As Halloween approaches, one annoying aspect of my tenant representation practice continues to haunt me. The term “Ghosting” has only recently entered my vocabulary. The urban dictionary defines it as cutting off all communication to someone, with zero warning or notice beforehand. It is used primarily in dating, but I am seeing it more and more in business.
Ghosting seems more popular among the generation that has grown up with email and cellphones. It has gotten easier to screen calls and ignore emails than it is to make the difficult call to say no. What am I asking for? Tell me yes, I want the deal – or just say no, thank you for your interest. Just please, don’t ignore my calls, texts or emails I welcome you to join me. The world needs less ghosting and more Ghostbusters.
From the Urban Dictionary
I work hard at my craft. As a tenant representative, I help companies to find the best value on the best commercial space for their business. I have an encyclopedic knowledge of thousands of office and industrial properties in South Florida that comes from over 30 years of experience, initially as a research professional, then as a leasing and acquisitions specialist and broker.
I save my clients time, money and aggravation; and my fees are paid by property owners so they receive professional representation at zero cost. My personal mantra in the industry is ABC. You may think that means always be closing, but to me it is always be communicating.
I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but if someone has made a diligent effort to earn my business and I decide to move in a different direction, I believe in ABC – always be communicating. Tell them no, tell them why and walk away with respect. You may do business with that person again some day and you don’t want to burn bridges. By saying no, you save me time by not having to keep following up. It saves you time by not having to delete my voicemails and emails and saves you from feeling guilty for not responding. I have even developed the ABC email, but people often won’t even respond to that. And these aren’t random cold calls, these are usually people who initially reached out to me to ask for help.
Ghosting is killing productivity, causing stress and it has become the single most annoying aspect of my business. So make the call. If you can’t say yes, just say no and put it to bed. Sometimes it’s easier to rip off that band-aid! Business ghosting must stop! Thanks for letting me vent, I feel better already.
Ken Silberling, Ghostbuster
