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HOOGResearch & Advisory

Technology & SaaS

Churn and Win/Loss Analysis for a Marketing-Technology Company

Uncovering the real reasons customers left and deals were lost, beyond the reason codes recorded in the CRM.

Example engagement
Client
Marketing-technology SaaS company
Industry
Technology & SaaS
Geography
United States and Europe
Duration
6 weeks
Capabilities
Competitive Intelligence, Customer & Consumer Insights

Research design at a glance

How the work is structured

United States and Europe · 6 weeks

  1. 1

    Churned-customer interviews

    Independent interviews with former customers across segments.

  2. 2

    Win/loss interviews

    Recent wins and losses against named competitors.

  3. 3

    CRM and support review

    Comparison of recorded reasons with interview findings.

  4. 4

    Root-cause synthesis

    Mapping of causes to product, sales and success actions.

Qualitative depth

Interviews, groups & observation

  • Churned-customer IDIs~25
  • Win/loss interviews~20

Sample sizes are indicative of a typical design for this type of question; real engagements are scoped to the decision.

01

Client context

Net revenue retention had declined and the CRM listed 'price' as the main reason for churn and losses.

02

Business challenge

Leadership doubted the CRM data and needed candid, independent feedback from former customers and lost prospects.

03

Research objective & questions

Identify the root causes of churn and competitive losses, and the actions that would most improve retention and win rates.

  • Why do customers really leave or downgrade?
  • Why does the company win and lose against each main competitor?
  • What early warning signs precede churn?
  • What would have changed the outcome?

04

Methodology & approach

Churned-customer interviews
Independent interviews with former customers across segments.
Win/loss interviews
Recent wins and losses against named competitors.
CRM and support review
Comparison of recorded reasons with interview findings.
Root-cause synthesis
Mapping of causes to product, sales and success actions.

05

Sample & geography

  • ~25 churned-customer IDIs
  • ~20 win/loss interviews
  • Geography — United States and Europe

06

Key findings

  • Price was usually a proxy for low realised value after a champion left.
  • Losses clustered where competitors offered native integrations the client lacked.
  • Declining log-ins by the primary admin preceded most churn.
  • Customers who received quarterly business reviews rarely churned.

07

Business implications

  • Build an early-warning model around admin activity and champion changes.
  • Prioritise the most-requested integrations.
  • Extend structured business reviews to mid-tier accounts.

08

Outcome

The client replaced anecdotal reason codes with an evidence-based churn and win/loss framework and a cross-functional action plan.

Example engagement — Shows how Hoog approaches this type of question. Not a specific client project. Findings are directional.

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