The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast What to Do When You Lose
Sep 3, 2025
John Kaplan, a seasoned B2B sales leader, shares insights on bouncing back from losses. He emphasizes humility and ownership in the face of setbacks, highlighting the critical review questions every seller should ask. Kaplan urges transparency with management for valuable feedback and underscores the importance of early qualification. He stresses resilience and the need for managers to create safe environments for learning. Ultimately, he inspires listeners to leverage insights from losses to enhance future successes.
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Own The Outcome, Not The Excuses
- Do check your ego and close the "excuse department" after a loss to take ownership of controllable factors.
- Ask whether you were attached to the customer's biggest business issue and how you influenced decision criteria with differentiation.
Get Feedback From Inside The Customer
- Do gather as much feedback as possible from coaches, champions, and economic buyers during and after the campaign.
- Be transparent with your management so you can get meaningful, corrective feedback on the opportunity.
Losing Is Part Of Winning
- Remember that everyone loses but not everyone learns; losses become valuable when you extract lessons.
- Treat losses as necessary at-bats that create experience and opportunity to improve.