Ever had a conversation with someone who almost said yes to your offer?
I’m talking about the ones who got on a call with you, and said
“OMG I need this, but now is not the right time UGH!”
And because they were sooooo close, you gave them space
“No problem, just let me know!”
And then? You never followed up.
Not because you didn’t care, but because you didn’t know how to circle back without sounding desperate, pushy and/or weird.
But here’s the truth: “Not now” is not a “no.”
It’s a delay.
And if you don’t build a system to follow up, you’ll lose the sale not because they weren’t ready… but because you never came back…
When someone says, “I want to join, just not right now,” they’re usually in one of three stages:
- They genuinely need to shift something before saying yes
- They’re scared to make a decision and using “timing” as a polite way to pause
- They actually do want to move forward, but didn’t feel safe, supported, or clear enough to act in that moment
The good news? Every single one of those scenarios is follow-up-able.
But you need to remember: they don’t just magically reappear.
And if you’re still waiting for them to circle back on their own… You’re not being respectful, you’re being forgotten.
It’s not that they didn’t mean what they said or that they changed their mind.
It’s that you didn’t make it easy to come back.
So here’s how you do that… without sounding desperate, pushy, or weird:
You re-open the conversation by anchoring it to the moment they paused, with purpose and context.
You say things like:
“Hey! You mentioned wanting to revisit this after your May launch, how did it go?”
“You popped into my mind today. Last time we talked, timing was tight. Want me to send over a quick update on where things are at now?”
The magic here is that you’re not pitching again.
You’re reconnecting based on something personal and specific.
THAT’S what makes it feel safe for them to respond.
Because the truth is, most people don’t ghost you out of disinterest.
They ghost because too much time passed + now it feels awkward to come back.
They’re hoping you’ll make it easier.
When I reach back out, I’m not saying,
“Hey, ready to buy now?”
I’m saying,
“Want to take another look?”
One is pressure. The other is partnership.
And that’s the core shift here: Don’t follow up to push the sale.
Follow up to reopen the conversation.
Follow up to remind them they’re still supported.
Follow up to make it easier to say “yes” this time.
Because most of the time, they were almost there.
They just needed you to come back and lead! 😉
