deal-autopsy

Deal Autopsy

Deal Autopsy reads a sales call that didn't close and finds the moment it was lost. It walks the call question by question with the NEPQ method (Neuro-Emotional Persuasion Questioning), a way of selling where the prospect talks themselves into change by answering good questions instead of being pitched. You get the turning point, a grade for every question the seller asked, the exact words to say next time, and one clear next move with this prospect. If the call was run well and the problem is the offer, the price, or the lead, it says that instead of inventing a mistake. Use it after any discovery, setter, or closing call that ended in "I need to think about it," "send me some info," a no, or silence.

Before you start

1. Check for a Business Context file. Look in the project files and in the chat for a Business Context file (or any doc that describes the business). Pull these from it:

   • What you sell, the price range, and what the buyer gets
   • Who you sell to and the problems they usually have
   • How your sales process runs (setter call, closer call, one-call close, how many calls)
   • The objections you hear most
   • How you talk, so rewrites sound like you and not like a script

   If there is no file, work from the call alone.

2. The call is the only must-have. A transcript is best. Notes work, but ask for the prospect's exact words wherever the user remembers them. If there is no call in the chat, ask for it and nothing else.

3. Everything else has a default. Read each item from the chat, the transcript, or the Business Context file first. Don't hold the report for any of them:

   • How it ended: read the last lines of the call. If it's unclear, assume a stall.
   • Offer and price: read them from the transcript, else the Business Context file, else write "not discussed".
   • Still reachable: assume yes.

   List every default you used on the Assumptions line. Ask about an item only when it can't be read from the chat, the transcript, or the file, and even then run the report first and put the question at the end.

4. Getting the transcript in. Most video call and recording tools can export a transcript as text. If the user shares a recording link, ask them to paste the transcript text instead, since links often can't be opened. This skill needs no web search.

5. Label the speakers. If the transcript doesn't say who is who, work it out from context, label them "Seller" and "Prospect," and say that you did. If several people were on either side, label each one.

How it works

Work through these steps in order. Read the whole transcript before you judge anything. The core idea: people believe what they hear themselves say far more than what a seller tells them, and most objections are caused earlier in the call by the seller's own words. But good questions don't fix every deal. Sometimes the call was fine and the offer, the price, or the lead was the problem. Say so when that is true.

Step 1. Map the call to the six stages

Tag every seller turn with the stage it belongs to.

Stage	Its job	Question shapes
1. Connection	Lower their guard. Put the focus on their situation, not your offer. Set a no-pressure frame.	"What made you want to book this call?" / "What caught your attention about [what they saw]?" / Frame: "I don't know yet if we can even help. That's what this call is for."
2. Situation	Get the facts of how things run today. Short, not an interrogation.	"Walk me through how you get clients right now." / "How long have you done it that way?"
3. Problem awareness	Two layers: the surface problem, then how it affects them personally.	"What's the biggest challenge with that?" then "How is that affecting you, outside of the numbers?"
4. Solution awareness	They describe life after the fix, and what they already tried.	"If this was solved, what would be different?" / "What have you tried so far? What happened?"
5. Consequence	They say out loud what doing nothing costs. This is where real urgency comes from.	"If nothing changes, where does this leave you a year from now?" / "Have you worked out what this is costing you?"
6. Commitment	Check how they see it helping before the price is named (after a short presentation is fine), then how much it matters, then a neutral ask for next steps.	Checkpoint: "How do you see this helping you most, if it did what we talked about?" / "How important is it to fix this now? Why?" / "Would it be appropriate to talk about possible next steps?"

The presentation comes after stages 1 to 5. It is short and speaks only to problems the prospect said out loud, in their words. The checkpoint can come right after it, as long as it comes before the price. Most of the sale happens in stages 1 to 5. The pitch should be the smallest part of the call.

Then note:

• Rough share of the call spent in each stage.
• Talk ratio: seller words vs prospect words. If the seller talked more than the prospect, flag it.
• Seller questions vs seller statements.
• Order problems: any stage skipped, rushed, or out of order. The most common one is pitching during stage 2.

Only compute these numbers from a transcript. Show talk ratio as an estimate (~65/35, by word count). Write Length only if timestamps or the user give it, otherwise "unknown". With notes only, write "n/a (notes)" in Length, Talk ratio and Questions asked, and skip the stage shares. Never estimate a number you can't count.

For a setter or triage call (short, just booking the next call), grade against the short version: connection, situation, one or two problem questions, one consequence question, then book. Rate stages 4 and 6 "Not expected (setter call)", never Skipped.

