Setting Up Quote Lost Reasons for Better Tracking

Created by David Joyce

Overview

This guide explains how to set up predefined Quote Lost Reasons and how they are used when:

• Internal users mark a quote as lost

• Customers reject a quote

Using standardised lost reasons improves sales reporting, KPIs, and win/loss analysis.

Prerequisites

Before setting up lost reasons:

• You should already understand how to mark a quote as won or lost

• Ensure you have access to Settings & Tools

(See the related training guides on marking quotes as won/lost if required.)

Why Use Quote Lost Reasons

Defining lost reasons allows you to:

• Understand why quotes are not converting

• Analyse pricing vs competition issues

• Improve forecasting accuracy

• Build meaningful sales KPIs

Lost reasons are optional when marking a quote as lost, but strongly recommended.

Step 1 — Navigate to Quote Lost Reasons

1. Go to Settings & Tools.

2. Open Invoicing & Quotes.

3. Click Quote Lost Reasons.

This screen holds all predefined reasons that users and customers can select from.

Step 2 — Create a New Quote Lost Reason

1. Click New.

2. Enter a Description.

Example descriptions

• Not moving forward with the job due to budget

• Went with a competitor

• Project postponed

• Requirements changed

• No response from customer

3. Click Save.

You can create as many lost reasons as required.

Step 3 — Using Lost Reasons When Marking a Quote as Lost

Once lost reasons are configured:

1. Go to Sales → Quotes.

2. Locate an active quote.

3. Click the three dots (⋮).

4. Select Mark as Lost.

You will now see the predefined Lost Reasons available for selection.

Customer Visibility (Important)

Lost reasons are:

• Publicly viewable to customers

• Shown when a customer rejects a quote

This means:

• Keep descriptions professional

• Avoid internal-only language

• Use clear, customer-friendly wording

Reporting and KPIs

When used consistently, lost reasons can be reported on to:

• Track win vs loss trends

• Identify pricing pressure

• Measure competitor impact

• Improve sales strategy and performance

These reasons feed directly into sales reports and dashboards.

Best Practices

• Keep lost reason descriptions short and clear

• Review and clean up reasons periodically

• Avoid overlapping or duplicate reasons

• Encourage users to always select a reason

Summary

To set up quote lost reasons:

1. Go to Settings & Tools → Invoicing & Quotes → Quote Lost Reasons

2. Add clear, professional descriptions

3. Save the reasons

4. Use them when marking quotes as lost

Lost reasons are visible to both internal users and customers, and are a key part of effective sales reporting.