Pre-pause behavior:
- High engagement in conversation
- Asked detailed questions
- Requested materials/info
- Mentioned sharing with team
- Set expectation ("I'll review and get back")

Pause duration: 24-72 hours

Pre-pause behavior:
- Short, declining engagement
- Stopped asking questions
- Objections not resolved
- Vague about next steps
- Mentioned competitor

Pause duration: 5+ days

Calculate engagement health:

Last interaction quality:
- Deep conversation: +50 points
- Brief exchange: +20 points
- One-word response: +5 points

Time decay:
- Day 1-2: Full score
- Day 3-4: -20%
- Day 5-7: -40%
- Day 8-14: -60%
- Day 15+: -80%

Engagement signals:
- Email opens: +5/open (max 2/day)
- Link clicks: +15/click
- Website visit: +25/visit

Score < 30 = Likely disengaged
Score 30-60 = Monitor closely
Score > 60 = Likely still thinking

When signs point to "thinking":

Day 1-2: Do nothing (respect their time)

Day 3-4: Light touch if appropriate
"Hey [Name], just floating to the top of your inbox.
No rush—let me know if any questions came up."

Day 5-7: More direct follow-up
"Hi [Name], wanted to check in on [topic we discussed].
Still relevant, or has something changed on your end?"

When signs point to "disengaged":

Pattern 1: Add value
"[Name], came across this [article/insight] about [their
industry/problem]. Thought it might be useful—no reply
needed if not!"

Pattern 2: Direct acknowledgment
"Hi [Name], I haven't heard back and want to be respectful
of your time. Should I check back in a few weeks, or is
this not a priority right now?"

Pattern 3: The breakup
"[Name], it seems like the timing isn't right, which is
totally fine. I'll stop following up, but my info is
here if things change. Best of luck with [their goal]!"

When unclear:

"Hi [Name], checking in on our conversation from last week.
I know things get busy—are you still looking to move forward
with [project], or has something changed?

Either way, happy to help when the time is right."

Expected response times:
- Hot lead: Minutes to hours
- Warm lead: Hours to 1 day
- Cold lead: 1-3 days

Action thresholds:
- 2 hours: Normal pause
- 24 hours: First follow-up
- 48 hours: Second follow-up
- 72 hours: Try alternate channel
- 7 days: Cool-down period
- 14 days: Re-engagement sequence

Expected response times:
- Engaged prospect: 24-48 hours
- Semi-engaged: 2-4 days
- Low engagement: 1-2 weeks

Action thresholds:
- 48 hours: Normal pause
- 4-5 days: Follow-up
- 7-10 days: Second follow-up
- 14+ days: Re-engagement or close out

Combine signals:

Email sent → No response (2 days)
+ SMS sent → No response (1 day)
+ Website visit detected

Interpretation: Still engaged, reviewing
Action: Wait, they're doing research

vs.

Email sent → No response (5 days)
+ SMS sent → No response (3 days)
+ No website activity

Interpretation: Likely disengaged
Action: Direct check-in or breakup

Historical behavior:
- How long do they usually take to respond?
- What time of day do they typically reply?
- Which channel do they prefer?

This prospect usually responds:
- Within 4 hours → 24+ hour pause is unusual
- Within 2-3 days → Same pause is normal

Factor in:
- Time of year (holidays, fiscal year end)
- Day of week (Friday afternoons slow)
- Company news (funding round, layoffs)
- Industry events (conferences, seasonality)
- Their calendar (if you have visibility)

Pause interpretation varies by stage:

Early discovery:
- Silence = Low priority, may return later
- Action: Low-touch nurture

Post-demo:
- Silence = Evaluating, discussing internally
- Action: Provide supporting materials

Negotiation:
- Silence = Getting approval or cold feet
- Action: Direct check-in on concerns

Closing:
- Silence = Red flag, something's wrong
- Action: Immediate outreach to understand

conversation_state = {
  "last_message_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "last_response_at": "2024-01-13T14:15:00Z",
  "pause_duration_hours": 68,
  "engagement_score": 45,
  "last_engagement_type": "email_open",
  "typical_response_time_hours": 8,
  "follow_ups_sent": 1,
  "stage": "post_demo",
  "interpretation": "monitoring",
  "next_action": "wait_24_hours"
}

def assess_pause(conversation):
    pause_hours = hours_since_response(conversation)
    engagement = calculate_engagement_score(conversation)
    stage = conversation.stage

    if pause_hours < conversation.typical_response_time * 2:
        return "normal_pause", "wait"

    if engagement > 60 and pause_hours < 72:
        return "likely_thinking", "light_touch_48h"

    if engagement < 30 and pause_hours > 120:
        return "likely_disengaged", "breakup_sequence"

    if stage == "closing" and pause_hours > 48:
        return "concern", "direct_check_in"

    return "unclear", "value_add_check_in"

Pause-based follow-up ladder:

1. Value add (Day 3-4)
   "Thought this might help..."

2. Status check (Day 6-7)
   "Checking in on..."

3. Direct ask (Day 10-12)
   "Still interested, or...?"

4. Breakup (Day 14+)
   "Going to close this out..."

5. Reactivation (Day 30+)
   "Things change—wanted to reconnect..."