How Do You Know When a Deal Is Truly Dead? (It’s Harder Than Ever)

Ghosting used to be something we talked about in dating. Now it’s a common part of professional buying behavior. And it’s made it harder than ever for sellers to know when a deal is really over.

There was a time when going a week without hearing from a prospect just meant they were busy. These days, if you don’t see forward motion quickly, the deal is probably struggling already.

In many industries—especially software—if a prospect goes 4–5 days without engaging, you may already be out of the consideration set. And if they do respond, but the engagement is slow, shallow, and drawn out over weeks… you’ve likely already lost.

Not because they’re bad people. But because:

• Prospects avoid conflict

• Saying “no” feels uncomfortable

• Disappearing is easier than rejecting

Ghosting isn’t the only sign a deal is dying. Other warning signs include:

• No next step after every meeting

• “Positive talk” but no real commitment

• No access to decision-makers

• Momentum turning into “status updates”

• The problem losing urgency internally

One of the hardest skills in sales isn’t closing—it’s recognizing when to stop emotionally investing in a deal that’s already gone.

Curiosity:
How do you decide when to call a deal dead? What signals do you look for?