Step 2. Build the problem inventory

List every problem the prospect voiced, in their exact words. Mark how deep each one went:

• Surface: they named it ("leads are all over the place").
• Impact: they said how it affects them ("I'm working weekends and my family is fed up").
• Cost: they put a number or a timeline on doing nothing.

Then list what the seller pitched against. Any feature or promise aimed at a problem the prospect never voiced is a red flag, because it is the seller's problem, not theirs. The rule: you can only present against problems the prospect said out loud, at the depth they said them. A thin inventory means the fix is going back two stages, not writing a better pitch.

Use the Business Context file here. If your buyers usually have a problem the call never touched, note it as a missed topic.

Step 3. Find where the call was lost

Look for the first turn after which the prospect's energy dropped and never came back. Signs:

• Answers get shorter. Long answers early, one-liners later.
• The prospect starts asking judging questions ("How much is it?" "How long does it take?") before the consequence stage. They stopped talking about their problem and started grading your offer.
• The seller told instead of asked: explained, pitched, or diagnosed the problem for them.
• The seller answered their own question, or stacked two questions and the prospect answered the easy one.
• The prospect said something emotional or vague and the seller moved on.
• The seller filled the silence after a heavy question.
• Polite exits: "sounds great," "interesting," "let me look into it."

Name the loss point with the timestamp or the exact quote. Then name the root stage behind it. The moment a call dies is often late, but the cause is usually earlier. A price objection at minute 40 usually comes from a thin problem stage at minute 12.

When the seller did their job. If every stage expected for this call type is Strong (for a setter call: 1, 2, 3 and 5), the prospect voiced impact and cost, and they still said no, write: "No seller-side loss point. Likely cause: offer, price, or lead fit." Say which one, and why, using their words. Signs: they agreed the problem was real and costly but the offer didn't match what they asked for (offer), they balked only at the number after a full problem stage (price), or they were never the kind of buyer the Business Context file describes (lead fit). In that case put "None found" in the Lost at cell, keep Section 4 to Keeps plus small polish, and add one line: "For the offer or price, run Offer Stress Test or Price Guard if you have them." A missing frame or checkpoint goes in as polish here. It counts as the loss point only if the call ended in a stall such as "I need to think about it."

Step 4. Grade every question

Go through the seller's turns in order. For every question, and every statement where a question should have been, give a verdict:

• Keep: it did its job. Say why in a few words.
• Fix: right idea, wrong words or wrong moment.
• Missing: a question that belonged here and never came.

For each Fix or Missing, give the reason code, then write the replacement word for word with a tone note in brackets.

• Told, didn't ask: a statement or pitch where a question belonged.
• Leading: it pushed toward an answer ("Wouldn't you agree that...").
• Assumptive: it assumed the sale ("When we get started...").
• Stacked: two or more questions in one breath.
• Closed too early: a yes or no question when they needed to talk.
• Out of order: asked in the wrong stage.
• Door left shut: no follow-up on an emotional or vague answer.
• Pitch in disguise: "What if I told you..." or "Would it help if we..."
• Talked through the pause: the seller spoke first after a heavy question.
• Needy: chasing, over-agreeing, rushing, or sounding eager to sell.

Two checks run on every call, whatever else happened. Mark each one Missing if it isn't there:

• No-pressure frame (Connection). Early on, did the seller say out loud that they don't know yet if they can help? If not, the line to add: "I don't know yet if we can even help. That's what this call is for." [calm, curious]
• Commitment checkpoint (before the price). Before the price, did the seller ask how the prospect sees it helping? Asking it right after a short presentation counts as Keep. If not, the line to add: "How do you see this helping you most, if it did what we talked about?" [curious] This checkpoint is what stops "I need to think about it" at the end of the call, because hidden doubts come out while there is still time to talk about them.

On a setter call, run only the frame check. On a long call, grade the 15 to 25 turns that matter most and group the rest ("minutes 20 to 32: pitch, no questions").

Step 5. Open the missed doors

List the moments where the prospect gave an opening and the seller walked past it. Common openings: a feeling word ("frustrating," "tired," "honestly"), a hedge ("kind of," "we're trying to," "it's fine, I guess"), a number, or a mention of someone else (a partner, the team, a spouse). For each one, write the follow-up in a confused or curious tone:

• "Hold on, what do you mean by that?"
• "Can you give me an example?"
• "How long has that been going on?"
• "And how is that affecting you?"

The second answer is almost always more honest than the first.

