Configure close reasons for your team

Close reasons are configuration that determines what you can learn. The list is a small piece of setup with a disproportionate effect on whether your reporting is actionable.

Who this is for

Sales managers and admins.

Before you start

• Permission to manage close reasons.
• A read of your recent closed deals — the real reasons are usually already in the notes.

Separate lists for won and lost
Reasons carry an outcome, so you configure won reasons and lost reasons separately. That matters: 'better product fit' is a win reason and 'missing feature' is a loss reason, and mixing them into one list makes both harder to pick from.

Build the list

1. Read your recent closes first
   Go through the last few months of notes. The real reasons are already written down; you are categorising evidence rather than inventing options.
2. Write five to eight per outcome
   Enough to be specific, few enough that people pick consistently. Beyond that, consistency collapses and the data stops comparing.
3. Make them mutually exclusive
   If two reasons overlap, different people will pick differently for the same situation and your report will split one cause into two.
4. Avoid a catch-all if you can
   'Other' absorbs everything and tells you nothing. If you must have one, watch how often it is chosen — a high rate means your list is wrong.
5. Review after a quarter
   Look at the distribution. Reasons nobody picks should go; a bulging 'other' means something is missing.

What you get

• Win/loss reporting that points at real causes.
• Separate, appropriate lists for wins and losses.
• Consistent categorisation across the team.
• Evidence for what to fix in the product or the process.

Frequently asked questions

How many close reasons should we have?

Five to eight per outcome. Fewer and everything collapses into one bucket; more and people stop picking consistently, which breaks comparison.

Should we have an 'other' option?

Avoid it if you can. If you keep one, treat a high selection rate as evidence that the list is missing something rather than as normal.

Are won and lost reasons the same list?

No. Reasons carry an outcome, so you configure them separately — which is right, because the reasons you win are not the inverse of the reasons you lose.

What if the list needs to change?

Review quarterly. Just be aware that changing the list mid-period makes that period's report harder to read.