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Finding the Power in Today’s Selling Environment
In today’s environment, budgets are tighter, hierarchies are flatter, and approvals are more complex. That means deals often stall unless you’ve engaged the right level early. Sellers need to navigate carefully — building credibility, uncovering priorities, and demonstrating business acumen before asking for the meeting.…
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Staying Steady When the Flow of a Deal Changes
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years as a solutions engineer, it’s that no deal ever follows the exact path you expect. You can build the perfect mutual plan, outline your decision criteria, and map out every stakeholder — and then one conversation, one reorganization, or one new face in the room shifts…
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Wrapping Up Carefrontation: My Top 10 Moments (Number 6)
We’ve talked about consistency in feedback at number 7. Now, number 6 touches on something that makes or breaks a Carefrontation moment. It’s not about timing or frequency—it’s about emotional control. #6: Letting Emotions Run the Show One of the quickest ways to derail a productive conversation is letting your emotions…
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Wrapping Up Carefrontation: My Top 10 Moments (Number 7)
We’ve talked about the importance of creating a safe environment at number 8. Now, number 7 is one of those subtle pitfalls that creeps up more often than we’d like to admit. It’s not about whether you give feedback, but how often. #7: The Pitfall of Inconsistent Feedback Inconsistent feedback is one of the quickest ways…
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Finding energy when I just don't have it
I’ll be honest — the last few days haven’t been my strongest. Not in a catastrophic way, just in that subtle, dragging kind of way where the energy isn’t quite there. You wake up, you hit the alarm, and you feel like you’re running at 70% capacity. It’s not burnout, it’s not crisis — it’s just… heavy. But I’ve been…
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Social Selling in Today’s Environment
Budgets are tight. Inboxes are full. But online networks are open 24/7. In this market, social selling isn’t optional — it’s essential. Buyers are doing more research and building trust online before engaging sellers. You can meet them there. Authentic engagement on LinkedIn builds mindshare. When prospects already see…
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Wrapping Up Carefrontation: My Top 10 Moments (Number 8)
We’ve already talked about the importance of following up after feedback at number 9. Now, let’s move to number 8 on my list of favorite Carefrontation moments. This one has to do with something that often goes overlooked, but it can make or break whether your feedback actually lands. #8: Creating a Safe Environment for…
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The Courage to Ask Up
Deals are more complex, budgets are tighter, and cycles are longer. That means you can’t afford to stay low in an account. To change deal momentum, you need to work higher and create urgency with people who actually have the authority to prioritize your solution. It takes courage, but the payoff is worth it. Three things…
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Finding energy heading into Q4
As we turn the corner from summer into fall, I’ve been reflecting on how I need to shift gears and help my team do the same. The summer months always have a different rhythm. Vacations, lighter schedules, and a slower pace in some industries can make it easier to lose momentum. But Q4 doesn’t wait for anyone. It’s often…
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Wrapping Up Carefrontation: My Top 10 Moments (Number 9)
Last time, we kicked off this Carefrontation countdown with number 10: the power of icebreakers in workshops. Today, we’re moving to number 9 on my list of favorite moments from this series. This one has less to do with the start of conversations and more to do with what happens after they take place. #9: Following Up…
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Identifying Customer Problems and Leveraging Technical Sellers for Big Wins
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is this: the best deals don’t get closed because we had the flashiest demo or the most persuasive pitch. The best deals get closed because we understood the customer’s pain better than anyone else. When we can pinpoint the real problem and articulate it back to…
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Adapting to AI’s Pace
The current environment rewards sellers who move quickly and stay relevant. AI has changed dramatically in just the last three months, giving you more tools to accelerate prep, research, and outreach. But speed doesn’t matter if the quality isn’t there. Sellers who can combine efficiency with insight will stand out. Three…
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Helping Without the Ask
In today’s environment, prospects are more protective of their time than ever. They don’t want another meeting request in their inbox unless it’s tied to something meaningful. That’s why offering value—without a request attached—is the easiest way to stand out. It shows you’re focused on their success, not just your quota.…
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Protecting Quota During the Holidays
The holiday season often means fewer selling days, more out-of-office replies, and a harder push to hit year-end numbers. In today’s environment, where cycles are already longer, waiting until December to realize this is too late. The smartest sellers are building their holiday game plan now. Three things you can do today:…
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Wrapping Up Carefrontation: My Top 10 Moments, Starting with #10
Over the past few months, we’ve dug deep into the concept of Carefrontation: How to give and receive feedback in a way that balances honesty with genuine care. We’ve explored everything from running workshops, to fostering safe environments, to creating personal action plans. And along the way, I’ve seen some incredible…
