Most deals don’t die because the product was wrong.
They die after a good call.
The demo went well.
Everyone nodded.
Next steps sounded clear.
Then the follow-up email goes out.
It’s a recap.
The problem with recap emails
Recap emails feel responsible.
They summarize what happened.
They list features discussed.
They thank everyone for their time.
They also do one thing very well.
They let the deal drift.
A recap email documents a conversation.
It doesn’t advance a decision.
What a decision email is designed to do
A decision email has one job.
Force momentum.
Every decision email should produce one of three outcomes:
Yes, let’s move forward
No, this isn’t a fit
A clear next step with a date and owner
Anything else is stall disguised as politeness.
The shift that changes everything
The difference isn’t tone.
It’s intent.
A recap email says:
“Here’s what we talked about.”
A decision email says:
“Here’s what needs to happen next.”
That shift alone eliminates most ghosting.
The Decision Email framework (high level)
Every effective decision email follows the same structure.
No fluff. No creativity contest.
Their problem in their words
You prove you listened. You anchor the “why.”Your recommendation
One path forward. Not six options.2–3 questions that move the deal
Decision process. Timeline. Risk.A mutual plan with dates and owners
This is where momentum lives.A next meeting or a clear trigger
If there’s no next step, the deal isn’t real.
This isn’t theory.
It’s how deals actually move.
Why this works
Decision emails do three things recap emails never do:
They create clarity
They surface blockers early
They make inaction visible
Most buyers don’t ghost intentionally.
They drift because no one forces a decision.
You can.