Imagine this: You’re tracking a good-sized account that’s been in the pipeline for months. You and your team have had multiple meetings with multiple decision-makers, your product is a great solution, and the demo seemed to have gone smoothly. But then, just as the finish line is in sight, you see it marked as “closed lost” in your CRM dashboard. Why are sales dropping? 

It’s a familiar and frustrating experience for most seasoned sales teams. And while every sales rep faces some losses, high-performing teams don’t just shrug it off - they dig in to analyze why the sale didn’t go through. 

If you’re seeing more losses than wins lately, don’t just shrug your shoulders and accept it. The apocryphal Albert Einstein quote comes to mind, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" - it would be insane to carry on and not learn from your lost sales.

Let’s dive into the top reasons deals slip away and actionable insights to turn more of those “closed lost” moments into “closed won” wins.

Why do we say “closed lost” anyway? When using a sales pipeline tool or a B2B CRM, you'll often see clients and accounts organized under a “closed lost” category. This term, referring to sales that didn’t close successfully, is essentially a way to indicate that the opportunity is no longer active and ensures transparency within your team.

The purpose of a “closed lost” status is to help track your team’s progress, identify areas for improvement, and learn for future deals. It’s inevitable that some sales won’t close, and that’s when “closed lost” becomes relevant. When a client or prospect formally declines to purchase and it’s clear they won’t be moving forward at this time, it’s time to take them out of the pipeline.

But you’re here because you want to minimize your number of closed lost statuses. Lucky for you we outline the top closed lost reasons your sales team should be mindful of, with quick and actionable strategies to turn lost sales into won deals. 

Today’s B2B buyers expect a personalized experience, so one-size-fits-all approaches rarely work. Knowing who you are talking to and their unique pain points is key to keeping them engaged. 

In addition, buyers are relying on content more than ever to guide them through the complex B2B purchasing process - the average B2B buyer reviews a minimum of 3 pieces of content in any buying situation. In fact, two-thirds of buyers reported that the winning vendor’s content had a significant impact on their purchase decision. 

Bottom line: High-quality content is a must. Personalize your approach and tailor your content to address buyer needs at every stage of the journey.

In complex B2B sales, deals often stall and die because reps overlook key influencers within the buying committee. Many decisions require input from several stakeholders - 94% of business leaders say at least 6 people are involved in a purchase decision. If your reps are only addressing a single point of contact, they risk missing the bigger picture and ultimately losing the sale.  

Bottom line: Identify decision-makers early, and understand each member’s goals and objections. Make sure someone is keeping the deal moving forward!

Add value to the conversation! In today’s B2B marketplace especially, buyers seek actionable insights, not boisterous pitches. Recent research has found that B2B prospects are FIVE TIMES more likely to engage a sales rep who provides new insights about their business. However, only one in five sales reps are able to provide such insights. 

Therefore a consultative approach is essential. Encourage your team to ask open-ended questions, listen closely, and let the buyer express their challenges and objectives. Not only does this approach allow your reps to tailor their solution to the prospect’s unique needs, it also gives an opportunity to demonstrate that you understand them and their industry challenges, goals, and priorities. 

Bottom line: Don’t be the pushy salesperson stereotype! Instead become an indispensable advisor. Solving the real problem and giving real insights will naturally lead toward a sale.

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In many sales scenarios, the toughest competitor is the fear of change. Buyers may fear the risks associated with change or lack the urgency to make improvements. This often results in stalled deals that eventually end in a closed lost status. 

Your reps need to articulate the risks of inaction and make a compelling case for why the buyer needs to act now. From revenue loss to competitive disadvantage, help buyers understand the cost of delaying a decision. If needed, offer to support them in building an internal business case to justify the purchase.  

Bottom line: Time kills all deals. Swiftly demonstrate the ROI of choosing your solution and emphasize the risks of inaction.

Listen to this Outside Sales Talk podcast episode with sales trainer Tim Wackel who shows how you can avoid the worst sales presentation habits.

He may be trying to sell his solution, but Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff’s words are still true: “While there isn't a one app solution, digital transformation is a must-have. Organizations around the world have a digital transformation imperative like never before.” The right tools can make all the difference. 

CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot allow sales teams to track customer interactions, manage accounts, and access valuable data for making informed decisions. 

Meanwhile, sales enablement tools like Showpad or Gong can provide reps with easy access to relevant content, analytics, and customer insights that drive engagement and shorten the sales cycle.

Lastly, sales optimization tools play a crucial role in helping sales teams make the most of every interaction. In outside sales, for example, using a route planning tool like Badger Maps helps you better structure your days, cutting down driving time by 20%. 

With features such as route optimization, territory management, and lead generation, Badger Maps helps you save time on your daily route planning, maintain better relationships with customers, and be more productive.

When you have time to focus on the right prospects and spend less time on logistics, you’re in a strong position to achieve a closed deal. Sales teams using Badger Maps have reported that they sell 22% more and drive 20% less, while the average team of 10 reps sells $936k more the year they start using the app.

Badger Maps also mobilizes your sales CRM software, giving you instant access to important customer information as you work your territory. You can easily sync and leverage data in your CRM, all from your mobile device.  

You can enable a two-way, real-time native integration with the most popular CRMs such as HubSpot, Zoho, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Insightly, and many more.

By saving so much time on the road, your opportunities to close more deals will multiply. 

On average, sales teams using Badger Maps save 8 hours a week, drive 20% less, and sell 22% more. 

Discover the value of Badger Maps by trying it out yourself. Start a free trial or schedule a demo and see for yourself!

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We are over a quarter into the 21st century - your sales team needs a standardized process that keeps them organized, replicating best practices, and doing their job efficiently. A consistent process enables your sales team to track performance and refine their sales approach based on data-driven insights. In addition, a consistent sales process gives reps clear guidelines, keeping everyone on the same page and allowing for smooth onboarding. 

For example, how many touch points does it take to set a meeting? What messaging is most effective at advancing prospects to each consecutive stage? What content accelerates deals and generates the highest ROI? Identifying and answering questions like these will allow you to develop the most effective sales process. 

Bottom line: Reps equipped with a consistent, data-driven sales process close more deals and spend less time on repetitive tasks.

Customer experience is a critical factor in closing sales, especially in outside sales. How many times have you had a buyer back out of an agreed-upon deal after they experience a less-than-stellar onboarding process? Lost sales can often be the result of a lack of attention to the customer’s overall journey, including their needs after the sale. 

Sales reps should work to create an engaging, educational, and personalized buying experience from start to finish. Every touchpoint should reinforce your company’s credibility that it values the buyer and their goals. 

Bottom line: Review your customer journey. Creating a seamless, customer-focused experience not only boosts sales but increases your brand reputation.

It may seem obvious on the surface, but it needs to be said - a common reason for a closed lost status is simply not closing correctly. A great sales close can be an art. Moving a deal from potential to closed won requires skill and strategy. Many reps lack a clear closing approach or fail to address objections, causing the deal to stall and end in a lost sale. 

Equip your reps with a variety of closing techniques. From assumptive closes to urgency-based strategies, do your sales reps know their closing foundations? The right training with a little bit of professional roleplay can go a long way.  

Bottom line: Closing techniques matter. No two sales are the same, so make sure your team can confidently close deals using a myriad of different techniques.

By addressing these eight key areas, your team can turn lost sales into closed won victories. 

Whether it’s improving alignment with buyer needs or enhancing closing strategies, these actionable insights can help your sales team avoid sales decline and deliver results. And with modern tools supporting your process, you can create a scalable, efficient workflow that keeps your reps focused on what is most important - closing deals.

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