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Win/loss interview guide

A question bank and recording sheet for conversations about completed sales opportunities. Adapt the questions, interview length and confidentiality arrangements to your project before inviting buyers to take part.

Updated September 2026Growth Team Advisory30 to 40 minutes per interview

Before the interview

  • Who interviews. Someone who was not on the deal. An interviewer who was not involved can offer a different perspective. If nobody independent is available inside the firm, that is the case for having it run externally.
  • Who to interview. The person who made or most influenced the decision, not the contact who was easiest to reach. Ask your seller who that was; if they do not know, that is a finding.
  • The request. Sent by the firm, short, and explicit that the purpose is to improve, that it will take 30 minutes and that comments will not be attributed. Participation is voluntary.
  • Preparation. Read the CRM record and the proposal. Know the timeline. Do not read the seller's loss reason until afterwards, so it does not steer the questions.

The interview script

Opening (2 minutes)

"Thank you for the time. I was not involved in the work you did with [firm], and I am not here to reopen it. We are trying to understand how buyers experience us so we can do better, and you are in the best position to tell us. Before we begin, let us confirm how your comments will be recorded and shared. I have a handful of questions and will keep to 30 minutes."

Body (25 minutes)

Work through the themes below in order, choosing the questions that fit. Follow the buyer where they go; ask follow-up questions when an answer needs clarification. Use "and what did that mean for you?" and "can you give me an example?" to get past the first answer.

Close (3 minutes)

"Is there anything I have not asked that mattered to the decision? If you were advising [firm], what would you tell them to do differently next time?" Thank them, confirm the agreed handling of comments, and ask whether they would be willing to be contacted again in a year.

The question bank

1. Trigger and problem

  1. What first prompted you to look at this?
  2. How did you describe the problem internally at the time?
  3. What would have happened if you had done nothing?

2. The shortlist

  1. Who else did you consider, and how did you find them?
  2. At what point did the field narrow, and why?
  3. Was there an incumbent, and what would it have taken to leave them?

3. First impressions

  1. What did you take from the first meeting with each firm?
  2. Which firm seemed to understand your situation best, and what told you that?
  3. Was there anything in the early conversations that put you off?

4. The decision process

  1. Who was involved in the decision, and who had the final say?
  2. What criteria did you actually use, as opposed to the ones in the brief?
  3. When was the decision really made?
  4. Was there a point where the outcome was still open?

5. The proposal

  1. Which parts of the proposal did you read closely, and which did you skip?
  2. What stood out, and what was missing?
  3. How did the proposals compare in length and clarity?

6. Price and value

  1. How much did price weigh in the decision?
  2. What were you comparing the price against?
  3. Did anyone make the value of the outcome clear, as distinct from the cost?

7. The relationship

  1. How was access to senior people, and did it matter?
  2. How responsive was each firm between meetings?
  3. Was there a moment when one firm pulled ahead?

8. Advice

  1. If you were advising the firm that lost, what would you tell them to do differently?
  2. What would make you consider them next time?
  3. Is there anything I have not asked that mattered?

The coding sheet

Immediately after each interview, code it against the factors below. For each factor record whether it was mentioned, whether it helped or hurt the firm, and one verbatim line. Coding is what turns fifteen conversations into a pattern rather than fifteen anecdotes: when the sheets are laid side by side, count how often each factor appears in wins versus losses.

FactorMentioned?Helped / hurt / neutralStrength (1 to 3)Verbatim
Problem understanding at first meeting
Qualification (was this ever a real opportunity?)
Access to the decision-maker
Decision process mapped
Proposal structure and clarity
Price
Value made explicit
Competitor strength (name)
Incumbent advantage
Responsiveness and follow-up
Timing (decision made before or after proposal)
Seller behaviour (specific)

Strength: 1 = mentioned in passing, 2 = described as a factor, 3 = described by the buyer as decisive. These codes organise feedback; they do not establish causation. Check context and contradictory examples before making recommendations.

After the interviews

Compare the records across wins and losses. Summarise the themes, supporting evidence, exceptions and sample limitations. Agree which changes to test and how to review their effect.

Discuss interview arrangements and reporting as part of a win/loss review.

This guide is free to use within your firm. Please link to this page rather than republishing it.

Win/loss analysisHow we run the full programme, with an independent interviewer.Sales process audit checklistChecks for reviewing your sales process.Why qualified opportunities stallWhat buyers say about deals that went quiet.Sales playbookWhere competitor pages and objection responses from win/loss go.