Practice

Fictional sample answer written by JoRoute to show the shape of a strong answer. Do not copy it: replace every detail with what is true for you.

First I would break the 15% drop down by region, product and channel, because one segment usually explains most of a fall. Then I would compare with the same month last year to rule out seasonality, and check the data pipeline for missing days. Next I would test the most likely causes, for example a price change or a stock-out, against the timing of the drop. I would share a short note with the top two explanations and the evidence for each, so the team can act on the right problem. At my last job in Atlanta I used this approach on a 12% drop in 2023 and traced it to one discontinued product within two days; structured problem solving beats guessing.