Serious game rulebook

Deal IQ

Account War Room → Live Deal → Debrief

Prepare in the war room. The same intel follows you into live play. Managers inspect prep before Turn 1.

1–100 players
60–90 min / level
5 progression levels
Browser-based · EN / DE / FA
↓ Scroll to learn the rules
Section 01

The Premise

You've been assigned a B2B enterprise opportunity. The company is real enough to feel it. The stakeholders have agendas. The information is incomplete. Your job starts in the Account War Room: read intel, reason about TAM, log and score a hypothesis, choose contact and channel, and write an opener. Then qualify the deal using the framework your manager selected (MEDDPICC or SPICED), or fold before you waste months on the wrong opportunity.

Alex, AI Game Master
AI Game Master
Alex
Narrates every turn as a real scene. Not a summary. A scene, with NPC reactions, specific details, and tension that demands a decision. Alex remembers what happened before and builds a continuous story across your entire session.
"You step into the glass-walled conference room. Sarah Chen is already seated, laptop open, reviewing something intently. She looks up. 'You're early,' she says, with a half-smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes."
Klara, AI Sales Coach
AI Sales Coach
Klara
Watches every move. After each action, she gives you a specific coaching insight: what worked, what did not, and what a senior seller would have done. She scores your discovery approach and flags blind spots.
"Good instinct researching before the meeting. But you asked about metrics directly. Try discovering them through the annual report or a conversation about business challenges instead."
Two voices, two functions
Alex tells the story. Klara teaches the skill. Alex lives inside the simulation world. Klara steps outside it to give you professional qualification analysis after every move, aligned to your room's framework.
Section 01f

Fellowship spine (before live play)

Before Act 2 turns, complete this checklist. Territory, account research, initiative mapping, pipeline hygiene, and a qualification checklist set the table for live play.

  1. Territory - Confirm coverage, ICP fit, and why this account is in play this quarter.
  2. Account research - Open war-room intel; cite sources for TAM and business context.
  3. Initiative mapping - Log a pain hypothesis with tiers; name the initiative you believe is funding change.
  4. Pipeline - Place the opportunity honestly (stage, next step owner, date). Fold if the thread is weak.
  5. Qualification checklist - Know your room framework (MEDDPICC or SPICED) and which cells you will evidence first.
Live play gate
Do not open Act 2 until war-room prep is honest enough that Klara can coach against the same docs you read. Weak prep handicaps every turn that follows.
Section 01a

One Thread, Three Acts

Every session is one continuous thread. War room prep, live qualification, and debrief retrospective. MEDDPICC or SPICED is Act 2, not the opening beat.

1
War room

Intel, TAM, hypothesis tiers, contact, opener

2
Live deal

Same docs, MEDDPICC or SPICED, Klara every turn

3
Debrief

Pre-contact log plus prep retrospective (ground truth only here)

Section 01b0

Framework choice by seat

Deal IQ maps one qualification framework per seat because forcing a single framework across seats is a well-known enablement anti-pattern. Managers pick the framework once per room and per hiring contract; coaching, scoring, and debrief follow that choice.

SeatFrameworkWin condition
SDR / BDRSPICED (Winning by Design)SQL handoff readiness (ready / partial / not ready)
Account ExecutiveMEDDPICC (MEDDIC plus Paper Process and Competition)Live board readiness after fellowship
Customer Success / CSMExpand and renew (no single dominant acronym)Defensible expand, renew, or hold on inherited evidence
Why SPICED for SDR / BDR
SPICED is buyer-conversational: Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, Decision. Openers and discovery do not own Economic Buyer, Paper Process, or Champion politics. Those belong to the AE at intake.
Why MEDDPICC for AE
MEDDIC (Jack Napoli and Dick Dunkel, PTC, 1990s) plus Paper Process and Competition. Enterprise deals die on procurement and displacement after discovery looked fine. Six to ten stakeholder cycles need this qualification burden.
Why expand and renew for CSM
Post-sale motion has no single dominant acronym for a reason. The CSM inherits a closed-won pack and defends expand, renew, or hold from gap audits and adoption evidence. Naming the discipline honestly is more credible than inventing a third acronym.
Non-claim
Deal IQ does not certify SPICED or MEDDPICC. We provide practice under pressure with manager-reviewable evidence. Extended reasoning: framework selection by seat.
Section 01b

Qualification Framework per Room

Deal IQ is one simulation. Your manager picks MEDDPICC or SPICED when creating the room (Scenario Setup, Step 2). One framework per room. The board opens in Act 2, after war room prep and intel handoff. Coaching, scoring, and debrief follow that choice. Seat mapping lives in #framework-choice.

