Customer research
Learn from lost-sale notes without inventing motives
Go through each lost-sale note and separate what the prospect said from what the salesperson concluded. Record the stated reason, the quote if one exists and the stage where the deal ended. Then list what nobody asked, so unknowns stay visible and a guess does not pass for a motive.
A text to start with
Here are my notes from [number] lost sales: [pasted notes]. For each, extract the reason the prospect gave in their own words, a direct quote if one exists, the sales stage where the deal ended, and whether the cause was something we control. Mark anything that is the salesperson's explanation instead of the prospect's. List what we never asked.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Lost-sale reasons table
Date range and number of notes reviewed: [ ] Deal reference: [ ] Stage where the deal ended: [ ] Reason the prospect stated: [ ] Exact quote, or note that none was recorded: [ ] Salesperson's explanation, kept separate: [ ] Who gave each statement: [prospect / salesperson] Issue within our control: [yes / no / unclear, with reason] Question nobody asked: [ ] How to ask it next time: [ ]
When the salesperson's story replaces the prospect's
Notes written after a loss often blend what the prospect said with what the salesperson believes happened. A line like "they went with a cheaper option" may be a guess unless the prospect said it. Check whether a stated reason is the real objection or a polite exit, and record that you cannot tell when the notes do not say. Watch for one vivid loss shaping the whole summary. Mark the stage carefully, since a loss after a demo and a loss before a first call raise different questions. Keep the controllable column honest, not flattering.
Ask another agent to check the result
Compare my summary with the original notes and mark every motive or reason that comes from the salesperson instead of the prospect. Quote the note, say who actually made the statement, and rewrite the summary line so it claims only what the prospect said.
Ask the missing questions
Choose the unanswered questions that would change how you sell or what you offer, and decide how to ask them in future conversations. Add a field for the prospect's own words to your sales notes so the next batch is easier to read. Review the summary with the people who spoke to the prospects and ask them to correct any place where their explanation is presented as the prospect's.