"Closed - Lost"

True story...

In the summer of 2015, I started working with a business owner that had been in business for several years. I asked him what his "Closed - Lost" strategy was. Huh?

So, you're reading. What's yours? How many contacts, leads, opportunities does your company have in your CRM? 10? Stop here. You have other problems. 1,000? Read on and consider my wager at the end.

I suggested that the business owner send this email to every "closed-lost" in his database.

Hi ____, It looks like you visited our website last January.

Did anyone from my company contact you? Would you mind replying to let me know:

  • if someone contacted you?
  • if you received everything you were looking for?
  • if it's OK to remove you from our database?

Thank you in advance for your prompt reply.

His signature

He sent about 100 emails to January visitors. Half did not reply. Some asked to be removed. Some said it wasn't time, but please don't remove them, but one person replied and explained that they had a crisis in January that distracted them and caused them to 'go dark'. They intended to get back to it, but life got in the way. They had a few calls and two weeks later they signed a $9,000/month year long retainer with my client.

Guess what my client sent to his February visitors?

Guess what his "closed-lost" strategy is?

The wager:

Try it, but don't let marketing send out the emails. They'll 'fix' them. You do it and you collect the replies. If you don't get any replies worth discussing, go on doing what you're happy doing, but if you get replies that make you think that there might be something there accept my wager, but don't give the replies to your salespeople until after:

  • You decide to reject my wager.
  • You accept my wager and we're ready to go.

Here's the details. If you don't get any replies worth discussing, go on doing what you're happy doing, but if you get replies that make you think that there might be something there accept my wager.

BTW, it's OK to share this with other business owners and sales leaders even if they haven't subscribed yet.


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