Marketing agencies: lost-deal review
Use this lost-deal review exercise to learn from a buying decision without turning the feedback conversation into another pitch. You are discussing a 30-day campaign planning and measurement engagement with a founder who has paid for campaigns without clear reporting. The point of the practice is to make a useful decision together, including recognising when the offer is not a fit.
Record a useful learning, its evidence and a specific improvement to test in future deals.
The situation
In this fictional brief, the team cannot connect campaign activity to qualified enquiries. The buyer wants an agreed definition of a qualified enquiry and a usable reporting baseline. Your offer is a 30-day campaign planning and measurement engagement, but you must first establish whether its scope addresses the actual need.
A relevant delivery constraint is that the client must approve claims and creative before launch. Treat that as a fact in the exercise; do not remove it to make the sale easier.
| Your counterpart | a founder who has paid for campaigns without clear reporting |
|---|---|
| Offer under discussion | a 30-day campaign planning and measurement engagement |
| Evidence available | a sample campaign brief showing audience, offer, source and qualification fields |
| Terms to clarify | Keep media spend, agency fees and production costs separate. |
How to approach lost-deal review
A useful question for this stage: “At what point did one option become a better fit for you?” Ask it when the conversation creates a reason for it, rather than reciting every question in order.
- Ask permission, keep the discussion short and explore the decision process. Record direct feedback separately from your interpretation.
- Ground the discussion in the buyer’s work. Ask: “What makes an enquiry worth your sales team’s time?” Listen for a concrete example before making a claim.
- Use evidence relevant to the decision: a sample campaign brief showing audience, offer, source and qualification fields. Explain what it demonstrates and what remains unverified.
- Record a useful learning, its evidence and a specific improvement to test in future deals.
An industry-specific concern
Buyer: “The last agency sent reports but no useful leads.”
Possible response: “Let us define a useful enquiry together and agree what evidence would show whether this test is working.”
Why this response helps: it acknowledges the concern, brings the discussion back to a verifiable requirement and leaves room for a different decision. Adapt the wording to what the buyer actually said.
Run the practice
- Prepare for two minutes. One person takes the seller role and one plays a founder who has paid for campaigns without clear reporting. Read the offer and constraint separately from your preferred answer.
- Have a five-minute conversation focused on learn from a buying decision without turning the feedback conversation into another pitch. The buyer should answer consistently with the brief and ask for evidence when a claim is vague.
- Add this challenge: The buyer gives a polite, vague answer. Ask one concrete follow-up, then respect their decision to stop.
- Pause for feedback. Quote one useful question and one missed opportunity. Repeat the difficult exchange using a different response.
- Finish by writing the actual agreement. A sensible option, when it fits, is to test one offer for one audience with a written budget cap. A clear decision to pause is also a useful outcome.
What to avoid
| Common mistake | Arguing with feedback or asking questions designed to prove the buyer was wrong. |
|---|---|
| A stronger direction | Thank you. What would we have needed to understand earlier? |
| Scope and claim boundary | Do not guarantee leads, revenue or return on ad spend. |
| What to measure in real work | cost per qualified enquiry alongside the qualification rate. Establish a baseline and definition before interpreting a change. |
An example conversation
If you are comfortable sharing, what mattered most in your decision?
Our concern is that the team cannot connect campaign activity to qualified enquiries. Also, the client must approve claims and creative before launch.
What makes an enquiry worth your sales team’s time?
The last agency sent reports but no useful leads.
Let us define a useful enquiry together and agree what evidence would show whether this test is working.
At what point did one option become a better fit for you?
Your working sheet.
Make the exercise your own. Notes are saved in this browser when storage is available. Download a copy to keep; avoid confidential information on a shared device.
Example: the team cannot connect campaign activity to qualified enquiries; the client must approve claims and creative before launch.
Example: At what point did one option become a better fit for you? Industry question: What makes an enquiry worth your sales team’s time?
Example: a sample campaign brief showing audience, offer, source and qualification fields. Do not guarantee leads, revenue or return on ad spend.
Example: Propose a clear next step, such as: test one offer for one audience with a written budget cap. Confirm the owner and date.
Review your work
This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions
Who is this marketing agencies exercise for?+
Can I use the example as a script?+
How should I assess the result?+
Fictional training scenario. The dialogue illustrates response choices; it is not a customer testimonial or a record of a real sale.
Explore more sales resourcesTake the conversation further.
Read a practical guide to structuring your sales practice, or explore the current London sales masterclass.
Plan your sales practiceExplore Jordan Belfort in London