CLOSE MORE DEALS: A SALES MASTERCLASS SERIES

These 7 sessions give anyone the frameworks, tools, and practiced confidence to find the right customers, make the ask, and close deals.
About this Event

Sales isn't just a function of your business; it's the skill that determines whether your startup survives and grows. This series reflects Ascender's core belief: sustainable businesses are built through revenue, traction, and customers — not venture capital.

Close More Deals gives attendees the frameworks, tools, and practiced confidence to find the right customers, make the ask, and close deals consistently. This 7-session series builds on the last, culminating in a complete personal sales playbook.

THE 7- SESSION SERIES:

All sessions will be held in person at Ascender, located in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood from 5:30 - 8:30 PM.

• Thursday, September 17th, 2026 - Your Ideal Customer & Product-Market Fit
• Thursday, September 24th, 2026 - Who Are You Selling To?
• Thursday, October 1st, 2026 - Qualifying & Pipeline Basics
• Thursday, October 8th, 2026 - How Deals Actually Get Made
• Thursday, October 15th, 2026 - How Buying Has Changed
• Thursday, October 22nd, 2026 - Closing: Making the Ask & Winning the Deal
• Thursday, October 29th, 2026 - Price It Right & Hold Your Ground

WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH BY REGISTERING FOR ALL 7 SESSIONS OR CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE:

• Draft ICP (ideal customer profile) built from evidence, not assumptions
• One-page customer problem statement and your solution
• Qualifying checklist and sales script scaffold
• B2B: stakeholder map for an active deal. B2C: funnel map with one conversion intervention
• Sales assumptions audit; outdated behaviors replaced with new ones
• Complete personal sales playbook integrating all prior session artifacts
• One-page pricing framework: approach, rationale, price point, walk-away number, value anchor statements

MEET YOUR COACHES:

• - Principal, MacTaggart LLC and Co-Founder, Total Tech Safety
• - Owner and Principal Consultant, Conscientious Capitalists LLC
• - Director of Communications, Pittsburgh Robotics Network and Founder, Love Digital
• - Fractional GTM Engineer, This Better Work
• - Vice President, Support and Strategic Programs, Onboard
• - Strategy Consultant and Advisor, Tech Growth Strategies Corp
• More coming soon!

ARE THERE FEES?

Yes! There are 7 sessions, each 3 hours long. Individual sessions are $100 each, or you can register for all 7 sessions for $550. Register for all 7 sessions or choose your own adventure.

get 50% off; use code MEMBER2026 at checkout.

Ascender is located at 6401 Penn Ave, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Click here for directions. We are in the same plaza as the East Liberty Trader Joe's; opposite side of the parking lot and directly next to Hair Master.

Accessibility:

Ascender is ADA accessible; attendees can take the stairs or the elevator up to the third floor to Ascender's space.

Free on-site parking is available.

Bus lines: 75, 74, 82, 77, 71C, 88, 86, 89 (within 3-minute walking distance after drop-off); P1, P2, P3 within 10-minute walking distance from the bus station.

Ascender is committed to making our programs and services as accessible as possible. We do our best to honor all accessibility requests, keeping in mind that some requests may be logistically impossible for our small team to deliver. If there’s something we can do to make our programming more accessible to you, please fill out our Accessibility Request form, and we’ll get back to you within 3 business days with a proposed solution.

Masking is not currently required in the Ascender space. If you need a recording or virtual attendance option for accessibility reasons, please let us know by filling out our Accessibility Request Form.

Agenda

🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM
#1: Thursday, September 17th, 2026 - Your Ideal Customer & Product-Market Fit
🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM
#2: Thursday, September 24th, 2026 - Who Are You Selling To?
🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM
#3: Thursday, October 1st, 2026 - Qualifying & Pipeline Basics
🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM
#4: Thursday, October 8th, 2026 - How Deals Actually Get Made
🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM
#5: Thursday, October 15th, 2026 - How Buying Has Changed
🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM
#6: Thursday, October 22nd, 2026 - Closing: Making the Ask & Winning the Deal
🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM
#7: Thursday, October 29th, 2026 - Price It Right & Hold Your Ground