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Making Feedback a Habit: The Power of Regular Feedback Sessions
Feedback shouldn’t be an event that happens during a review cycle. It should be a regular part of how sales teams operate. Consistent feedback helps individuals grow, strengthens team dynamics, and ensures that small issues don’t turn into major problems. But for Carefrontation to work, feedback needs to be a two-way…
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Join Me This Friday: Unseating an Incumbent
Hey everyone, Pouli here! If you’ve ever faced the challenge of selling into an account that already has a solution in place, you know how tough it can be to break through. That’s exactly what we’re tackling in this week’s webinar: "Unseating an Incumbent." When: Friday, April 4 at 12:30 PM ET Register here One of the key…
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Persuasion vs. Resistance: The Power of Leading with Questions
In sales, pushing too hard to convince a prospect often creates resistance. Instead, guiding the conversation with insightful questions allows them to uncover their own needs, leading to stronger engagement and buy-in. The key isn’t persuasion; it’s alignment. When you lead a prospect toward self-discovery rather than…
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Creating a Safe Space for Feedback in Sales
In sales, where performance is constantly measured and pressure runs high, team members need to feel safe sharing their thoughts without fear of backlash. Carefrontation thrives in an environment where feedback is welcomed, not avoided. If people hesitate to speak up, valuable insights are lost, and growth stalls. Creating…
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March 14, 2025 - Ascender Insights: When to Walk Away [Event Recap]
Paul DeMore was live with Ascender to talk about how you know a deal isn't going to close right now and how to walk away with your relationship intact and your head held high. Talking points included: Level-Setting It's not always easy to tell YOU have to make the call But you should always talk with your manager, first…
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RESOURCE: Ascender Courses Best Practice Guide
How to Succeed in Completing Courses on Ascender: Best Practices Guide If you're using Ascender to complete courses, ensuring a smooth experience can be simple with the right approach. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you navigate courses seamlessly and receive the credit you've earned. 1. Optimize Your Browser and Zoom…
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Creating a Feedback-First Culture: Lead by Example
Building a team that embraces open, honest feedback doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with leadership. Carefrontation is about balancing directness with genuine care, and the best way to make it part of your team’s culture is to model it yourself. When sales professionals at all levels see feedback as a tool for growth…
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RESOURCE: Ascender Courses Best Practice Guide
How to Succeed in Completing Courses on Ascender: Best Practices Guide If you're using Ascender to complete courses, ensuring a smooth experience can be simple with the right approach. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you navigate courses seamlessly and receive the credit you've earned. 1. Optimize Your Browser and Zoom…
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"When to Walk Away": Email Template [Ascender Resource]
We talked about sharing an email that allows you to walk away gracefully during our Ascender Insights Webinar on March 14, 2025 with Paul DeMore. Check out the email below and use it as a blueprint to help you walk away from a deal that you and your manager have decided will not close. Check out this post for more on the…
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Join me for our webinar on Friday!
Hey everyone, I'm really excited to lead our Ascender Insights Webinar this Friday, March 14 at 12:30 pm Eastern time. I'll be talking about the age-old sales question of "When to walk away". Register here. We'll cover: Red Flags & Warning Signs Strategic Disengagement Asking the Right Questions If you have questions for…
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Creating a Culture Where Feedback Thrives
One of the biggest challenges in Carefrontation isn’t just delivering feedback. It’s creating an environment where open, honest conversations are welcomed and encouraged. If people feel hesitant to speak up, even the best feedback strategies will fall flat. In this next part of our series, we’ll explore ways to foster a…
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Wrapping Up: Common Pitfalls in Carefrontation
Over the past several weeks, I’ve explored some of the most common pitfalls that can derail Carefrontation. While the goal is to balance honesty with care, it’s easy to unintentionally slip into habits that make feedback less effective, or worse, delivering feedback that becomes harmful. Recognizing these challenges is the…
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ADMIN RESOURCE: Manage Command Series Certifications Assignments for Your Company
If you have admin permissions to manage assignments, you'll be able to do so via the Assignments tab on the Team Management page. From here, you can switch between two assignment subtabs: General: This is where you’ll go to assign Elite Selling Certifications and any non-certification learning content. In this subtab, you…
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Carefrontation Requires Cultural Awareness
I've been talking about pitfalls, and one common mistake (one that often goes unnoticed) is ignoring cultural differences. Feedback isn’t one-size-fits-all. I've talked about that a lot. What feels direct and helpful in one culture might come across as rude or even disrespectful in another. If we don’t take cultural…
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Success Isn’t Given. It’s Owned.
If you want to win consistently, you have to take full ownership of your knowledge, your skills, and your character. Knowledge is where it starts. Your company owes you clarity on the problems you solve and how you’re different from the competition. If you don’t fully understand that, ask? Dig in. Make it your mission to…
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Keep It About the Actions, Not the Person
One of the key principles of Carefrontation is delivering honest, constructive feedback while showing that you genuinely care. But there’s a common mistake that can quickly derail this approach, and that's focusing on personal traits instead of behaviors. When feedback feels like a critique of who someone is rather than…
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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…