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Delivering clear and constructive feedback
The most important part to get right with Carefrontation is creating a feedback loop that actually has an impact. There are two really big issues with feedback delivery that occur in most organizations. It either, A, gets delivered too harsh where it’s impossible to hear where growth can be achieved because it just sounds…
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Close the Excuse Department Door and Open the Door to Growth
Here’s the thing—excuses might make you feel better in the moment, but they won’t get you anywhere. When things aren’t going well, it’s tempting to lean on reasons why: the market is tough, the lead list wasn’t great, timing didn’t work out. I get it. But I’ve been in sales long enough to know that real growth starts when…
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Build trust through authenticity
If you want people to be vulnerable and share the hard truths, you’ll likely have to lead the way. This is easier when your manager has set the standard, but you can still impact team culture as an individual contributor. Here are three ways that you can help create a culture of better communication, no matter what level…
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Buyer Alignment is Non-Negotiable
Aligning with your buyers isn’t just a best practice - it’s essential. I recently read this article here on Ascender and had to jump in and reiterate the importance of this for Q4. We’re in the final quarter of the year, our buyers are facing pressures to justify every investment, and they need partners who understand…
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Embracing Radical Candor (or Carefrontation)
I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about Radical Candor, the concept popularized by Kim Scott. If you’re not familiar, it’s about caring personally while challenging directly, creating an environment where feedback is both kind and straightforward. There’s a real balancing act that we need to consider when…
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The Power of Practice
Staying at the top of our sales game requires the same level of dedication as elite athletes. Just like the pro players hit the gym after hours or run extra drills when the stands are empty, we have to commit to practicing our craft when no one is watching. It’s the work you put in after the workday that separates the good…
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Good questions to ask
I just saw this on LinkedIn and thought it was worth sharing.
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How Do You Prep Others to Join Your Sales Calls?
Would love to hear ways you like to make sure everyone joining a call with your prospect is prepared. We shared some tips in this article. Share the ones you would add!
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Take the Stairs: The Only Path to Real Success
Last week, I shared a quick video about how the only way to get to the top is to climb. Throughout my career, I've learned there are no shortcuts to success. You can’t bypass the grind, skip the failures, or leap past the challenges. The truth is, there’s no elevator to success—every step you take is necessary, and every…
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Value pyramid
I am looking for materials or examples regarding Value Pyramids. Can someone help or is something planned here within Ascender?
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Relationship Mapping Tools
What tools are folks using for building usable relationship maps? I’d like to mimic the example provided in the Ascender Account Planning training module (attached). Haven’t been able to find a good way to create in this format with color coding and key detail. Any thoughts and direction are greatly appreciated. Thank you.…
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What are some resources you're looking for?
We're always on the lookout for ideas on webinars and resources to build. We just saw a great discussion today and are looking into a relationship map and whether or not we can build one for Ascender use! What are some ideas you have for us that you'd like to see completed?
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Best Ways to Follow Up
This is one of my favorite topics to write about because I think it's an often overlooked way you can differentiate yourself as a salesperson. Curious to hear others' tips on following up on sales meetings.
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Objection Handling
What’s the best rebuttal for “ we heard about your company and we aren’t impressed. Our friend said she used you and she wasn’t happy with the process but she enjoys the process.”
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Templates?
