Why do mentors ghost after promising a referral

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I sent the follow-up and heard nothing. What now?

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Answer 1 · 2026-06-11T17:35:04+00:00

That stings, and yeah, I’ve had people be warm in the call and then vanish into smoke. A promised referral isn’t real until there’s a name, date, or intro thread. I’d send one last follow-up with a 2-line ask and a deadline like “by Friday.” If there’s still silence after 7 days, move on - protect your time instead of babysitting maybe-yes energy.

Answer 2 · 2026-06-15T17:58:27+00:00

Referrals die in inboxes. Send one short nudge after 5 business days, include the exact ask and a copy-paste intro line, then stop chasing if they miss that second window.