. He may like shiny objects, but like a child gazing through the store window, he doesn’t have the authority or money to purchase anything.

You can prod and poke. And to borrow a phrase from the Westerns, you can see if your client will move along like a “little doggie.”

But if he’s not moving, it’s time to give up and search for better hunting grounds.

Now, if he’s a C-level employee, that’s a different story. He may have more authority to pull the budgetary strings to get you an order. He may be vague in his interest and unclear in his responses, but any employee who can sign a contract is worth your time.

Third, does your client trust you? There is an old saying that people buy from those they like.

Wrong.

People buy from those they trust.

When someone makes a purchasing decision, his job and reputation are on the line. So, it doesn’t make any difference whether he likes you or not — he has to trust you to ensure that you’re not going to rip him off with a wrong order.

There is a perception that there is only one decision-maker. Not true. Today, there are many decision-makers at companies.

Why?

Because people want to protect themselves in case an order goes south. So, from their perspective, it’s better to get many people to sign off on an order so that everyone has cover in case a mistake is made.

For example, I have a friend who worked at a large tax research and preparation company who was a rising star. But his star fell when he alone made a buying decision for software that cost his employer millions of dollars in overtime fees to implement and install.

He lost his job. It took him a year of sending out resumes and going to job interviews before he landed a new job.

His star is now dim. But at least he’s not living on unemployment.

As Ze Frank, an online performance artist and humorist, once said

“Trust is a confusing thing. It seems so simple, but when you try to pin it down, it can be so elusive. “

And finally, as they say in the dating scene, maybe he’s not just “into you.” It happens. You hit it off at the beginning of your first conversation with your client. Both of you have a friendly rapport. Both of you have a lot in common. But in the end, your client may have a bad vibe about you or your company and decides to go elsewhere — at least for now.

Or, worst, to borrow another phrase in the dating scene, he just wants to “be friends.”

Ouch!

If you feel like you’re getting the runaround, put your foot down. For example, if your client says to call him back in six months, ask him why? What’s going to change in 6 months? Will his budget be larger? Will new leadership come onboard? If your client hedges in his response, drop him.

Or, if your client insists that he’s the decision-maker, then ask him to sign the contract! If he hems and haws in his response, again, drop him.

Key Takeaway: Chasing after the elusive client may be exhilarating. But when your frustration increases and your quota clock ticks, your pursuit may not be worth it if you can’t pay your bills.

Working with a more sincere and stable client may be boring, but at least you will get an order.