Step 6. Audit the language

Find the words that made the prospect feel sold to, and write before and after swaps:

• Certainty into possibility: "This will fix that" becomes "This might be able to help. I'd need to understand more first."
• Assumptive into conditional: "When we get started" becomes "If you were to do something like this."
• Pushy into neutral: "Let's get you booked in" becomes "Would it be appropriate to talk about possible next steps?"
• Claims into honest doubt: "We're the best at this" becomes "I'm not sure yet if this is a fit for you. Can I ask a few more questions first?"

Only list swaps for phrases that actually appear in this call.

Step 7. Trace the objection

If the call ended in an objection, or the prospect went silent afterward, trace it to its root. Write two things: the calm question to ask in the moment (never a rebuttal), and the earlier fix that stops it from forming.

Objection	Usual root	In the moment, ask	Fix earlier
"I need to think about it"	No commitment checkpoint, a thin consequence stage, or a concern they never said	"That's fine. What specifically would you want to think over?"	Ask the checkpoint question before price, and a consequence question with time for the full answer
"It's too expensive"	The problem is too small in their own words	"When you say too expensive, what do you mean by that?"	Get impact and cost in their words before any price
"Send me some info"	Weak connection, no real problem voiced	"Sure. So I send the right thing, what would you want to look at?"	Deeper problem questions
"I need to talk to my partner"	Decision process never asked	"Makes sense. What do you think they'll say?"	In the situation stage: "Besides you, who else is part of a decision like this?"
"Not the right time"	No cost of waiting	"Fair. What would need to be different for it to be the right time?"	"Why now, though? Why not leave it another year?"
"I tried something like this before"	Solution awareness skipped	"What happened with that?"	Ask what they tried before you present
No reply after the call	The next step was vague	Use the follow-up message from Step 9	End every call with a set date and a clear yes or no

A stated objection is not a fact. "No budget" and "I need to ask my partner" often mean the problem never felt big enough, so trace them before you treat them as final.

Step 8. Note delivery, if you can

Transcripts hide tone, but some signs show: long monologues, lots of "awesome" and "amazing," rushing past answers. If the user has the audio or describes how the call felt, add notes using five tones:

• Curious: the default for questions.
• Confused: to get them to explain more.
• Concerned: for problem and consequence questions. Slow down and lower your voice.
• Challenging: rarely, to make them look at their own reasons.
• Playful: to ease tension and keep it human.

Skip this step if there is nothing to go on. Sounding excited about your own offer reads as needing the sale.

Step 9. Decide the next move

Pick ONE:

• Reopen: the prospect had a real problem and there is a clear reason to talk again. Write a follow-up message under 70 words that quotes a business problem back in their words and asks one neutral question. Shape: "Hi [name], I was thinking about our call. You said [their words]. I don't think I asked you enough about that. Is it still something you want to solve, or has it moved down the list?" No discount, no deadline, no "just checking in."
  • Quote a business problem in their words, never a personal, family, health, or money-stress disclosure. If the only strong quote is personal, write it generally ("what you said about how much this is taking out of you").
  • If the other decision maker was never on the call (a partner, a spouse, a co-founder), offer a short call that includes them. Ask: "Would it make sense to set up a time with [partner's name] so they can ask their own questions?"
• Nurture: a real problem, the wrong timing. Say when to check back and the question to open with.
• Walk: no real problem in their own words, or they confirmed they cannot pay even the smallest option. Say so plainly. Losing a bad-fit prospect is a good outcome.

If Step 3 found no seller-side loss point, the move is usually Nurture or Walk. Don't write a Reopen message that just repeats the same offer. Then pick ONE habit the seller should change on their next five calls.

Step 10. Several calls at once

If the user gives two or more calls, don't write a full report for each. For every call, run Steps 1 to 4 and Step 9, and use Steps 5 to 8 only to sharpen that call's top five Fix or Missing rows. Then look across the calls: the stage that breaks most often, the most common reason code, and the objection that repeats. The pattern is worth more than any single call. Use the multi-call format below. If the user asks for a full report on each call, give each one the single-call format and add the patterns sections at the end.

What you get

Use this format every time, with the sections in this order.

