The prompt
Score 10 of 10, Excellent
Use it when A prospect chose a competitor or decided not to buy, and you want a gracious reply, an honest loss record and a real reason to check back later.
- {{buyer_contact}}
- {{buyer_company}}
- {{their_message}}
- {{loss_reason}}
- {{deal_summary}}
- {{offer}}
- {{loss_reasons}}
Full prompt and why it works
Prompt
Help me close out the deal with {{buyer_contact}} at {{buyer_company}}, who has told me they are not going ahead, so that we part on good terms, I learn the real reason, and there is a natural point to reconnect later. Their message telling me: """ {{their_message}} """ What I know about why we lost: {{loss_reason}} The deal in brief (what they wanted, how far it got, who was involved): {{deal_summary}} Something genuinely useful I could offer them, if anything (a resource, an introduction, an answer to an open question): {{offer}} Our list of loss reasons for the CRM: {{loss_reasons}} Produce, with a heading for each part: 1. A reply email under 120 words: thanks, respect for their decision, one short question about what made the difference, and a light offer to stay in touch. No attempt to reopen the deal. 2. A loss record for our CRM, under 100 words: the reason from our list, the evidence from their message or the deal, and what we could have done differently. 3. A reconnect plan: when it makes sense to check back, tied to something real, such as their contract renewal or the end of their pilot, with a one-line draft of that future message. The reply should sound like a professional who is disappointed but gracious, the kind of message that makes a buyer think of you first next time. For example, the question could read: "If you are open to it, what was the deciding factor? It would help us improve." This shows the form only. Do not argue with their decision, criticize the competitor, offer a discount or ask for a call to change their mind, because each of these confirms the choice they made. Do not invent a renewal date or a reason they did not give. If the real reason is unclear, record it as "unknown, asked" rather than picking the closest reason from the list. If they have asked not to be contacted again, leave out the reconnect plan and say so.
Variables
- {{buyer_contact}}
- Your contact's name and role.
- {{buyer_company}}
- The prospect's company.
- {{their_message}}
- The email or message in which they told you.
- {{loss_reason}}
- What you know or suspect about why you lost, or "they did not say".
- {{deal_summary}}
- A few lines on what they wanted, how far the deal got and who was involved.
- {{offer}}
- Something useful you could offer, or "nothing".
- {{loss_reasons}}
- The loss reasons your CRM uses, for example "price, chose competitor, no decision, timing, missing feature".
Why it works
- What to avoid. No arguing, no discount, no criticism of the competitor and no push for a call, the moves that confirm the buyer was right to leave.
- If unsure. An unclear reason is recorded as "unknown, asked" instead of the nearest option on the list, which keeps your win-loss data honest.
- Who it's for. The reconnect point is tied to something real in their calendar, such as a renewal or the end of a pilot, so the next message has a reason to exist.