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Achieve Industry Recognition with Command Series Professional Certifications
We have exciting news to share! In effort to provide our Plus Enterprise customers with greater lifetime value, we’ve launched new Command Series Professional Certifications in Ascender including: Command of the Message® Professional Certification Command of the Sale® Professional Certification MEDDICC Professional…
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Carefrontation Doesn’t End with One Conversation
One of the more overlooked aspects of Carefrontation is what can happen after the initial conversation. Giving direct, thoughtful feedback is a great first step, but without follow-up, even the best feedback can lose its impact. A single conversation won't lead to lasting change. Consistent support and accountability do.…
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February 7, 2025 - Ascender Insights: Sales Trends to Win in 2025 [Event Recap]
Pouli joined us for a real conversation around the trends to watch out for in 2025 so you can set yourself up for big wins across the board! Talking points included: Level-Setting These trends are more like evolutions, rather than something brand new Top Trends to look for AI & Storytelling How to use AI in storytelling…
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Account Planning Template
Dear All, Can anyone help me with an Account Planning Template for targeting a certain set of customers to achieve the quota? Thanks in advance.
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The Power of Leaning Into Difficult Conversations
One of the biggest challenges in Carefrontation is embracing the tough conversations we’d rather avoid. Whether it’s giving constructive feedback to a struggling team member, addressing misalignment on expectations, or having a performance discussion, these moments can feel uncomfortable. But avoiding them doesn’t make the…
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Confirming that solutions are being received well?
With a focus on validating that you have proven that your solutions have solved a customer's current pains, do you get verbal confirmation from the buyer that you have solved them? Most reps I’ve seen don’t do this and I’m looking for examples or advice on how you approach that. I have a big focus this year for my team on…
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The Importance of Consistency in Carefrontation
When we talk about Carefrontation, one of its key principles is delivering honest, direct feedback in a way that shows empathy and care. However, for feedback to be truly effective, it needs to be consistent. Inconsistent feedback can undermine even the best intentions, leaving your team feeling uncertain about where they…
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January 23, 2025 - Ascender Insights: The Plan to Make the Plan [Event Recap]
We sat down with John Kaplan and dug into the specifics on how you will put pen to paper and then share out your plan for 2025. There were some really amazing questions live, so be sure to check the recording for more! Talking points included: Franchise Mentality Own your territory Be willing to share with your manager on…
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Navigating the Balance of Carefrontation
When it comes to Carefrontation, the magic lies in balancing honesty with empathy. It’s not just about giving direct feedback or holding people accountable. It’s about doing so while showing genuine care for the person you’re addressing. Neglecting the “care personally” aspect can quickly turn well-intentioned feedback…
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Mastering Carefrontation: Avoiding the Pitfall of Brutal Honesty
When it comes to Carefrontation, being honest and direct is essential, but there’s a fine line between candor and cruelty. One of the most common pitfalls sales professionals encounter is mistaking Carefrontation for brutal honesty. In the rush to provide feedback or challenge ideas, it can be easy to come off as overly…
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RESOURCE: Single Sign-On (SSO)
Log in instructions for SSO Users Reminder: these steps apply for users whose company has enabled SSO. A. If you are a net new Ascender user: Click Get Started with Ascender in your welcome email You will be redirected to Ascender to complete onboarding and your SSO will be automatically configured. The next time you log…
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Driving Value in a Selective Market
Navigating today’s cautious spending environment requires a sharp focus on cost efficiency and clear value delivery. While some budgets are set to grow, decision-makers are prioritizing ROI from prior investments, making every deal more scrutinized. This puts added pressure on us to highlight not only how our solutions…
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What exactly is Carefrontation?
Carefrontation isn’t just about how we communicate. It’s about the mindset we bring to every interaction. At its core, it’s a commitment to balance honesty with care, challenge with support, and results with relationships. This approach isn’t confined to leadership roles; it’s a shared responsibility for everyone in an…
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Leading with Empathy
Empathy isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the foundation for building a strong, successful sales culture. At every level of a business, leading with empathy creates an environment where trust, collaboration, and growth thrive. It’s about understanding the pressures and challenges that others face, whether it’s your team juggling…
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MEDDICC Pipeline Diagnostic
Hi Folks, Great to connect with you all. I’m seeking your expertise in locating articles or content related to the MEDDICC Pipeline Diagnostic. I recall coming across something on this topic previously, but unfortunately, I can’t seem to find it now. If anyone has suggestions or can point me in the right direction, I’d…
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The Key to Confidence Under Pressure
As the saying goes, “The difference between stress and pressure is preparedness.” Stress can be paralyzing. It comes when you’re caught off guard or scrambling to react. On the other hand, pressure can be energizing when you’re ready for it, like the comforting weight of a well-placed challenge. Think of it as a weighted…
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Personalization at Scale: Meeting Rising Customer Expectations
I’ve seen firsthand how much personalization influences the buying journey. Today’s customers expect tailored experiences that align with their specific needs, goals, and pain points. With advanced data integration and analytics, we have the tools to meet these expectations, but leveraging them effectively is key. By…
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New to Ascender, not to Sales
Hello All, My name is Nick Vassel and I have been in sales for over 20 years. I have always been a very hard worker but have recently seen the value in working smarter! I look forward to learning tips and knowledge about how to become a better salesperson. Talk to you all soon! NV
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Encouraging a Growth Mindset
It’s easy to get caught up in chasing results and forget the journey that gets us there. But when we focus only on outcomes, we miss a crucial opportunity to foster growth, both in ourselves and in those around us. Encouraging a growth mindset means embracing challenges, learning from mistakes, and constantly seeking…
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December 6, 2024 - Ascender Insights: Selling to Experienced Buyers [Event Recap]
Antonella O'Day joined us to help you identify, gain access, and better sell to experienced buyers. This was a really interactive group with lots of questions! If you have questions to follow up with, please leave them in the comments and we'll work with Antonella to get you answers. Talking points included: Level-setting…
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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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November 21, 2024 - Ascender Insights: Beating a Slow Economy with Value-Based Selling [Event Recap]
Jörn Wozny joined the Ascender team to talk about how he tailors Value-Based Selling to his approach. This event covered some insight from someone who's located in EMEA (Germany), as well, so if you have questions or want to hear more from Jörn, be sure to tag him in the comments! Talking points included: Framing your…
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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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November 1, 2024 - Ascender Insights: Differentiating Yourself as a Salesperson [Event Recap]
Diana Sheley dropped serious knowledge on our Ascender Insights webinar that was all about "Differentiating Yourself as a Salesperson". From setting the tone to coaching your team, Diana's got the best ways you can actually stand apart from the crowd. Check out the recap, recording, and deck below. Talking points included:…
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Best Practices for Disqualifying Deals?
Does anyone have any best practices around disqualifying deals? I'm guilty of holding onto deals to long. I'm trying to get better, but sometimes it's difficult when things are tight.
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Good questions to ask
I just saw this on LinkedIn and thought it was worth sharing.
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Critical decision criteria
Today I have a question for everyone here. Our solutions require changes to the procurement process at the target customers. However, as the current procurement processes of large customers are often not so easy to adapt, one of the purchasing department's decision criteria is very often that the purchasing process must…