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- Silence can be golden - if you break it
Silence can be golden - if you break it
The Business Builder Volume 3 Issue 15
Bill Brelsford
August 15, 2025
Another overlooked source of growth is your prospects who almost became clients.
The ones who ghosted you, as the kids say 😉.
It’s easy to assume that their silence means “No.”
But prospects go quiet for any number of reasons.
They get busy. The time isn’t right. There’s another decision maker. Life gets in the way.
But how do you reopen these conversations?
Here’s what doesn’t work well…
Sending - “Are you still interested?” or “Just checking in” messages.
I’m sure you’ve received plenty of those and found most of them annoying.
Here’s a better approach…
Keep the conversation about them. Focus on helping them achieve their goals.
Rather than “are you still interested?” try, “I had another idea about how to achieve (your goal). Do you have time for a quick call?”
Instead of “just checking in,” try “I saw (news or event in their industry) and have an idea of how you can take advantage of the opportunity it presents. Are you open to a quick chat?”
When crafting your follow-up messages, keep them:
Intriguing and short
Specific to them/their situation
Low-pressure
Hint at the benefit for them, but don’t give it away
Once you’ve done this a few times, you’ll find that you will have 2 or 3 “templates” that you can reuse with minor tweaks.
It’s a lot easier to reopen conversations with “ghosts” than it is to find and convert cold leads, so don’t overlook this opportunity.
And if you’d like help writing your scripts, give me a call.
Bill
913.962.9261
Assumptions are made, and most assumptions are wrong.
Are your robots biased?
This is one of the more interesting legal stories I’ve seen related to AI.
A class action lawsuit, Mobley v. Workday, alleges that Workday's AI hiring tools discriminate against applicants based on age, race, and disability.
Who’s responsible? The provider of the tool or those who used it?
It’s a good reminder of the perils of abdicating responsibility - whether through outsourcing, automation, or AI. Link →
Brands can sponsor user posts for LinkedIn events
It’s a new option under their Thought Leader Ads. Brands will need permission from the member before the ad can run. Link →
OpenAI learns the hard way…
That performance isn’t everything. Just 24 hours after GPT-5's release, parts of the update were rolled back because users preferred the old version's tone and personality over the new one's performance improvements. Link →
A perplexing offer?
Perplexity made an unsolicited offer to buy Chrome from Google. They actually offered more than Perplexity is worth. No word from Google yet. Link →
And this…
McDonaldland, the promotional fantasy world that debuted in 1971, is back. This time as a virtual reality experience. Link →
Featured Picks
📚️ Featured Book - 80/20 Sales & Marketing
You’ve been hearing about the 80/20 Rule since your high school days. Perry Marshall’s book shows how to apply the Pareto Principle to marketing and sales so that you can grow your business more efficiently. Amazon Link →
🛠️ Featured Tool - ClickUp -
ClickUp is a solid project management option with CRM features. I’ve been using it for about 8 months now and I’m very happy with it. Link →
📷️ Featured Image - Summer Heat
It’s going to be another hot one this weekend - stay cool.
photo credit - Bill Brelsford @ KC zoo
Let me know. Just hit reply (I read every reply), I’d love to know what you think.
Thanks for reading.
Bill
913.962.9261
P.S. Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help you grow your business.
1) Connect with me on LinkedIn
I'm on LinkedIn primarily to grow and support my network. Connect with me and let me know who makes a good connection for you.
2) Try the Offer Scorecard
When you have a great offer, everything in marketing and sales becomes easier. Reply to this email with “Offer” and I’ll send you the guide so you can evaluate and improve your offer.
3) Work with me One-on-One
And get unlimited, sales-driven copywriting for a flat monthly fee.
Reply to this message and put “One-on-One” in the subject line. Tell me a little about your business and what you'd like to work on together, and I'll get you all the details!