Ep 80: Finding Hidden Revenue in Your Closed Lost Pipeline

What if your next big win is already sitting in your CRM? In this episode of Revenue Rewired, Jay Feitlinger and Sarah Shepard dig into closed lost, the pipeline stage where deals quietly go to be forgotten. Jay shares how reviewing hundreds of closed lost deals in a client's HubSpot account showed roughly 70% were lost to timing, which reshaped their entire budget plan. If you lead mid-market sales or revenue operations, you'll learn why one closed lost stage protects your data, how lead scoring surfaces hidden opportunities, and how a small pilot can restart conversations with buyers who found the grass wasn't greener **What You'll Learn** - Why 70% of one client's lost deals came down to timing, and how that finding cut their planned lead spend - The surprising reason Jay advises against adding a "not yet" stage to your pipeline - How lead scoring and automation turn sales pipeline management into a system for finding revived deals - The simple "not now" audit you can test in Q1 with just five to ten contacts - Why working your closed lost list from the deals that got closest to signing can speed up your wins **Chapters** 0:00 The Revenue Rewired book hits number one in four Amazon categories 2:00 Closed lost: the stage where good deals go to be forgotten 3:23 A client asked for more leads and got a smarter plan they didn't expect 7:24 Should ghosted deals and "not yet" deals live in separate stages? 10:03 Why a single closed lost stage keeps your sales data clean 14:01 You already paid for these leads, so why isn't anyone following up? 15:33 What "we miss you" campaigns can teach your sales enablement team 17:28 How a car dealership earned Jay's attention after he said no 19:41 Abandoned cart lessons and finding the right follow-up timing 21:42 How to run a "not now" audit starting with your goals and ICPs 26:56 Working your pipeline backward and spotting buyer turnover **SEO Keywords** b2b marketing strategy, sales pipeline management, revenue operations, mid-market sales, sales enablement, closed lost deals, HubSpot CRM, deal re-engagement, lead scoring, win back lost deals, CRM data integrity, ideal customer profile, customer journey mapping, 2027 sales planning, B2B podcast **About the Hosts** Jay Feitlinger is the CEO of StringCan Interactive and co-author of Revenue Rewired. He helps mid-market companies find and fix the revenue leaks that stall growth. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/  Sarah Shepard is the COO of StringCan Interactive and co-author of Revenue Rewired. She brings a no-nonsense, operations-first view to aligning sales and marketing. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/  **About Revenue Rewired** Revenue Rewired is a podcast for B2B marketers, sales leaders, and business owners working where sales and marketing meet. Each episode delivers practical insights for mid-market companies that want to grow revenue with a stronger b2b marketing strategy. **About StringCan Interactive** StringCan Interactive is a B2B growth marketing agency in Scottsdale, Arizona, helping companies connect marketing, sales, and revenue operations so every dollar works harder. **Links** Website: https://www.stringcaninteractive.com Email: [podcast@stringcaninteractive.com](mailto:podcast@stringcaninteractive.com) Buy the Revenue Rewired book: https://www.amazon.com/Revenue-Rewired-Identify-Leaks-Costing-ebook/dp/B0FST7JCXQ Read this week's newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-best-2027-pipeline-might-sitting-closed-lost-jay-feitlinger-bdcdc