The Ultimate 7-Step Guide to Win-Loss Analysis

# win-loss

# getting started

Everything you need to know about building a win-loss program from the ground up.

Every quarter, leadership teams worldwide pore over CRM data and sales notes looking to glean insights about why they’re winning and losing sales deals.

What they’re doing is searching for patterns. Patterns that could improve sales strategy, inform product decisions, and boost win rates. Yet the explanations they encounter always feel frustratingly familiar:

“Our price was too high”

“We were missing X features”

“They went with competitor Y”

Here’s the reality: understanding why you really win and lose deals requires more than CRM data and sales team hunches.

You need unfiltered feedback straight from your buyers and a system to capture and analyze that feedback.

The solution? Win-loss analysis.

In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know about building a win-loss program from the ground up.

Plus, here’s a win-loss analysis template you can download and use alongside this guide.

How to establish Win-Loss Analysis

1. What Is Win-Loss Analysis?

2. The Four Stages of Win-Loss Maturity

3. Why You Need a Mature Win-Loss Program

4. How to Conduct a Win-Loss Analysis in 7 Steps

5. Step 1. Rally Your Win-Loss Stakeholders (Get Program Buy-In)

6. Step 2. Get Clear On Your Win-Loss Learning Objectives & Strategy

7. Step 3: Calculate Your Win-Rates and Win-Loss Ratio

8. Step 4: Create Your Win-Loss Interviews & Surveys

9. Step 5. Conduct Your Interviews

10. Step 6: Analyze Your Win-Loss Data

11. Step 7: Present Your Findings

12. Time to Get the Full Picture

What Is Win-Loss Analysis?

Win-loss analysis is a process that leverages buyer interviews and surveys to help companies understand the reasons behind their successes (wins) and failures (losses) in sales deals.

By looking at both won and lost opportunities – and hearing directly from buyers about the reasons behind these outcomes – win-loss analysis gives you unbiased insights into:

Your product – where it shines and where it falls short.

Your sales experience – how buyers feel about interactions with your team.

Your marketing – whether your messaging and campaigns resonate.

Your buyer’s priorities – what matters most to your customers.

Your competitive position – how you compare to your competitors.

With these insights, you can work to improve your product, refine your messaging, coach your sales team, improve your compete program and ultimately improve your overall win rate.