The “Fadeaway” Lead: How to Reactivate Prospects Who Ghost You Immediately After the Quote
We all have leads that hit the “Fadeaway”—they get the price and vanish. I build a “Defense” automation that tracks when they re-open the proposal 3 weeks later and alerts you to shoot your shot instantly.
The Scouting Report
The Move: “The Fadeaway”
In home services, 60% of prospects go silent immediately after receiving the estimate. This isn’t a “No”—it’s “Sticker Shock” or “Spouse Deliberation.” They step back to create distance, hoping you forget about them so they can think.
The Defense: “The Rebound”
Prospects eventually revisit the quote—usually 14 to 21 days later. Standard CRMs miss this. We implement Document Tracking Automation that alerts your sales team the exact second the PDF is re-opened, allowing for a “coincidental” follow-up call.
Why “Just Checking In” is a Foul
When a prospect fades away, most contractors panic. They send the dreaded text: “Hey, just checking in on that quote.”
This is annoying. It adds pressure without value. The prospect is likely saving money, getting other bids, or arguing with their spouse about the renovation budget.
The Blind Follow-Up
- Day 3: “Did you get the quote?”
- Day 7: “Checking in…”
- Day 14: “Any updates?”
- Day 21: *Crickets*
- Result: You look desperate, and they block your number.
The “Sniper” Follow-Up
- Day 3: Value Add (Link to similar project).
- Day 7-20: Silence (Let them breathe).
- Day 21: *Prospect re-opens quote at 8:00 PM.*
- Day 21 (8:05 PM): You send a “Magic” text.
- Result: “Wow, I was just thinking about you!” (Because they were).
The Playbook: Tech Stack
We cannot do this with a standard PDF attached to an email. We need “Smart Documents” that ping us when they are touched.
| Position | The Player (Tool) | The Role |
|---|---|---|
| Point Guard (Smart Doc) | PandaDoc / BetterProposals / GHL Proposals | These platforms have a “State Change” webhook. They broadcast a signal: Document.Viewed. |
| Center (The Brain) | n8n / Make | Receives the signal. Filters out your views (so you don’t trigger yourself) and checks the “Last Contacted” date. |
| Shooting Guard (Comms) | Twilio / Internal Notification | Sends an internal SMS to your sales rep: “HOT LEAD: [Name] is looking at the $40k quote RIGHT NOW.” |
Executing The “Rebound” Automation
Here is the exact logic we script to catch the Fadeaway.
We configure the Proposal Software to fire a webhook every time the document status changes to “Viewed.”
Critical Filter: We must filter by Viewer_IP or Viewer_Email. If your sales rep opens the doc to check a price, we do NOT want to trigger the alarm. We only want to trigger when the client opens it.
We don’t want to look like stalkers. N8n checks the CRM:
“Has the client viewed this doc in the last 24 hours?”
- If YES: Do nothing (They are just browsing).
- If NO (and it’s been > 7 days): This is a “Resurrection Event.” FIRE THE ALARM.
This logic ensures you only react to meaningful, new behavior.
Your sales rep receives a text: “ALERT: [Client Name] is reviewing the kitchen quote.”
The Play: Wait 5 minutes. Then call or text.
The Script: “Hey [Name], I was just reviewing my project board for next month and your name popped up. Did you guys have any more thoughts on that kitchen layout?”
Because they are currently looking at the document, they will almost always answer. It feels like fate, but it’s advanced lead generation strategy.
The Scoreboard
Why set this up? Because one “Fadeaway” recovery pays for the system for 10 years.
If you sell $20,000 roofing jobs or $50,000 remodels, losing a lead because you “forgot to follow up” is a tragedy.
- Average Contractor Closing Rate: 25%
- Closing Rate with “Live View” Follow-Up: 45%+
This is the difference between a stagnant year and a scaling business.
Bonus Strategy: If they view the proposal 3 times but don’t sign, trigger an automated email from the Owner: “Hey, I see you’re debating the quote. Is price the main sticking point? I might have some flexibility on schedule if that helps.”
Stop Letting Them Walk
You did the work. You did the estimate. Don’t lose the job just because you didn’t know they were interested again. I build the “Defense” that wins games.
Spending too much on leads that ghost? Check out my Ad Spend Management Guide.