A Checklist to Keep      Lost Sales in Check

How many times have you, or your salespeople, responded to a customer request by saying, "We don't carry that item?" or, "I'm sorry, but that's not part of our service package?"

The number is critical, and if you don't know it, then you're losing profit potential. Sure, you might

"I was long brought up to think that it was nothing short of a crime to miss a sale." — James Cash Penney, founder of J.C. Penney stores

have stocked an extra item or two in the past in response to customer demand, but you need to get the practice down to a science.

To get started:  Ask your sales associates to log every customer request and to question customers further to get at the heart of what they need.

Then, calculate how much you could sell if you had those items in stock. Meeting customer demand might involve spending some money on equipment or personnel to expand your product line, but remember, if you don't take those steps you might be sending your customers to the competition.

Use this checklist to track lost sales. Review the information every month and you'll soon start to get a better grip on your customers' needs and build a stronger bottom line.

LOST SALES REPORT Employee making report_________________ Department__________________
Date of Request	Item Requested	Estimated Potential Purchase	Reason Item Was Unavailable	Potential Sales Loss ($)	Estimated Gross Profit Loss ($)