Who should run the interviews?

A neutral person outside the sales team, or a third party. Buyers are more candid with someone who didn’t sell to them.

What if I have few deals?

Start with what you have and note the limits. Even a handful of interviews can reveal issues worth testing.

Market research

Describe your approach to win/loss analysis. How do you gather data and what do you do with the findings?

Combine sales data with independent buyer interviews, since reps’ explanations of losses are often unreliable. Interview buyers soon after a decision, look for patterns across many deals, and share the findings with the teams that can act. Say how you keep the sample balanced and how you turn patterns into changes in messaging, product, or process.

Updated September 2026 · 3 min read

Why interviewers ask it

Win-loss is one of the best sources of market insight and one of the easiest to do badly. Interviewers want to see that you know how to get honest data and how to make it drive action.

It scores mainly on market expertise and analytical rigor. On the rubric, a Strong answer on market expertise conducts original research and synthesizes it into actionable insight.

How to structure your answer

Set the scope. Which deals you will study, including wins and losses.
Gather two sources. CRM data and independent interviews with buyers.
Interview well. Talk to buyers within a month, using a neutral interviewer and open questions.
Find patterns. Look for reasons that repeat across deals and segments.
Share and act. Deliver findings to product, sales, and marketing with specific recommendations.

What a strong answer sounds like

The details below are made up. Swap in your own story and figures.

“I would study both wins and losses, because wins tell you what is working. I combine CRM data with buyer interviews, since reps tend to attribute losses to price. I aim to interview buyers within a month of the decision, using someone outside the sales team so the buyer feels free to be candid, with open questions such as what alternatives they considered and what tipped the decision. I look for reasons that repeat across ten or more deals before I call them a pattern. Then I share a short report with product, sales, and marketing, each with one recommendation. In one case, price was cited in the CRM but interviews showed that buyers were confused about packaging, so we changed the packaging page.”

What a weak answer sounds like

“I would look at the reasons for wins and losses in our CRM and talk to some customers. Then I would share the results with the team so they can improve.”

The weak answer relies on the CRM and stops at sharing. Describe independent interviews, the pattern threshold, and a specific change that came from the findings.

Follow-ups to expect

How do you get lost buyers to talk?
How many interviews are enough?
What do you do if the findings contradict sales?
How do you keep it running over time?

Write one line for each and say it aloud once. The follow-up questions guide shows how to stay structured when the questions come fast.

Frequently asked questions

Who should run the interviews?: A neutral person outside the sales team, or a third party. Buyers are more candid with someone who didn’t sell to them.
What if I have few deals?: Start with what you have and note the limits. Even a handful of interviews can reveal issues worth testing.

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