{"id":"sales-lost-deal-graceful-close-note","audience":"sales","category":"sales-work","technique":"tone","track":"sales","level":"beginner","title":"Close out a lost deal gracefully in under 60 words","free":false,"task":"The buyer chose another vendor. Write a graceful reply. Line 1 must be exactly \"Subject: Thank you, and best of luck\". Start with \"Hi Omar,\". Plain text under 60 words. Thank him for the time, say you'd welcome a conversation in the future, and ask permission to check in once in six months (a yes-or-no question). Don't argue, ask why, mention price or the competitor, or offer a discount. Sign off \"Pia\". The final sentence before the sign-off must be exactly \"May I check in once in six months?\"","materialLabel":"Deal outcome (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Buyer: Omar Haddad, operations director at Lakeshore Logistics. Rep: Pia.\nOmar's email (Nov 5): \"We've decided to go with another vendor. Thanks for your time.\" No reason given. The competitor is not named.\nHistory: 9 weeks, 3 calls, 1 demo, proposal $52,000 per year.\nInternal: Pia suspects price. Manager approved a one-time 10% 'last offer' idea (do not use). The company wants to leave the door open.\nPolicy: never argue after a decision; never ask a lost buyer to reconsider in the first email; only one future check-in request.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":60},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Making a last offer","why":"The AI adds the 10% discount.","fix":"Add: \"No discount or reconsider request.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Asking why","why":"The AI asks what influenced the decision.","fix":"Add: \"Don't ask why or argue.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"No permission question","why":"The AI promises to follow up.","fix":"Add: \"Ask permission to check in once in six months.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Wrong subject or length","why":"The AI writes a long note.","fix":"Add: \"Exact subject; plain text under 60 words.\"","checks":["r0","maxWords","plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Sets subject and opener","patterns":["subject: thank you","hi omar"]},{"label":"Thanks and leaves the door open","patterns":["thank","welcome","future"]},{"label":"Asks permission","patterns":["six months","yes.or.no","permission"]},{"label":"Bans arguing and offers","patterns":["argue","why","discount","price"]},{"label":"Sets the sign-off","patterns":["pia"]}],"hint":"Give the exact subject and opener, what to include and the long list of things to avoid.","rubricLabels":["Line 1 is exactly \"Subject: Thank you, and best of luck\" and the body starts with \"Hi Omar,\"","Thanks him for his time, says Pia would welcome a conversation in the future, and ends with a yes-or-no question about checking in once in six months, and the final sentence before the sign-off is exactly \"May I check in once in six months?\"","Does not argue, ask why, mention price, the competitor, the proposal amount or the 10 percent offer, and signs off Pia"]}