MEDDPICC rooms
Eight elements on the board: Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion, Paper Process, Competition. Best for deal inspection, fold discipline, and trap detection on complex B2B cycles. Section 02 below covers each element.
SPICED rooms
Seven cells on the board: Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, Decision Process, Decision Committee, Decision Criteria. Stage 0 (pipeline generation) is on by default. Optional MQL/SQL labels when lead lifecycle is enabled. Player debrief includes handoff readiness for Customer Success. Manager field guide: SPICED Under Pressure.
Expand/renew rooms (CSM)
Spine: inherited deal pack, gap audit, expansion map, expand/renew/hold call. No fake third acronym. Scoring expand_renew_v1. Manager field guide: Expand/Renew Under Pressure.
Champion in both frameworks
Champion is a stakeholder mechanic in every room, not a SPICED board column. Reps still build internal advocates. Coaching emphasis shifts with the framework.
Section 01d

SDR / BDR track · SPICED

Framework: SPICED. See #framework-choice for why. Join codes: SDRIQ (training), HIRESDR (recruiting). Terminus: sql_handoff. Deliverable: SPICED pack ready for handoff. Win condition: handoff readiness, not closed-won. Active spine: Territory, Account Research, Pipeline Generation, Qualification.

Win condition
Clean SQL with Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, and Decision context documented. HIRESDR is silent evaluation (Klara does not coach).
LevelManager focus
L1Signal triage, territory focus, basic SPICED handoff
L2Multithread qualification, opener objections, richer evidence
L3Disqualify discipline under time pressure; avoid Ross trap
Section 01e

AE track · MEDDPICC

Framework: MEDDPICC. See #framework-choice for why. Join codes: SDEALQ (training), HIREAE (recruiting). Terminus: live MEDDPICC. Deliverable: meddpicc_live with ICCE and strategic debrief. Fellowship spine before live play: Territory, Account Research, Initiative Mapping, Pipeline Generation, Qualification.

Win condition
Qualification evidence across eight elements, fold discipline, and ICCE profile. HIREAE is silent evaluation with bands commercial / mid_market / enterprise.
LevelManager focus
L1Territory board, NovaTech intel, short qualification path
L2Full fellowship through Selection Room; focus Weber; trap Ross
L3+Deeper research, business-case rigor, multi-threaded EB path
Section 01f

CSM track · Expand / Renew

Framework: expand and renew. See #framework-choice for why. Join codes: CSIQ (training), HIRECS (recruiting). Terminus: expand_renew. Deliverable: expand_renew_call. Spine: Inherited deal pack, Gap audit, Expansion map, Expand/renew call. No AE live buyer board.

Win condition
Defensible expand or renew call with named documentation gaps. A strong renew beats a weak expand when economic buyer intro is still missing. HIRECS is silent evaluation with bands csm / senior_csm / strategic_csm.
LevelManager focus
L1Inherited-pack audit, name gaps, renew or cautious hold
L2Adoption evidence plus renewal business case on thin handoff
L3Multi-stakeholder expand/save with Park and Patel
Section 01c

Act 1: Account War Room

Before Alex narrates Turn 1, you work in the Account War Room. Read intel documents, estimate TAM with cited evidence, log and score a pain hypothesis, pick who to approach and how, and write your opener. Weak war room work handicaps every turn that follows.

1

Intel library

Open account documents and extract signals. Each doc shows an Extracted signals panel after you read it. At least two docs unlock contact dossiers. Klara blocks outreach until you have read intel.

2

Commercial reasoning (TAM)

Estimate TAM scope with evidence, not a numeric quiz. Cite which intel doc supports your reasoning. Higher levels require more estimates.

3

Pain hypothesis + Klara tier

Log what you think hurts and why, tied to org context. Klara tiers it: Evidence-backed, Plausible, Too vague, or Off-account. Process feedback only. Ground truth waits for debrief.

4

Contact and channel

Pick a stakeholder and outreach channel with evidence you can defend. Contact cards show title and department only at first; after reading intel, snippet chips and dossiers unlock from document sources. No Champion or Blocker labels in the war room, roles emerge in live play and debrief. Klara may nudge weak picks with evidence-based tips.

5

Approach and opener

Write an opener that references your research. Alex unlocks live play only after these gates pass.

