The 'How Much?' Heartbreak: Why Nigerian Customers Ghost You & How to Win Them Back

The Dreaded Notification: A Story Every Nigerian Vendor Knows

You’ve spent hours perfecting your lighting, snapping the clearest photos of your latest stock, and writing a caption that would make a poet weep. You post it on Instagram, Facebook, or your WhatsApp status. Your phone pings. Your heart leaps. It is a potential customer. They ask the legendary two-word question: "How much?"

You reply instantly with the price. You even add a friendly emoji. Then... silence. One hour passes. Three hours. A day. You’ve been ghosted. You check their profile; they are active, posting their own memes, but your message sits there with two blue ticks, mocking your hustle. Why does this happen so consistently in the Nigerian e-commerce space? Is it your price? Is it your face? Or is there a deeper psychological game at play?

1. The 'Trust Deficit' and the Ghost of 'What I Ordered vs. What I Got'

In Nigeria, online shopping is an exercise in bravery. We have all heard the horror stories—someone orders a luxury dinner gown and receives something that looks like a refurbished mosquito net. This fear is the primary reason for ghosting. When a customer asks "How much?", they aren't just checking their budget; they are testing your energy.

If your response is just a number (e.g., "25k"), you haven't built any trust. You haven't addressed the silent fear in their mind: "If I send this 25k to this person, will I ever see my goods?" This is why verification is crucial. Business owners who use platforms like Kanemtrade to verify their legitimacy or source high-quality, authentic products have a significant advantage. When you can prove your source is reliable, the ghosting rate drops.

2. The Logistics Nightmare: The Hidden Dealbreaker

Frequently, the ghosting doesn't happen after you give the price of the item; it happens after you give the price of delivery. Logistics in Nigeria is a unique beast. You might be selling a beautiful pair of shoes for 15,000 Naira, but when the customer hears that delivery from Lagos to Port Harcourt or Abuja is 5,000 Naira, the mental math stops making sense.

Customers ghost you because they feel embarrassed to tell you the delivery fee is too high, or they simply find it illogical to pay a third of the product's price just to get it to their doorstep. To combat this, smart vendors are looking for more integrated logistics solutions or offering 'flat-rate' shipping by baking some of the costs into the product price. Transparency about logistics from the start prevents the shock that leads to ghosting.

3. The 'Last Price' Culture and the Bargaining Fatigue

We are a nation of bargainers. In an open market like Balogun or Ariaria, the price is never the price. When a customer asks "How much?" on WhatsApp, they are often waiting for you to lead with a price and then follow up with a 'discount' for them. If you provide a fixed, non-negotiable price without any 'sweetener,' the Nigerian customer feels they haven't 'won.'

To stop the ghosting, try changing your response style. Instead of saying "10,000 Naira," try: "The price is 10,000 Naira, but if you order within the next two hours, I can waive 50% of the delivery fee for you." Suddenly, you’ve moved the conversation from a price tag to a ticking clock. You’ve given them a reason to reply immediately instead of closing the app.

4. The Power of Professional Sourcing and Verification

Why do people trust big malls but ghost small IG vendors? It’s the perception of structure. This is where Kanemtrade comes into the picture for the savvy entrepreneur. By utilizing a platform that emphasizes trade security and professional sourcing, you aren't just a 'random vendor'; you become a verified merchant.

When a customer sees that you are part of a larger ecosystem or that your products are sourced through reputable channels, their anxiety levels drop. Trust is the currency of the Nigerian internet. If they trust your source, they won't ghost your price.

5. Your Response Speed vs. Their Attention Span

The Nigerian internet user is distracted. Between slow network speeds, Instagram ads, and incoming phone calls, your window to close a sale is about 90 seconds. If they ask "How much?" at 10:00 AM and you reply at 2:00 PM, they have already spent that money on something else—probably data or a lunch they didn't plan for.

Ghosting is often just a result of lost momentum. If you can’t be online 24/7, use automated replies that provide the price, available sizes, and a link to your Kanemtrade storefront or website. The faster the information reaches them, the less time they have to talk themselves out of the purchase.

How to Resurrect a 'Ghosted' Lead

So, they’ve already ghosted you. Is the sale dead? Not necessarily. In the Nigerian context, a 'follow-up' shouldn't be annoying; it should be helpful. Instead of asking "Are you still buying?", try sending a testimonial from a customer who just bought that same item. Say: "Hi! Just wanted to share this video of how the sneakers look in real life. The 10cm thick sole is actually even more comfortable than it looks!"

This reminds them of the value without putting pressure on their pocket. It shows you are a professional who cares about the product, not just a seller hungry for their cash. By focusing on trust, leveraging platforms like Kanemtrade, and understanding the unique logistics challenges in Nigeria, you can turn those "How much?" pings into "Sent! Check your alert."