The Dead Deal Autopsy

The Dead Deal Autopsy:from Axia Value Solutions by admin
Learning from Experience……………….
Sometimes we’re all in just too much of a hurry!  Last week I was with a group of senior sales people and, once again, I was somewhat surprised to discover that they really aren’t spending enough time reviewing lost sales opportunities.  Or won opportunities for that matter.   There was a wealth of potential experience around the table (over 200 years !) but I did wonder just how much they were really learning from their own, day-to-day, sales experiences.   All too often it seems that sales people do not spend sufficient time reflecting on what they have learned from the experiences they have had.  As we move towards a more value based approach to the sale it’s important to review progress.  So let’s move to a more focussed approach to learning from experience.
Dissect the deal….
According to Wikipedia an autopsy is:  “a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present. It is usually performed by a specialized medical doctor called a pathologist”.
The Dead Deal Autopsy
Can I suggest another definition? “A dead deal autopsy is a highly specialised procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a deal to determine the cause and manner of its loss and to evaluate any lessons that might be learned as a result.  It is usually performed by those involved together with an impartial facilitator”.
So let’s make a dead deal autopsy an essential part of the review process.  At the very least it’s important to know:

• Why did we lose?
• What went wrong?
• Did we really establish the customers true value drivers?
• Did we effectively differentiate our solution?
• Did we communicate it well through a powerful and persuasive Value Proposition?
• Did we capture our value in the price?
• Should we have been involved in the first place?
• What would we do differently next time?

It’s every bit as important to perform an autopsy on those deals that have been won. There’s as much to learn from winning as there is from losing.

• So why did we win?
• What went well?
• Was it the right business to win? (there are businesses that are winning lots of business – just not the right kind of business.  Anything might look attractive right now, but high cost to serve, low margin customers aren’t really that attractive!)
• At the right price?
• What have we learned that we’d do again?

Don’t just let things happen.  Make your experiences truly count – and learn from them. It’s time to get out the deal review scalpel.