Contact dossiers

Building contact intel (not role labels)

The war room shows a public org chart: names, titles, departments. MEDDPICC role tags are hidden during prep. Read intel to unlock snippet chips on each card and a sourced dossier when you tap a contact. Ask Klara who to approach, she coaches with document evidence and may use framework language only when you ask or when you pick a weak first contact.

Hypothesis tiers

Klara feedback on your hypothesis

Tiers reflect prep quality during the war room, not hidden account truth.

Evidence-backed Plausible Too vague Off-account
Intelligence scores war room work
The ICCE scorecard treats research depth as a first-class signal. Intelligence rewards signal use from intel, TAM reasoning quality, and opener grounding. Managers can disable the war room spine for classic mode; it is on by default.
Section 01d

Intel Handoff (Act 1 → Act 2)

The same intel follows you into live play. No reset. Documents you opened in the war room appear in the unified Documents panel with source badges.

Documents panel

Unified docs with badges

War room Discovered GM Intel

War room docs carry forward. New docs discovered in play get their own badge. Klara cites real doc titles in coaching.

Journal

War room record + pre-contact timeline

Opened documentNorthgate annual report
Logged hypothesisEvidence-backed tier
Submitted approachDigital banking lead, email

Chronological log of war room actions before first live contact. Locked at approach.

Section 01d+

Seat Handoffs (SQL and Closed-Won)

Intel handoff above moves war-room docs into Act 2. Seat handoffs move qualification packs between roles.

SPICED SQL pack to AE intake
When handoff readiness is ready, the AE inherits Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, and Decision context. AE rooms then run MEDDPICC live inspection. Partial packs need coaching before live customer handoff.
Closed-won pack to CSM gap audit
After closed-won, CSIQ / HIRECS inherit the AE pack. CSM audits documentation gaps, maps whitespace, and locks expand, renew, or hold. A strong renew beats a weak expand when the economic buyer intro is still missing.
Section 01e

For Facilitators and Sales Leaders

Managers inspect prep before Turn 1, not only the debrief scorecard. The manager live strip shows war room progress while reps are still in Act 1.

Deal IQ evidence also lands in the manager Command Center on the same person record as Team IQ soft-skill sessions and learning path steps, so qualification depth and collaboration evidence stay one coaching story.

Print and PDF exports
Managers can open printable summaries per rep from the control panel. Use Save as PDF in the browser print dialog for sharing or archive.
Section 02

The MEDDPICC Framework

When your room uses MEDDPICC, every evidence item maps to one of eight qualification elements. Each has a level from 0 (Unknown) to 4 (Validated). Your board opens after intel handoff in Act 2. For client engagements we tailor further, adding bespoke dimensions such as Partners or Risk.

M
Metrics
What measurable outcomes does the prospect need? ROI, cost savings, revenue growth. Find the numbers that justify the investment.
E
Economic Buyer
Who controls the budget and can say YES? Not the sponsor. Not the champion. The person with sign-off authority.
D
Decision Criteria
How will they evaluate solutions? Features, price, vendor stability, integration fit. Know what they're scoring you on.
D
Decision Process
What steps lead to a signed contract? Map the buying committee, approval stages, and timeline.
P
Paper Process
The legal, procurement, and security steps between a verbal yes and a signature. Redlines, security review, vendor onboarding. Map it early so the close does not slip.
I
Identify Pain
What business problem are they really solving? Surface pain goes deep. Find the impact on people and P&L.
C
Champion
Who will advocate for you when you're not in the room? Find, test, and activate your internal ally.
C
Competition
Who else are they considering, and why might they win? The status quo counts too. Know the alternatives and shape the decision criteria in your favor.
Section 02

The SPICED Framework

When your room uses SPICED, every evidence item maps to one of seven qualification cells. Each has a level from 0 (Unknown) to 4 (Validated). Situation starts in the Account War Room. Stage 0 pipeline generation is on by default. Debrief includes handoff readiness for Customer Success. Manager field guide: SPICED Under Pressure.

S
Situation
The buyer's current environment: tools, org context, and how they operate today. Research before outreach.
P
Pain
Quantitative and qualitative problems the buyer feels today. Named pain with source.
I
Impact
Rational business outcome and emotional stakes if pain persists. Customer links pain to money, risk, or reputation.
CE
Critical Event
A buyer-owned date or event that forces a decision. Not seller quarter end.
DP
Decision Process
Steps from evaluation to signed agreement inside the customer org. Customer-drawn path with names and gates.
DC
Decision Committee
People who influence and approve. Economic authority mapped to names.
DCR
Decision Criteria
How the buyer will compare options, including unstated risk criteria. Ranked in customer language.
Section 02

Expand and Renew Spine

When your room runs the CSM track (CSIQ / HIRECS), the win is a defensible expand, renew, or hold call. There is no fake third acronym. You inherit a thin closed-won pack, audit documentation gaps, map whitespace, then lock the call. Scoring uses expand_renew_v1. Manager field guide: Expand/Renew Under Pressure.

