People Aren't Ghosting You. You're Confusing Them.

Following on from last week’s blog, I realised that there was a little more to the problem.

The other day, I was stuck on a website. Six clicks to get where I needed to go.

I had no choice but to keep going because I needed their platform. But honestly? If I'd had any other option, I would've bailed after click two and had I been buying anything, the sale would not have happened.

As I stumbled through endless links, all I could think was: "There has to be an easier way than this. Why has no one looked this website?"

It made me think about how often confusion kills a sale. Not just online, but everywhere, in emails, in proposals, in conversations.

Here's the truth: if your customer feels like that even once, they're gone. They won't tell you they're frustrated. They won't email you asking for a simpler process. They'll just disappear.

And you'll think they "ghosted" you.

But they didn't. You confused them, you tired them out, and you made them work too hard to say yes.

The Silent Killer: Confusion

We like to think buying decisions are logical. They aren't. They're emotional first, rational second.

When your messaging isn't clear, when you haven't made it ridiculously simple for someone to understand exactly what you do, how it helps them, and why they should act now, their brain goes into "protect" mode.

No clarity = no action.

No action = "ghosting."

They're not ignoring you. They're stuck. And in business, stuck equals lost sales.

Think about it: how often do you find that when you speak to someone directly, you seal the deal? It's because you can see the confusion, hesitation, or disinterest in their eyes and you instinctively adjust what you're saying. You change your words, your tone, your examples. You meet them where they are.

Online, over email, through your marketing material, you don't have that luxury.

You can't course-correct in real time.

Your messaging has to be crystal clear from the first second.

3 Ways You're Accidentally Confusing Your Leads:

1. You're giving them too many options. "You could do X or Y or Z!" sounds generous. It actually paralyses them. One clear offer. One clear next step. It’s absolutely great to have the options, but if you 're pitching to someone, make sure they know which one you recommend for them - you’ve taken the decision-making process and confusion away. Here’s an example, you go into a fabulous cake shop and you’re asked what you want, the sales assistant reels off dozens of choices and you’re left bamboozled. If though at the end she says “my favourite is the raspberry and coconut and it’s so popular today,” provided you like raspberry and coconut, chances are you’ll have a slice of that - there easy.

2. You're hiding the main action. Your "book a call" button is buried. Your best service is four pages deep. Or your key point is lost three paragraphs down in an email. The thing you most want them to do must be central, obvious, and available straight away. I had this brought to my attention recently when I realised my CTA wasn’t on my home page.

3. You're using internal language, not customer language. You say "bespoke solutions for scalable transformation." They hear "blah blah blah money black hole." Speak like a human. Not like a pitch deck. I do hate “solutions” unless of course you’re solving puzzles!

Want better response rates? Make it simple.

Look at your website. Look at your last sales email. Look at your proposal template. If the one thing you most want someone to do isn't blindingly obvious within 5 seconds, you're losing people.

You don't need fancier marketing. You don't need a "better audience."

You need a sharper, simpler message.

If you want clear, confident messaging that moves your business forward, let's talk. I can help you sharpen your strategy and make sure your marketing is doing the heavy lifting.