logo
episode-header-image
Jun 13
27m 51s

How I Get Prospects to Show Up, Even Whe...

Donald C. Kelly
About this episode

I hope you enjoyed my funny intro, because it would be nice if you could call on Ghostbusters when prospects decide not to follow up with you. In the last few episodes, we've focused on strategies to ensure prospects attend scheduled meetings. 

I'm exploring this topic more with my guest, Steven Schneider, CEO & Co-founder of TrioSEO. He shares what he and his team are doing to keep clients from ghosting appointments.

Meet Steven Schneide

  • Steven Schneider collaborated with two fellow sales experts to help scale multiple businesses into 6- to 8-figure enterprises by optimizing their SEO keywords on their websites.
  • Even though he runs a multimillion-dollar SEO agency, he still struggles with clients who frequently fail to show up for appointments. He's sharing tactics that you can use in your sales approach.

How His Company Handles Ghosting Prospects

  • No matter how much you prepare for the follow-up or how many reminders you send, sometimes prospects simply don't show up for the meeting. 
  • I asked Steven how his team is handling this common sales problem. He says that people often ghost sellers because they're actually too busy to respond, or they're shopping around to find the right product.
  • Steven shares that he keeps this in mind and realizes that he is low on their priority list.
  • So, he tackles their pain points and dives deep into them to show prospects why they need his assistance or product.
  • He also shares how he views each client as a unique case study if they're not following up. He goes to their website, sees why their traffic has dipped, and sends a screenshot of it. 
  • Then, he shares his follow-up proposal with the prospect again. This is how he digs into the pain point and shows why working with him is valuable. Often, ghosting prospects will follow up with him after he sends this email.

During the Follow-Up Meeting

  • After he successfully gets a ghosting prospect to attend the meeting, he begins by asking questions to help them uncover what they already know. 
  • Then, he shows them the website mistakes that are causing them to lose potential leads and money.
  • It's a strategy that works so well for him that he's able to close deals right then and there.

Handling First-Time Leads with No Prior Contact

  • Steven has a unique method to help keep first-time leads, who are in the very beginning stages of the sales funnel, from ghosting. 
  • He shares how his website provides a contact form with questions to filter out whether prospects are a good fit for his company's services. This lets him know who is serious and who isn't.
  • Once they’re able to schedule a meeting, he sends an email sharing a little warning of why they must not forget to attend it. 

How Individual Sellers Can Help

  • The first two examples focus on collaboration between the marketing and sales departments to tackle ghosting clients. But what can an individual seller do to help?
  • Steven suggests it's a good idea to share a case study to illustrate what success will look like if prospects attend the meeting. He recommends including this in follow-up emails to confirm appointments and demonstrate the value of the service.

“Treat every client as a unique case study to learn something new.” - Steven Schneider. 

Resources

Connect with Steven on LinkedIn.

Learn more about TrioSEO here.

Up next
Aug 22
Why Your AI Sales Strategy Is Failing And How To Fix It | Doug Foley - 1926
Are you trying to use AI to speed up your sales cycle, only to find it's making your prospects' experience worse? The key is using technology to your advantage, not against you.In this episode, I'm joined by Doug Foley, an expert in sales enablement and AI integration. He shares ... Show More
32m 28s
Aug 18
The Easy 8-Step Framework to Win Enterprise Deals in the AI Era | Daren Fields - 1925
Today's buyers are more informed than ever, thanks to AI. Yet, they remain wary of sellers who rely on it too heavily, creating a unique challenge: How can you leverage technology to enhance your sales process without losing the authentic, personal connection that closes deals?To ... Show More
35m 47s
Aug 15
Stop Saying "Just Following"... Do This Instead! | Donald Kelly - 1924
After three to four follow-up emails, you start feeling like you're just an annoying fly to your prospects. Honestly, you're probably just buzzing their inboxes, especially if you're only sending simple "just checking in" messages. In this episode, I'll show you how to send follo ... Show More
15m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
630: Marcus Sheridan - How To Build Trust, Drive Sales, and Earn Endless Customers
Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 2024
Pivoting to Success: The Tenbound Story
What if the key to your company’s success lay hidden in a challenge you’re currently facing? David Dulany's journey from sales frustration to creating a thriving business is a testament to this idea.In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman speaks with David Dulan ... Show More
37m 6s
Dec 2024
Cigars, Salespeople, & Sales Training: Walter Crosby on The Sales Podcast
Walter Crosby and I discuss the unique challenges and processes involved in hiring and managing salespeople. Salespeople are coin-operated...and a little bit...strange. There. I said it. We get into what I always teach is a sales manager's #1 job. (And it's not to review your CRM ... Show More
57m 58s
Jun 27
5 Game-Changing Sales Insights from Q2 2025
The second quarter of 2025 delivered some incredible conversations on the Sales Gravy podcast. From discipline strategies that separate winners from wannabes to the psychology of selling that most reps completely miss, here are the five most powerful insights that can transform y ... Show More
18m 28s
Nov 2023
Ep 231 | Creating a Sales Strategy for 2024 with Harry Spaight
When you think about sales how does it make you feel? For most people they feel icky and greasy. Sales doesn't have to be that way. You can implement a sales strategy into your fundraising approach so that you have a constant stream of people coming into your network for you to b ... Show More
33m 20s
Oct 2024
Jerry Acuff Shares How To Create The Relationship Edge In Sales
In this episode of The Sales Podcast, I sit down with renowned sales expert Jerry Acuff to uncover his top strategies for building stronger relationships and driving sales success. https://bonus.thesalespodcast.com/ Jerry, the CEO and founder of Delta Point and the author of seve ... Show More
41m 18s
Jun 2024
The 7 Steps To Get People To Buy, With Cole Gordon
Professional Sales Tips you'll learn today on The Sales Podcast... Is sales dead? Is closing dead? For higher ticket sales, you need great salespeople MDR, SDR, Account Executives SDRs are reaching out cold (Sales Development Reps) MDRs reach out after you opt-in for something (M ... Show More
31m 9s
Jun 20
Mastering the 3 Deadliest Sales Objections | Andy Elliott
Andy’s Elite 1 on 1 ROLE PLAY SALES COACH where you can master any objection any closing scenario for any industry: https://elliott247.com/free-30-smIn this throwback video, Andy & Guest speaker Eric Cline go over the TOP TOUGHEST objections that most sales people face on a day t ... Show More
28m 8s
Jul 2024
From Problem to Product: Sujan Patel's Path to Mailshake
In 2015, Sujan Patel faced a common frustration: sales teams failing to follow up with prospects. His solution? Build a tool so effective that it turned into a successful company, Mailshake.In this episode, Alice Heiman talks with Sujan Patel, co-founder of Mailshake, about his j ... Show More
39m 19s
Jun 5
Sales Training // Jab Your Prospects, Flip The Script, Control the Sale // Learn How on The Sales Podcast with Wes Schaeffer, The Sales Whisperer®
#12WeeksToPeak #salestraining #SelfImprovement I'm going solo today to start year 13 of The Sales Podcast, episode 718.I updated an old blog post about "jabbing hard-charging" prospects to 'flip the script' in sales.Our job in sales is to disqualify prospects, engage them effecti ... Show More
28m 13s