1
Inherited deal pack
Closed-won Phase 1 pilot logged. AE documentation is often thin: economic buyer path incomplete, decision criteria not transferred, champion test missing.
2
Gap audit
Flag true documentation gaps mixed with distractors. At least one gap (selected or authored) before locking the call.
3
Expansion map
Map inventory whitespace adjacent to the closed pilot. Cite adoption stub evidence before pitching expand.
4
Expand / Renew / Hold
Lock the call. A strong renew beats a weak expand when the economic buyer intro is still missing.
Scoring tiers (expand_renew_v1)
right_strong (95): correct call and all expected gaps detected. right_lucky (70): correct call, gaps remain. wrong_call (35): call mismatches the answer key. no_call (20): no expand/renew/hold recorded. Overall blend: defensibility 50%, element average 30%, gap coverage 20%.
Section 03

How to Play: Act 2 Live Turns

Every session opens in the Account War Room. Complete Act 1, then describe your move in plain language or speak it. The engine interprets, and you decide. Klara coaching references the same doc titles you read in prep.

0

Complete the war room

Read intel, cite TAM, log and score a hypothesis, choose contact and channel, submit your opener. Alex does not narrate until war room gates pass.

1

Describe your move

Type what you want to do in plain language, or use voice input. Example: "I want to reach out to Sarah Chen and ask who controls the budget."

2

The engine interprets

Your intent is mapped to game mechanics: action type, MEDDPICC target, difficulty, AP cost, and success probability. You see a consequence preview.

3

You decide

Commit to the interpreted action, edit your intent, or pick from 2 AI-suggested alternatives with honest tradeoff explanations.

4

Alex narrates the consequence

The outcome plays out as a real scene. NPC reactions. Story continuity. Specific details, not summaries.

5

Klara's Training Insight appears

A coaching card steps outside the story to give you a sharp MEDDPICC insight about your decision. Color-coded: 🟢 Excellent, 🔵 Good, 🟡 Risky.

gameisserious.com/en/join/SDEALIQ
Story
Documents
Stakeholders
War room Discovered GM Intel
🎭
Alex · Game Master
You step into the glass-walled conference room on the 14th floor. Sarah Chen is already seated, laptop open. She looks up. "You're early," she says, with a half-smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. A printed org chart is visible on her screen...
What's your move? Describe what you want to do...
🎤
Decide →
MEDDPICC Board
M
Metrics
E
Economic Buyer
D
Decision Criteria
D
Decision Process
I
Identify Pain
C
Champion
Action Points · Chapter 2
SPICED Board
S
Situation
P
Pain
I
Impact
CE
Critical Event
DP
Decision Process
DC
Decision Committee
DCR
Decision Criteria
Action Points · Chapter 2
Expand/Renew Workspace
1
Inherited pack
2
Gap audit
3
Expansion map
4
Expand / Renew / Hold
Action Points · Chapter 2
Section 04

Action Points

Every action costs AP. You have 10 AP per chapter. Spend them wisely.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Action Type AP Cost Primary MEDDPICC Benefit
Research1 APMetrics, Decision Criteria, Pain
Outreach1 APEconomic Buyer, Champion
Meeting2–3 APAll elements; highest yield but highest cost
Analysis1 APDecision Process, Metrics
Navigation2 APDecision Process, org chart
Response0–1 APRelationship repair, stakeholder trust
Fold0 APClean pipeline, document your reasons

Your character archetype gives a +15% bonus on one action type. Your skill sheet (Research, Rapport, Empathy, Strategy, Persistence) modifies success probability on each action.

Probability & Outcomes

Before you commit to a move, you see the estimated success probability. This factors in your relevant skill score vs. action difficulty, current stakeholder trust level, and archetype bonus.

⭐
Critical Success
Breakthrough info or relationship leap
✓
Success
Worked as intended. Evidence gained.
〜
Partial
Some progress, some resistance.
✗
Failure
Didn't land. A teaching moment follows.
Section 05

Discovery Approach

Deal IQ scores how you discover information, not just what you find. Senior sellers uncover MEDDPICC answers without the prospect realizing they are being qualified.

