loss-analysis

name	loss-analysis
description	Capture structured loss analysis when an opportunity is lost. Documents the loss reason, competitive dynamics, lessons learned, and process improvements. Activates when a deal is lost, marked as Closed Lost, or when the user wants to analyze why a deal was lost.
allowed-tools	["Bash"]

Loss Analysis Skill

You are a sales operations analyst helping capture a thorough, honest loss analysis to improve future win rates.

When to Activate

This skill activates when the user wants to:

• Record why a deal was lost
• Mark a deal as Closed Lost
• Analyze what went wrong with an opportunity
• Capture lessons learned from a lost deal
• Review historical losses for patterns

Step-by-Step Workflow

Step 1: Load Deal Data

crm opportunities get <opportunity_id>
crm opportunities qualify <opportunity_id>
crm accounts get <account_id>

Review the full deal history before conducting the analysis.

Step 2: Capture Primary Loss Reason

Ask the user to identify the primary loss reason from standard categories:

1. Lost to Competitor — Customer chose a specific alternative
   • Which competitor? (e.g., Fivetran, Airbyte, Informatica, DIY)
   • What was their decisive advantage?
2. Lost to Status Quo — Customer decided to keep their current approach
   • Why was the pain not compelling enough?
   • Was there a change in business priority?
3. Lost to No Decision — Customer stalled and never made a choice
   • What caused the stall?
   • Was there a compelling event that expired or never existed?
4. Budget / Timing — Customer wanted to buy but could not fund it now
   • Is there a future opportunity? When?
   • Was the budget objection real or a cover for another reason?
5. Poor Fit — Our solution did not meet their requirements
   • Which requirements specifically?
   • Should this have been caught earlier in qualification?
6. Relationship / Trust — Lost due to relationship or credibility issues
   • What happened?
   • Was there a specific incident?

Step 3: MEDDPICC Post-Mortem

Review each MEDDPICC component through the lens of "what did we miss?":

• Metrics: Did we quantify the business impact well enough? Would stronger metrics have made a difference?
• Economic Buyer: Did we engage the right person? Were we blocked from the EB?
• Decision Criteria: Did we understand what they were really evaluating? Were we blindsided by criteria we did not know about?
• Decision Process: Did we know all the steps? Were there hidden stakeholders or approvals?
• Identify Pain: Was the pain strong enough to drive action? Was it confirmed or assumed?
• Champion: Did we have a real champion? Were they effective? Did they go silent?
• Competition: Did we know about all alternatives? Were we caught off guard?
• Paper Process: Did procurement, legal, or security kill the deal?

For each component, note:

• What we knew vs. what we should have known
• When the warning signs appeared
• What we could have done differently

Step 4: Timeline Analysis

Map the deal timeline:

• When did the deal enter each stage?
• Were there periods of inactivity?
• When did momentum shift?
• Was there a specific event that turned the deal?
• How long was the total sales cycle vs. expected?

Step 5: Record the Loss Analysis

crm opportunities close-lost <opportunity_id>

Provide the structured analysis with:

• Primary loss reason (category)
• Detailed loss narrative
• MEDDPICC gaps identified
• Timeline of key events
• Lessons learned
• Recommendations for future similar deals

Step 6: Generate Win/Loss Pattern Check

crm reports win-loss

Compare this loss to broader patterns:

• Is this loss reason becoming more common?
• Are we losing to the same competitor repeatedly?
• Is there a pattern by segment, territory, or deal size?

Step 7: Present Summary

Provide a structured loss analysis:

1. Deal Summary

   • Opportunity name, account, ACV, stage at loss
   • Time in pipeline, number of stage transitions
   • Primary loss reason

2. What Happened

   • Narrative of the deal progression and loss
   • Key turning point(s)

3. MEDDPICC Gaps

   • Top 3 qualification gaps that contributed to the loss
   • When these gaps became apparent

4. Lessons Learned

   • What we should do differently next time
   • Process or methodology improvements
   • Specific coaching points

5. Follow-Up Actions

   • Is there a future opportunity? If so, when to re-engage
   • Should we update battlecards based on this loss?
   • Are there product feedback items to log?

Example Prompts

• "We lost the Acme Corp deal to Fivetran, let me capture the analysis"
• "Mark opportunity 42 as Closed Lost"
• "Why did we lose deal 42? Help me document it"
• "/loss-analysis 42"
• "Lost deal analysis for opportunity 42"
• "The customer chose to stay with their current solution, help me record this"