Client ghosted you after a pitch? Here's what to do next

Tarunjeet Rattan, managing partner, of Nucleus PR recommends the following plan of action to minimise  ghosting:

1) Ask them to share a detailed brief instead of just sharing a request for a proposal. If you have your own version of the form, insist that they fill it in. You can also ask for a face-to-face/video call meeting for the agency to be briefed. This puts a name and a face to the faceless email and increases accountability by a wee amount.

2) Ask for the budget ( this will weed out most ). This will invariably lead to a conversation on your minimum retainer. Based on the size of the company quote a figure. Their reaction will give you a fair idea on their appetite for PR.

3) Look for a common connect / reference point between you and the brand team and check with them on the credibility of the brand team

4) Ask them how many other agencies have been invited for the pitch. Check with your peers in PR as well as to how many of them have been approached for the proposal. If it is more than five, it is an idea-fishing spree.

5) Ask for a pitching fee (let's see if this works if all of us start asking for it)! 

6) Your first submission should only be credentials, SOW, and cost. Based on that the brand can shortlist agencies. Present strategy, ideas etc only when you are on a shortlist.

7) When you present, insist that all key decision-makers, including the CEO, must be present for the session. Don't present in front of the intern only irrespective of how big the brand is.

If you don't want to do any of the above, then beware that this could potentially be only an idea fishing expedition by the brand teams and run an immensely high risk of being ghosted.

Shishir Somani, CEO- of Archer Public Relations, based in Indore says, "I've encountered many situations where client ghosting can be frustrating. This often occurs when the pitch seems more like a formality, or the client isn't entirely clear on their needs.

In these scenarios, I take a measured approach. After the initial pitch, I follow up with a few gentle messages (no calls or texts) spaced increasingly further apart. These messages reiterate the interest and availability to answer any questions they might have.

My goal is clear communication – a definitive "yes" or "no" – but I understand that ghosting doesn't always reflect the quality of the pitch. There could be internal delays on the client's side which are completely out of my control.

While I wouldn't pursue alternative communication channels to avoid jeopardizing the overall relationship, I do consider the contact person's previous communication style. If someone responsive throughout suddenly goes silent after my initial follow-up attempts, I take that as a sign to wait and assume the project isn't moving forward this time."

Advani says, "The debate on compensating agencies for resources and time dedicated to pitching remains contentious. While some view pitching as a cost of business, others advocate for fair compensation, particularly for elaborate pitches with substantial investment requirements.

Agencies have multiple methods at their disposal to address this issue. One option is to introduce a fee policy for pitches necessitating extensive research and creative input, deducting this fee if the pitch proves successful."

Setu Shah says, "It is not a common practice in India but we have witnessed this from our Singapore office. APAC Clients based in Singapore included the fee as a part of their pitch brief. I hope clients in India too follow the best practices of their global peers. Large listed Indian companies and Global MNCs can start this and lead by example!"

Shashank Bharadwaj, founder and managing partner, of WebX Integrated Marketing Solutions (WebX IMS) explains a common reason for ghosting is that, "Sometimes, pitches and RFPs are invited just for formality. The agency might already be chosen due to existing relationships, but pitches are invited to satisfy tender and vendor onboarding norms."

In such a scenario, Bharadwaj says, ask for budget clarity, "Ask for their budget and resource allocation for PR activities. If the answer is "We are flexible" or "We don't have any budgets in mind", then that's the red flag."

"Additionally, agencies should clearly state that if any ideas proposed in the pitch are used by the prospective client or the winning agency, they must be compensated for it. There are instances where pitches are invited from the agency and the best strategies received will be implemented by the in-house team eventually", adds Bharadwaj.

Puneet Rai, AVP - of growth & strategy at PR Professionals offers,  the following approach:

1. Follow Up Gracefully -- Send a polite follow-up email a week after the initial pitch. This should be a gentle nudge, reaffirming your interest in their project and offering any further information or clarification they might need.

2. Provide Value -- If there’s no response, send a second follow-up with a value-add, such as a relevant industry insight or a recent case study. This shows our commitment and keeps us on their radar.

3. Accept and Move On -- If there’s still no response after two follow-ups, it’s best to move on. Not every pitch will result in a win, and that’s part of the business. Use this as an opportunity to refine your pitching process and identify any areas for improvement.

4. Maintain Professionalism -- Never burn bridges (except for super exceptions). The business world is small, and today’s non-responsive client might become tomorrow’s major account. Always part on good terms, leaving the door open for future opportunities.

Example -- Hi [Client's Name], It seems this might not be the right time for us to collaborate. I appreciate the opportunity to present our ideas to you. Should circumstances change, we would be delighted to revisit this discussion.

Misbah Quadri, Senior PR Specialist, based in balmy Goa says, "The first time this happened, it felt like a rude shock, humiliating and undeserving. With time, I realized that this was the bitter truth of agency life – a hard pill to swallow but meant to be gulped down nonetheless and so we did.

This is a routine procedure which continues till date – as predictable as the arrival of a Monday after every weekend.

I pitched to several big-ticket brands – and even travelled to Delhi/Mumbai frequently for the final in-person pitches. Their corporate communications team would push me to share story ideas, execute these ideas, and share multiple decks – all at no cost. When I would request to be signed on and paid, I would be ghosted. They would then sign on a popular agency which sounded and looked good on paper as their media, PR & communications partner – and discreetly hire me as the “ghost PR freelancer” at a measly cost – whom they had ghosted for a PR mandate but wanted to hire as a consultant to get the actual media coverage done! 

 
I no longer entertain brands no matter how big or small that do not make an upfront payment for their PR deliverables

Komal Rukhana, co-founder of Mint+Milk PR says, "While there is no definitive approach to handle being ghosted, our follow-ups primarily depend on the stages of our communication with the client.

During the early stages and post-introductory meets, we do not follow up aggressively because maybe the client is only at an exploratory stage and might only want to understand an agency's role in their brand growth. 

However, if we have shared our deck with strategy, our follow-ups are far more rigorous because a lot of work and research goes behind building a deck. To safeguard ourselves, however, we ensure the proposal folders are protected and non-downloadable. Should a client be unresponsive for weeks, we revoke the access.