Pretend You Didn't Get The Message — by Dan Lynn
By Dan Lynn
We had been in business for about a year and I was excited about the day in front of me. I had two prospect calls with senior marketing people in two Fortune 500 companies. It was a beautiful day, I was an entrepreneur, I was going to have fun, and I was going to close some business.
Well, the first meeting didn't go so well. It's a rather humbling experience to go from being a Division Vice President at a major company to leading a small start-up. No one knows who you are and no one cares. You have zero leverage. They made me wait in the reception area for about an hour. When I finally got a chance to do my pitch, they were completely distracted, disinterested, and disengaged. I remember walking out thinking "Wow, that was bad. I left a great job at a great company to get treated like an entry-level sales person from a no name company. This certainly isn't going to be easy."
The good news was that I had another meeting planned at another major company for the afternoon. I'd show them. I was going to hit a home run at that meeting.
On my drive back to the office I listened to my voicemail messages. There was a message from my next appointment's secretary saying "Mr. Jones woke up this morning, saw your name on his calendar and wondered why he was going to meet with you. He wants to cancel the meeting and doesn't think there is a need to reschedule."
Well, it couldn't get any worse. Wow, what a humbling experience. And it wasn't even noon yet!
I decided to call my wife on my way back to the office. I told her about my miserable day. She said, "pretend you didn't get the message." I said, "what?" She said, "pretend you didn't get the message and just go there anyway." Not too bad an idea, right?
So, I went to my appointment. I walked into the building and right up to the secretary. She said, "didn't you get the message?" I said, "what message?" Well, the secretary felt so bad that I never received the message she immediately "owed me one". She agreed to reschedule the meeting. At least I had it back on my calendar.
The day before the next meeting, I called and left the following message: "Good afternoon Mr. Jones. When you wake up tomorrow and check your calendar you are going to see my name on it. You are going to wonder why I am on your calendar and probably want to cancel the meeting. However, I've prepared a fairly detailed market analysis specific to your company and am anxious to share it with you. The good news is there is a lot of opportunity to drive significantly more online sales for your business. The bad news is your competitors are one step ahead of you. I think, once you've had a chance to see the work I've prepared, you'll be glad we met. Thanks in advance for your time tomorrow and I look forward to meeting with you."
Well, we met. Long story short, we closed a $29,000 deal that turned into a $150,000 deal that turned into a $350,000 deal that turned in to a $1,400,000 deal. So, if someone calls to cancel the meeting, pretend you didn't get the message.
Questions this Key Learning answers
What do I do when a prospect cancels before meeting me?
Dan Lynn’s story suggests that an early cancellation is not always a considered rejection. The prospect may simply lack a reason to make time for an unknown vendor. The author persisted, regained the meeting, and returned with a detailed analysis specific to the company rather than merely repeating his original request.
How do I get a senior buyer to reconsider a meeting?
The author gave the buyer a concrete reason to reconsider: a tailored market analysis showing opportunities for more online sales and how competitors were already ahead. As our analysis notes, effective persistence brings new information. It reduces uncertainty, clarifies the stakes, and makes the proposed conversation more valuable than the one initially declined.
Should I keep following up after a prospect says no?
The lesson is to distinguish a reflexive brush-off from a considered rejection. Dan Lynn did not simply repeat the same pitch until the prospect surrendered. He followed up with company-specific evidence that demonstrated preparation and potential value. Our analysis frames every follow-up as an obligation to add something useful, not just ask again.