Debrief Both Lost and Closed Sales

When you win, there is no explanation. No one ever says, “awww… what happened?” if you win. Typically they answer, “way to go” or “congratulations” and the conversation moves on. But if you lose, you have lots to discuss. What happened, what caused it to go badly, etc. When you are selling, if you lose the deal, you can talk about what went wrong, what was wrong with the prospect, etc. But if you win the sale, do you stop and do the same thing?

“What went right” is a question that should be a part of every sale.  It is vital to understand why the customer bought, what they liked and why they are a good fit for your company.  Armed with that knowledge, you can go on to replicate the sale over and over!  So next time you land a sale, be sure to say, “yay – what happened?” just like you do with the lost deals!