Closed-lost, revisited
A deal you lost months ago, at an account where something has since changed.
Deals are lost on timing and budget more than on fit. 6 to 12 months later the reason may be gone, and the account already knows you. Along with events, it is one of the few signals that behaves almost like a warm lead.
- Strength
- Good
- Act within
- 6 to 12 months after the loss, or when a new signal lands
- Best for
- Companies with a sales team and a few years of deal history
How we detect it
Runs on HubSpot or Salesforce and Clay.
- Pull closed-lost deals with their loss reasons, every quarter.
- Watch those accounts for new signals, such as a new leader or funding.
- Open with what has changed since the last conversation, plus an offer.
What it triggers
An opening line, to show the angle. It never goes out as written.
When we spoke last spring the timing was not right because of the CRM move. Now that it is done, want to pick it back up?
- Email: From the original rep, about what has changed on both sides.
- Ad audience: Warm the account with new proof before the email.
Where it goes wrong
- Re-sending the old pitch.
Stack it with
A second signal on the same account moves it up.
New executive at a target account
A new VP or C-level leader starts at an account you sell to, in the function that buys from you.
Funding round
A target account announces a new round of funding.
Champion changed jobs
Someone who bought, used, or championed your product moves to a new company that fits your ICP.
More your crm and network signals
Every your crm and network signalLookalike of your best customers
An account that matches the traits of your closed-won customers, modeled from your own deals.
Mutual connection or shared investor
An account shares an investor, a board member, a former employer, or a close connection with you or your customers.
Customer growing a new team
An existing customer hires, expands, or launches a new team that could use your product.
FAQs about this signal
A deal you lost months ago, at an account where something has since changed. Deals are lost on timing and budget more than on fit. 6 to 12 months later the reason may be gone, and the account already knows you. Along with events, it is one of the few signals that behaves almost like a warm lead.
Pull closed-lost deals with their loss reasons, every quarter. Watch those accounts for new signals, such as a new leader or funding. Open with what has changed since the last conversation, plus an offer. Understory Agency runs it on HubSpot or Salesforce and Clay.
The window to act is 6 to 12 months after the loss, or when a new signal lands. Understory Agency routes it to email and ad audience. From the original rep, about what has changed on both sides. Warm the account with new proof before the email.
It works best for companies with a sales team and a few years of deal history. It is strongest alongside “New executive at a target account”, “Funding round”, and “Champion changed jobs”.
Or let us run it for you
Understory Agency's GTM engineers build the detection in Clay, wire it to the play that fits, and sync every touch to your CRM. Tell us who you sell to, and we'll show you where we would start.