I'm curious if anyone has some standard document templates for the following: Account Plan Opportunity Qualifier (MEDDICC) Meeting Planner I'm building a team and have the opportunity to set the standard to build from. I'd rather edit good existing templates than create my own from scratch. Thank you! Lance @Joe Huber
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Prospects withholding details of pain
We have a new logo team of mostly young sellers. They are mostly new to Force Management and are improving. We are noticing a trend of prospects withholding hard numbers. An AE had a call yesterday with a COO of a small company (under 200 employees). The first TED question around the pain was answered a bit vaguely as…
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Reducing Buyer’s Remorse: Creating a Differentiated Buying Experience
This article calls out a trend that many of us have noticed with customers increasingly preferring a self-serve form of purchasing with less interaction with an actual rep. Unassisted buying can often lead a higher purchase regret. This can be avoided by offering a more meaningful, differentiated buying experience. In the…
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Attaching your solution to a business problem/initiative
What is the best approach to determine who to speak with that holds this information? We sell into construction, and our best initial point of contact isn't usually our champion (lacking influence at big companies). Lets say I've done a good discovery but they can only provide insights into their problems, not the…
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Seller Hygiene: Strategies to Stay at the Top of Your Game
In a recent Audible Ready episode, I shared the importance of staying on top of your game by checking yourself as you prep for your upcoming sales calls, regardless of what stage you’re at as a seller in your career. As elite sellers, maintaining impeccable "seller hygiene" is essential for maximizing your success. For me,…
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The Power of Presence: Embracing Mindfulness When You’re Constantly Busy
In a world that glorifies being busy, it's easy to fall into the trap of constant activity, leaving little room for presence and mindfulness. So much so, that becoming “addicted” to being busy without even realizing it has become the default. I recently came across an insightful article on Zen Habits about being present,…
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Empathy in Sales: Embracing Your Customer’s Pain for Better Solutions
I recently talked about how crucial it is that sellers adopt the "coat of pain" to embrace an outside-in approach, centering on the customer's needs before discussing their solutions. By learning to prioritize their perspective, you shift the focus from your own agenda to truly understanding their pain points. Simply…
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Overcoming being single threaded...
In my opportunities, I often find myself in a situation where there's a central point of contact managing a particular project. When I reach out to others involved in the project, I worry that I might upset this person. Another common scenario is when I ask the point of contact who else I should be talking to, and they…
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Boosting B2B Sales with Effective AI Prompts
This blog post from Force Management on writing effective AI prompts for B2B sales offers insightful strategies to enhance engagement and efficiency in the sales process. I appreciated how it emphasizes the importance of clarity and specificity in AI prompts to yield actionable and relevant responses. By leveraging these…
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Be Bold During Discovery
Force Management's article, "Asking Bold Discovery Questions," underscores the importance of pushing boundaries during discovery. As a seasoned sales professional, I've found that bold questions are vital for uncovering deeper customer insights and building stronger relationships. Bold questions help us understand clients'…
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Meeting Customers Where They Are with Signal-Based Selling
In the blog post "What is Signal-Based Selling?" by 100Signals, the concept of leveraging signals—data points indicating customer intent and readiness—is explored to enhance sales strategies. Tailor your approach based on these signals and you can meet customers where they are in their buying journey. From there you can…
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Command of the Message
Hello, I'm looking for trainings, modules, or podcasts that deal with command of the message. I can't seem to find anything on the search in "Explore", "Enroll", or "Engage". Is there another search term I should be using? Thanks!
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Customer Obsessed Culture
This article from Salesforce highlights the critical role of cultivating a customer-obsessed culture for sustained business growth and customer loyalty. Embracing this mindset ensures that every team member prioritizes customer needs, leading to exceptional service and long-term satisfaction. By aligning organizational…
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Balancing AI and Human Expertise for Lead Gen
In a recent article titled "AI is Overhyped. The Future of Lead Generation Lies in Human-Machine Harmony," the discussion around AI's role in lead generation struck a chord with me. As a seasoned professional, I’ve witnessed the transformative impact of AI on our industry, but add human expertise and the true potential is…
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Harnessing the Power of The Decision Tree Method
I recently came across this article that recommend using an issue tree (or a decision tree) method and I was intrigued by it. My initial thoughts were about how helpful this could be for many of us, regardless of role, but especially for my friends in a Solutions Engineer role to delve deeper into customers' business…
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Transforming Sales Pitches
Reading this article on articulating differentiation was a game-changer for me. It emphasized aligning my product's unique features with my prospects' specific needs. By focusing on what's truly important to them, I've been able to craft more compelling pitches and close deals more effectively. This approach has not only…