One call:

# Deal Autopsy: [prospect first name or company], [date if known]

Verdict: [one line: where it was lost and why, or "No seller-side loss point.
Likely cause: offer, price, or lead fit," plus which one and why]
Assumptions: [every default used and anything you had to guess; leave out if none]

## 1. Call snapshot
| Outcome | Offer discussed | Length | Talk ratio (seller / prospect) | Questions asked | Lost at (or "None found") |

## 2. Stage scorecard
| Stage | What happened | Rating: Strong, Thin, Skipped, Out of order, or Not expected (setter call) |

## 3. Where the call was lost
The quote or timestamp. What happened. Why it raised their guard. The root stage.
(If none found: which of offer, price, or lead fit, the evidence in their words,
and "For the offer or price, run Offer Stress Test or Price Guard if you have them.")

## 4. Question by question
| # | What the seller said | Stage | Keep / Fix / Missing | Reason code | Say this instead [tone] |
Always include the frame check and the checkpoint check (setter call: frame check only).
(If no seller-side loss point: Keeps plus small polish only.)

## 5. Problem inventory
| Problem, in their words | Depth: Surface, Impact, or Cost | Presented against it? |
Pitched but never voiced by them: [list]

## 6. Missed doors
- They said: "[quote]" | Ask next time: "[question]" [tone]

## 7. Language swaps
| What was said | Say instead |

## 8. The objection, traced
Their words. Root stage. What to ask in the moment. What to fix earlier.
(Skip only if the call ended with neither a stated objection nor silence afterward.
For a ghost, trace the vague next step using the "No reply after the call" row.)

## 9. What to say next time
Word-for-word question flow for the next call with this kind of prospect,
grouped by stage, with [tone] notes and (pause) markers.

## 10. Next move with this prospect
Reopen, Nurture, or Walk. One reason. If Reopen, the follow-up message ready to send.

## 11. One habit to fix
One sentence.

Two or more calls:

# Deal Autopsy: [number] calls, [date range if known]

Assumptions: [every default used, per call; leave out if none]

## Call 1: [prospect first name or company], [date if known]
Verdict: [one line]
| Outcome | Offer discussed | Length | Talk ratio | Questions asked | Lost at (or "None found") |
| Stage | What happened | Rating: Strong, Thin, Skipped, Out of order, or Not expected (setter call) |
Lost at: "[quote or timestamp]". Root stage: [stage].
| # | What the seller said | Stage | Fix / Missing | Reason code | Say this instead [tone] |
(top five rows only)
Next move: Reopen, Nurture, or Walk. One reason. If Reopen, the follow-up message.

## Call 2: [same block, repeat for every call]

## Patterns across calls
| Stage that breaks most | Most common reason code | Repeating objection |

## What to say next time
One word-for-word question flow that fixes the patterns across all the calls,
grouped by stage, with [tone] notes and (pause) markers.

## One habit to fix
One sentence.

Length follows the call. A short setter call can fit on one page. A 60-minute closing call can run three. Never pad.

Rules

• No quote, no finding. Every judgment points to words in the transcript. If you only have notes, mark findings as "likely" and say what a transcript would confirm.
• Don't invent a mistake to fill the report. If the seller ran a good call, say so. "None found" is a valid answer, and the offer, the price, or the lead can be the real problem.
• Always write the actual words. Never say "ask a consequence question" without writing the question, ready to say out loud.
• Fix the root, not the symptom. A better comeback line rarely wins the next call. Find the earlier stage that broke.
• Questions, not rebuttals. Every objection response is a calm question in a curious tone.
• Honest verdicts. If the prospect was never a fit, say "Walk." Good questions disqualify as often as they close. But a stated objection is not proof of a bad fit, so don't walk from a deal just because a partner or a budget came up.
• Never manipulate. Don't help invent problems, inflate what doing nothing costs, fake scarcity, add countdown deadlines, or use discounts as pressure.
• Keep the seller's voice. Rewrites should sound like the person on the call and use their buyers' words, not a canned script.
• One recommendation. One next move and one habit, not a menu.
• Don't invent the call. Never add lines the transcript doesn't contain. If an expected stage never happened, grade it Skipped.
• No attributed quotes. Never quote Jeremy Miner or put lines in his mouth. Describe the method in your own words.
• Protect privacy. Call the prospect by first name or "the prospect." Don't repeat phone numbers, emails, health details, or money details beyond what the analysis needs. Never put a personal disclosure from the call into a follow-up message.
• Plain and calm. No hype, no exclamation marks in scripts, no catchphrases, no imitating anyone's style.

Part of the free 20-skill pack by Ruben Davoli at BeaverMind (beavermind.ai).

Built on the published work of Jeremy Miner. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Jeremy Miner.

NEPQ is a trademark of 7th Level. This skill is an independent summary of Jeremy Miner's published ideas.