The #5 mistake I see sales people and entrepreneurs make is either not analyzing their sales or doing a ‘Lost Sales Analysis’ INSTEAD OF conducting a ‘Won Sales Analysis’.

Here is something I find interesting. If you use Google to search for the term sales analysis – by using quotes around the words “sales analysis” when you search – and you’ll find around 750,000 pages on “sales analysis”. If you believe that when you lose the business you don’t want to lose the lesson and you use Google to search for the term “lost sales analysis” you will find around 1,000 pages on “lost sales analysis”.

But even when you conduct a lost sales analysis you still have to use conjecture to figure out how to win more sales. The top sales performers on the other hand conduct a won sales analysis so they know exactly what made them win, so they can go out and replicate their biggest wins.

Here is what I find truly amazing, if you use Google to search for the term “won sales analysis” you’ll find, on last check, around 250 pages that talk about how to capture more customers by analyzing the business that you have already won AND if you subtract the number of pages that reference the won sales analysis described on this this site you’ll be left with only three pages.

Of all the pages on the Internet that talk about “sales analysis”, only 0.15% talk about how to grow your sales by analyzing the sales you lose and less than .00002% talk about how to win more business by analyzing the sales that you have already won.

My question, to be answered by commenting below, is “What question provides the greatest insights into how you can win more sales ”

Win $1,500 worth of my time to help you conduct a series of Won Sales Analysis and analyze the results by getting the most votes for your answer. Answers are voted on by clicking on the Top Seven Mistakes in Sales Voting Button - Trigger Event Selling button that appears at the end of each answer. Comments/Answers need to be approved – to avoid spam – which typically takes just a few minutes.

Stumble!, Digg, Tweet, and email your friends so you get the most votes, because the voting system I use does not allow you to vote for your own answers.

Have an EVENTFUL week!

Craig

P.S. If you want to replicate your biggest wins and identify the ‘Trigger Events’ that lead up to them you can download the Won Sales Analysis form and the instructions on how to use it here.