VOLUME 03 — GHOSTED
Silence is
not a no.
It is not a yes either.
23 situations, from a quote that went quiet to a client who only answers on one channel. Each one already has the email written — and the two ways you could go, with what each one costs you.
The sample is the real file — one situation open, the other 22 listed, and the diagnostic quiz working on all 23.
SITUATION GH-1-1 — THE QUIET QUOTE
The slot you are
holding for free.
One of the 23, printed in full. Nothing is held back for the paid version — this is what every situation looks like inside.
The situation
You sent a quote or proposal, and it's been quiet since — no reply, no questions, nothing declining it either.
Real riskLeave it open indefinitely with no check-in, and you can't tell whether you're still in the running or just holding a slot nobody's coming back for.
EVERY SITUATION HAS TWO OR THREE
You pick the tone.
The draft follows.
The same situation, two ways to answer it. Each one says what it gains you and what it costs — before you send anything.
Check in without pressure
Ask if they had a chance to look it over and whether they have questions.
- Gain
- Keeps it easy to say yes later, costs nothing
- Cost
- No pressure applied, they can keep delaying
Set a date to stop holding the slot
State plainly that you'll need to release the time you'd set aside if you don't hear back.
- Gain
- Forces a real answer, frees you to plan around other work
- Cost
- Might read as pressure on a client who was still deciding
The draft above is the first one. The others are written out in full as well — all 46 of them are.
WHAT YOU OPEN
One file.
No account.
Double-click it and you are already here. Nothing installs, nothing signs in, and it keeps working with the wifi off.
Pick the situation, or paste the client's email and let it work out which one you are in.
ALL 23 SITUATIONS
23 situations.
46 drafts.
The whole list, in the open. If your situation is not on it, this is not your volume — and that is worth knowing before you pay.
You sent something and haven't heard back
Proposal or quote stage — before any contract exists
6 SIT · 12 DRAFTS- You sent a quote or proposal, and it's been quiet since — no reply, no questions, nothing declining it either.
- You sent one reminder after the original quote, and it's still silent — no response to either message.
- You've followed up more than once now with no response at all, and it's time to decide what happens to this proposal.
- They responded to the quote and said they wanted to move forward, but it's gone quiet since the contract was sent for signature.
- They said yes on a call, the agreement went out for signature — and it's still sitting unsigned after your first reminder.
- They said yes, the agreement never came back signed, and repeated nudges have gone nowhere. Time to take the project off the table.
Feedback on active work has gone quiet
Mid-project — a round of work is waiting on a response
3 SIT · 6 DRAFTS- You sent over the latest round of work, and there's been no feedback yet — no approval, no requested changes, nothing.
- You sent a reminder after the first check-in, and there's still no feedback — the schedule is now visibly slipping.
- Feedback has gone unanswered more than once now, and the project has effectively stalled — it's time to force a real answer.
Delivered, but no confirmation it landed
After final delivery — approval or sign-off is missing
3 SIT · 6 DRAFTS- You delivered the final files, and there's been no confirmation that everything landed or looks right.
- You've asked for approval more than once now, and it's still unconfirmed — but the project needs to move to invoicing regardless.
- The project has sat unconfirmed long enough that it needs to be closed out formally, one way or another, regardless of a response.
It's not silence everywhere — just a pattern
One topic, one channel, or one client who's always slow
3 SIT · 6 DRAFTS- Everything else in this project gets a response, but one specific topic — usually the one about extra cost — goes quiet every time it comes up.
- This client is consistently slow to respond across the whole project, not on any one topic — it's just a pattern by now.
- Emails to this client go unanswered, but they respond quickly on text or messenger when something comes up there instead.
It's gone on long enough to force a decision
Re-engaging after a gap, or deciding whether to let go
4 SIT · 8 DRAFTS- After a long stretch of silence, they've suddenly reached back out wanting to pick the project back up, as if no time had passed.
- This has reached the point where a final deadline needs to be set — one more clear date, with a real consequence if it passes.
- The silence has gone on long enough that the real question isn't how to reach them again — it's whether to keep trying at all.
- After a long quiet stretch they're back and want to pick up where things left off — and this time there's a signed agreement underneath it all.
Before it starts
Settling it while nothing has gone wrong yet
4 SIT · 8 DRAFTS- The kickoff covered scope and price in detail, but nobody said anything about response times. Neither of you has named how fast either side should reply to messages during the project.
- On the kickoff call, the client mentioned wanting quick turnarounds on approvals. No actual number was agreed on, and nothing about it made it into writing.
- The client's own project agreement is thorough on deliverables and price. It says nothing about what happens if they don't respond to a review request.
- This is your second engagement with a client who went quiet for two weeks last time, midway through the project. There was no explanation until you'd already sent three follow-ups.
WHEN ONE VOLUME IS NOT THE SHAPE OF IT
Silence is rarely
the only problem.
The client who goes quiet on feedback is often the same one who pays late and adds work at the end. Six volumes, in one file that keeps a single history per client, is a different tool — not this one with extras.
BEFORE YOU BUY
Straight
answers.
What do I actually receive?
One HTML file. Open it in any browser — no install, no account, no login. Keep a copy and it keeps working, with or without us.
Does an AI write the emails?
No. All 46 drafts are written in advance. If your browser has on-device AI, you can paste the client's email and it works out which situation you are in. Without it, two or three taps get you to the same place.
Is there a point where I should just give up?
Yes, and four of the situations are about deciding that — including how to withdraw a proposal or close a file without burning the relationship.
They answer on text but not email.
That is one of the 23. So is the client who is slow at every stage rather than on any one thing — the drafts differ because the problem does.
I might want the other volumes later.
Then start here anyway. If you get the System afterwards, this $18 comes off it — email hello@useclearbound.com from the address you bought with and we will take it off. Starting small costs you nothing extra.
Does my data go anywhere?
No. What you type stays in your browser on your machine. There is no account and no server, so there is nowhere for it to go.
PRICE
One held slot
pays for it.
The Ghosted Playbook
- 23 situations — from the first sign to the last resort, for when they stop replying
- 46 drafts, each one written out in full
- Two or three approaches per situation, with what each costs
- 4 to settle before the work starts
- One HTML file · works offline · no account · yours forever
Upgrading to the System later? This $18 comes off it.
VOLUME 03 — GHOSTED
Ask once,
with a date.
23 situations and 46 drafts for the reply that never came. Opens in any browser and stays yours.