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I’m doubling down on focus and purpose for my team
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned leading sales engineering teams is that progress doesn’t happen by accident. Momentum is built call by call, meeting by meeting, and decision by decision. But lately, I’ve noticed a pattern that I think many of you might see in your own organizations: it’s easy for sellers to get…
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Carefrontation Workshops: How to Handle the Follow-Up
We’ve talked a lot about running Carefrontation workshops and how to make them engaging, valuable, and actionable. But here’s the truth: the workshop itself is only half the battle. What really matters is what happens after. If the insights, exercises, and action plans end the moment the session closes, you’ll see little…
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Entering calls with a clear objective
One theme I’ve been noticing more and more in coaching sessions is the lack of purpose on sales calls. At first, it seems like a simple concept: if a prospect is willing to talk, that’s a win, right? But the more calls I’ve sat in on—and the more deals I’ve run myself—the more I’ve realized that too many sellers are…
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Improving Prioritization
One of the challenges I’ve been wrestling with recently is how to get better at prioritization. Like many of you, I have a full plate: supporting my team, engaging with customers, partnering with cross-functional leaders, and contributing to long-term strategy. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything,…
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Using Enablement Tools as a Competitive Edge
In this environment of longer buying cycles and larger committees, sales feels tougher than ever. One way to get an edge? Actually use the tools your enablement team has created. They’re designed to shorten your path to value. Many reps skip over enablement tools because they think they don’t have time to “learn another…
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How Carefrontation Levels Up Your Sales Skills
When most people hear the word Carefrontation, they immediately think about internal team dynamics: handling tough conversations with colleagues, giving feedback to a manager, or surfacing challenges with cross-functional partners. And while that’s true—Carefrontation is critical inside your company—what often gets…
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Helping My Team Navigate Higher-Level Stakeholders
One of the most significant shifts I’ve noticed in the sales landscape recently is the growing number of board-level stakeholders involved in the buying process. A few years ago, many deals could be influenced primarily by directors, VPs, or department leads. Today, especially in larger or more strategic deals, it’s…
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Why Managers Need to Revisit Feedback Motions—Even When Things Feel Great
When things are going well on your team, it’s tempting to let feedback habits run on autopilot. Deals are closing, morale feels high, meetings seem productive. You may look around and think, “Why mess with something that’s working?” But here’s the truth: the best time to revisit your feedback motions isn’t when something…
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Strategic Manager Involvement for Tough Deals
In today’s environment, deals are harder, buying groups are larger, and scrutiny is higher. That means your ability to bring in your manager at the right time can be a competitive advantage. Customers don’t just want to hear from you—they want proof your whole company is behind the partnership. Manager involvement shows…
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Outside-In Selling: Earn the Right to Be Heard
Too often, I see sellers jump into solution mode before they’ve earned the right to be heard. If you want to build real trust and drive meaningful conversations, start with an “outside-in” mindset, make it about them first. Their business, their challenges, their language. You earn the right to share your solution by…
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Carefrontation and Collaboration: Unlocking Team Success Across the Organization
One of the most common themes I hear in conversations with sales teams is that collaboration—real, productive collaboration—doesn’t happen nearly as often as it should. Marketing builds resources sales doesn’t use. Product rolls out features that don’t get communicated clearly to customers. Operations creates processes…
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Partnering with Enablement: How Feedback Turns Resources Into Game-Changers
One thing I’ve been reflecting on lately is how much better our sales process becomes when we treat enablement as true partners, not just a team that “hands us stuff.” Too often, salespeople see enablement as a resource factory: they give us decks, playbooks, or tools, and we either use them as-is or let them collect…
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Spot and Support Talent Before You Lose It
This is more for managers, but might be helpful if you're in an IC role. It's important to remember that you own your career and can speak up. Taking proactive steps can only help you! Like everyone, I've had my share of discussions about turnover. In many cases, it’s not about comp packages or titles. It’s about something…
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Elevating Above the Noise
In today’s market, your buyer is likely evaluating more vendors than ever — and doing it faster. To win, you must go beyond features and pricing, showing you understand their business context better than anyone else. Why this matters: Buyers choose the seller who “gets them” over the seller with just a better spec sheet.…
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How to Capture Meaningful Feedback After a Session or Meeting
Meetings, workshops, and sessions are only as valuable as the outcomes they drive—and the learning they inspire. Too often, though, we treat meetings as “done” once the calendar notification disappears. That means we miss out on rich opportunities to improve the way we run them. The truth is, better meetings don’t happen…