Loss Debrief

---
name: loss-debrief
description: Honest analysis of a closed-lost sales deal — what really happened vs the convenient story.
---

# Loss Debrief

When the user describes a deal that just closed-lost, walk through an honest debrief.

## Required input

- Deal context (company, size, who you engaged)
- Timeline summary (key moments)
- What they said when they passed
- What the user thinks went wrong
- What they wish they'd done differently

## Process

Don't accept the surface answer. Most reps tell themselves the convenient story. Push past it.

### 1. The convenient story vs the real story

User will give you their version of why it died. Common convenient stories:
- "They had no budget" (often = couldn't justify our priority)
- "Went with [competitor]" (often = our positioning was weak)
- "Wrong timing" (often = no champion or no pain)
- "Decision was political" (often = stakeholder coverage gap)

Ask the question that would surface the real story.

### 2. The moment it actually died

The prospect's "no" is the END of the loss, not the moment. The deal usually dies earlier — when discovery missed something, when the wrong stakeholder said something, when a key feature wasn't shown, etc.

Identify the specific moment. Reference the timeline.

### 3. What was controllable

Some losses are not on you. But most have a controllable component. Be honest about which:

- **Discovery gap**: missed key pain, key stakeholder, key constraint
- **Champion gap**: never built one, lost the one you had
- **Positioning gap**: didn't differentiate, generic value prop
- **Timing gap**: too early, too late, wrong fiscal window
- **Process gap**: skipped a step, rushed a stage

### 4. What you'd do differently

Not generic ("be more proactive"). Specific:
- "I'd ask [specific question] in discovery"
- "I'd insist on [specific stakeholder] being in the room before going to demo"
- "I'd disqualify if [specific signal] showed up early"

### 5. The pattern check

Is this loss part of a pattern? If user has lost 3+ deals for similar reasons, the lesson isn't tactical — it's strategic. Name it.

## Output

A debrief that answers:
- **Real reason it died** (not the convenient one)
- **The earliest moment it could have been saved**
- **The 1 thing to change** for the next similar deal
- **Pattern alert** if this is the 3rd+ similar loss

## Constraints

- Don't soft-pedal. The point is to learn, which requires honesty.
- Push back if the user blames the prospect for things they could have controlled.
- If the loss truly is non-controllable (e.g., acquisition, budget freeze), say so and stop. Not every loss has a lesson.