The Pattern Interrupt Re-Engagement Email
Ghosted prospects answer 'where should we go from here?' in hours.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 85%
This is Miner's word-for-word re-engagement sequence for ghosted prospects. The first email drops all 'just following up' language and instead says 'tried to reach you a few times but didn't hear back... where should we go from here?' The pattern interrupt plus the implicit no-oriented framing gets fast replies. If still silent, a 4-5 day follow-up mirrors back the prospect's own stated goal and asks 'did you give up on [their goal], or what actually happened?' — a no-oriented question they can't easily ignore.
Origin
Miner built the sequence from behavioral science on reptilian-brain triggers and no-oriented questions (a technique he discusses with his friend, negotiator Chris Voss), refined through field use across 163 industries his company trains.
Core principles
- 01Words like 'just following up' and 'just checking in' instantly signal 'salesperson' and get ignored.
- 02Experts aren't needy; frantic multi-daily follow-up looks desperate and lowers status.
- 03No-oriented questions give the prospect a sense of control and are easier to answer than yes-questions.
- 04Copy the exact wording — adding or fluffing breaks it.
How to run it
- 1
Stop the needy follow-up
Don't email, text and call three times a day 'just following up' — it makes you look needy and desperate, and experts aren't needy.
Watch out Words like 'just checking in' make the prospect stop reading at the first sentence.
- 2
Send the 'where should we go from here' email
Write exactly: 'Hey John, tried to reach you a few times and left a few messages last week, but we didn't hear back... [two lines down] Where should we go from here?' Sign off. Nothing more.
Pro tip Copy it word for word — don't add 'I look forward to your response' or brag about being the #1 brand.
Watch out Changing or fluffing the wording breaks it.
- 3
Send the mirror-back email after 4-5 days
If still silent, wait four or five days and send: 'Hey John, you'd mentioned you wanted to book an extra 500 sales calls a month and get to $10M this year... Did you give up on scaling, or what actually happened?'
Pro tip Repeat back their own stated goal — it's hard to ignore and it's a no-oriented question.
Watch out Don't email the next day; that's too soon and reads as weird.
In the wild
A rep has a discovery call, schedules a second meeting, and the company ghosts. Instead of frantic daily chasing, the rep sends the two-line 'where should we go from here?' email, then the mirror-back email days later.
→ Prospects who ignored long emails and voicemails reply quickly with apologies and reasons; Miner estimates only ~25% still won't respond.
Common mistakes
Using 'just following up' language
It's the exact script every salesperson uses, so the reptilian brain flags 'salesperson' and the prospect stops reading.
Rewriting the template
Adding words, fluffing it up, or bragging about your brand breaks the pattern interrupt and kills the response rate.
Is it for you?
Best for
Salespeople chasing prospects who ghosted after a first or second meeting.
Not ideal for
First-touch cold outreach where no prior conversation or stated goal exists.
From the transcript
“hey John tried to reach a few times and left a few voicemails last week comma but we didn't hear back from you dot dot…”
“getting them to say no leads to that yes yeah they feel more in control they feel like they're making their own decision”
From the episode
Jeremy Miner: The Neuroscience of Selling, Master the Secrets to Effortless Sales
Jeremy Miner