The Challenge: Navigating Funding Volatility in the School Market

Age of Learning operated from a position of ambitious growth as it expanded its supplementary reading and math curriculum into the competitive B2B school and district market. However, this expansion coincided with a period of internal and external transition. Internally, the school sales division had recently undergone a significant staff contraction. To maintain profitability, sales leadership needed their newly downsized, lean team of Account Executives (AEs) and Customer Success Managers (CSMs) to operate at peak efficiency.

Externally, the team was forced to navigate the unpredictable nature of municipal budget shifts and sudden funding volatility. Without a unified blueprint, it was easy for sellers to lose deal momentum or feel uncertain about how to unlock expansion revenue within existing accounts. To protect their pipeline health and maximize the output of a smaller team, Age of Learning needed a repeatable, predictable operating system that gave reps clear direction at every single stage of the sales cycle.

The Solution: A Customized Hybrid Rollout of the PROPEL Selling System

I designed and implemented an end-to-end sales training and playbook program anchored directly on the methodology of my PROPEL Selling System. The core objective was to replace "winging it" with a structured, stress-free sequence of steps that the entire team could rally around.

The engagement began with an intensive diagnostic phase. I conducted individual interviews with their AEs and CSMs to understand the nuances of their daily workflows, ensuring that every template, script, and role-play scenario we used was situationally fluent to their specific buyers. I then launched the formal training live and in person at their February sales kickoff in Nashville, focusing heavily on top-of-funnel execution—specifically, winning attention through strategic prospecting and executing intentional meeting launches.

To ensure long-term retention without overwhelming the team, we transitioned to a series of fluid, bite-sized virtual sessions. We carved out deep-dive modules for the rest of the PROPEL framework, mapping out how to run point-of-view product demonstrations, handle complex stakeholder negotiations, and empower the customer success team to actively drive renewals and account expansion. Recognizing that true skill transfer happens individually, I proactively provided one-on-one coaching sessions for the reps to reframe their real-world outreach hurdles into genuine opportunities. I concluded the project by building a comprehensive, customized Age of Learning Sales Playbook to serve as their permanent operational manual and onboarding foundation.

The Outcome: Simple Reframing, Immediate Field Application, and Predictable Deal Velocity

The structured rollout provided the Age of Learning team with an immediate boost in confidence and a shared operational language that completely transformed their day-to-day sales motion.

• Actionable conversation reframing: I equipped the team with simple, practical frameworks to shift their interactions from standard feature dumps to high-value discovery. As Account Executive Susan Provost noted, my approach to reframing conversations was simple, actionable, and effective, making a measurable difference in her day-to-day outreach almost immediately.
• Total pipeline clarity: By breaking down the sales cycle into clear micro-goals, I helped simplify the mid-funnel process. Reps left the training knowing exactly how to maintain opportunity velocity and navigate complex deals with multiple district stakeholders.
• A lasting operational legacy: The development of the customized playbook successfully codified the "Propel Way" for Age of Learning. Leadership now possesses a scalable, repeatable infrastructure that drives immediate field results, protects active revenue, and ensures seamless onboarding for future sales cohorts.