Client Ever Ghosted You?
What It Really Means and How to Reopen Communication with Integrity
If you have coached long enough, it has happened.
A client was engaged. Curious. Responsive. Then suddenly, silence.
No reply. No update. No closure.
I can 100% empathize and want to share actual strategies I have used to reengage clients and get them back on track.
For many coaches, this moment triggers doubt, self-criticism, or the impulse to chase. We start wondering what we did wrong, rewriting messages, softening our tone, or over-explaining our value.
That instinct is understandable. It is also the fastest way to erode your authority and drain your energy.
Ghosting is not a personal failure. It is information.
When a client goes quiet, one of a few things is usually happening:
They are overwhelmed and avoiding decision pressure.
They are experiencing internal resistance or fear of change.
They feel embarrassed about money, timing, or follow-through.
They have not consciously closed the loop and do not know how.
Or they simply deprioritized without malicious intent.
None of those require you to disappear, overextend, or abandon your standards.
Your role as a coach is not to chase.
Your role is to create clean, confident invitations back into conversation.
The difference is subtle. The impact is enormous.
Strong follow-ups do not beg for attention.
They reopen space.
They invite honesty.
They return agency to the client while keeping your dignity intact.
Below are psychology-based, relationship-respecting messages that consistently bring people back into dialogue. Use them as written or adapt them to your voice. The power is in the posture, not the script.
10 Follow-Up Messages That Reopen Communication Without Chasing
Here are actual messages, be them text, or voicemail, I have used to reengage clients and help them recommit to their goals and to receiving teh support they have paid for.
“Happy birthday, [Name]. How are you celebrating?”
Even when it is not their birthday, this message disarms defensiveness. It is human, warm, and unexpected. People respond because it does not feel transactional. The client usually responds with, “Thank you for the kind message yet my birthday isn’t for a few months.” ( or a similar response) The key here is they have interacted and now you can apologize, build in some “just being proactive I guess” humor and see how they are doing. You may even take this as a sign to call them and communicate old-school, over the phone.
“Have you completely given up on me? 🥹”
Said lightly, this interrupts avoidance with emotion and humor. It reminds them there is a real person on the other side of the conversation.
“[Name]?”
Short. Neutral. Confident.
Silence plus simplicity often does more than a paragraph ever could.
“Everything okay? 🙃”
This signals care without pressure. It gives them a dignified way back into contact without explaining themselves.
“[Name], I’m confused. You showed interest, and then things went quiet. Did I miss something? 😕”
This is clean, adult communication. No accusation. No apology. Just clarity.
“Did I do anything wrong?”
This opens the door for reassurance and re-engagement. Most people will respond with honesty and relief, often admitting they simply got busy or stuck.
“Should I save your spot, or give it to someone else?”
This activates decision-making and responsibility without manipulation. It respects your time and theirs.
“I can’t believe this…”
Curiosity is a powerful motivator. Most people will respond just to find out what you mean.
“I’ve shared the information you asked for. I want to be respectful of both our time. How would you like to proceed?”
This communicates self-respect and professionalism. It resets the tone from chasing to mutual accountability.
“I haven’t been able to reach you, and I don’t want to make assumptions. Please let me know how you would like to move forward.”
This is calm, grounded, and final without being harsh. It gives closure if needed and often prompts a response precisely because it is clean.
What Matters More Than the Message
The words matter, but the energy behind them matters more.
If your follow-up is driven by anxiety, it will read as pressure.
If it is driven by resentment, it will land as judgment.
If it is driven by clarity, respect, and grounded self-trust, it will invite honesty.
Ghosting does not mean you are not valuable.
It does not mean you failed.
It does not mean you should abandon your standards.
It means a decision has not yet been consciously made.
Your job as a coach is to invite completion.
Completion can look like re-engagement.
It can also look like a clear no.
Both are preferable to silence.
When you lead follow-ups from steadiness instead of scarcity, you model the very self-leadership you are hired to teach.
And the right clients always recognize that. Here’s to you Coach!
Always in your corner,
Coach Tina Marie St.Cyr