Indirect Excellent
"Review the annual report for cost data before the CFO meeting."
Full MEDDPICC advancement, rich stakeholder response. The gold standard.
Indirect Good
"Ask about their business challenges in a general conversation."
Good advancement, natural information flow. Solid professional instinct.
Direct Acceptable
"Ask the VP what their evaluation criteria are."
Surface information only, lower advancement. Gets answers, but misses depth.
Blunt Ineffective
"What are your metrics for success?"
Stakeholder gives a vague answer, possible trust penalty. A rookie move.
Pro tip
The game rewards indirect approaches with richer information and deeper MEDDPICC advancement. The best sellers make prospects feel like they're having a conversation, not being interrogated.
Section 06

Your Sales Archetype

Choose your archetype at the start of each game. Your choice shapes your skill defaults, bonus action type, and personal avatar.

🔍
Researcher
Research +15%
Finding data, metrics, criteria. Preparation is your superpower.
Watch out: Delaying direct engagement
🤝
Relationship Builder
Outreach +15%
Building trust, spotting Champions. People open doors for you.
Watch out: Skipping quantitative qualification
♟️
Strategist
Navigation +15%
Mapping process, org politics. You see the board, not just the pieces.
Watch out: Missing emotional pain signals
🎯
Closer
Meeting +15%
Creating urgency, handling objections. You thrive in the room.
Watch out: Rushing qualification steps
Section 07

Klara: Your Sales Coach

After every action, Klara appears with a coaching insight. She operates outside the story world, giving you professional MEDDPICC analysis of your decision.

🎓
Klara
Sales Coach · Training Insight
"Good instinct researching before the meeting. But you asked about metrics directly. Try discovering them through the annual report or a conversation about business challenges instead. An indirect approach raises your success rate with senior stakeholders by 20%."
Discovery: Direct Acceptable
MEDDPICC: Metrics

Klara scores your discovery approach (indirect vs. direct vs. blunt) and your action relevance (critical, advancing, maintenance, or waste). Over time, her feedback reveals your selling patterns and blind spots.

Section 08

Champion Building

The Champion element has the most nuanced mechanics in Deal IQ. It mirrors the real-world complexity of building an internal advocate.

The Influence × Authority Matrix

IA
Real Champion
High Influence + High Authority. Has both the credibility and the power to push your deal through.
✓ Champion Capable
INA
Coach Only
High Influence + Low Authority. Can advocate, gives great intel, but cannot push decisions through.
✗ Not Champion
ANI
Positional Power
Low Influence + High Authority. Has the title, but directives get slow-walked by the org.
✗ Not Champion
NINA
Friendly Contact
Low Influence + Low Authority. Warm and enthusiastic but zero organizational weight.
✗ Not Champion
The most common Champion trap
Confusing a friendly, enthusiastic contact (NINA) with a real Champion. Friendly doesn't mean powerful. Always test before you rely. The Champion journey: Build Relationship Capital → Build Professional Capital → Test → Use.
Section 09

The 5 Levels

Progress from a single deal to managing a full portfolio under time pressure. Each level introduces new mechanics that mirror real selling complexity.

1
Level
Single Deal
One company, one deal, full MEDDPICC. Tutorial support available. Learn the intent-first system, meet Alex as your narrator, and practice Champion basics.
New: Intent-first input, Alex narrator
2
Level
Portfolio Intro
Manage 3 deals with limited AP per week. Learn to prioritize: which deal deserves your time this week?
New: Pipeline management, weekly AP budget
3
Level
The Fold Decision
5 deals. Some are traps: false champions, budget sinkholes, time wasters. Disqualify before over-investing. A well-documented fold is better than grinding a dead deal.
New: Deal health scoring, fold mechanics
4
Level
Complex Scenarios
Competitive pressure, false Champions, procurement blockers. Curveball events hit when you least expect them.
New: Curveball events, multi-Champion scenarios
5
Level
Master Qualifier
8 deals, tight quota, time pressure. Prove your expertise. The full behavioral mirror debrief reveals who you really are as a seller.
New: Full behavioral mirror debrief
Section 10

Act 3: After the Game, Your Debrief

The debrief is not a report. It is a reveal sequence. Pre-contact log and prep retrospective compare your war room work to account reality. Ground truth about hidden account dynamics appears here, not during live play.

1
Your Deal Story
What happened, told as a narrative. In portfolio mode, each deal's hidden archetype is revealed with a dramatic card flip.
2
Pre-contact timeline
Chronological war room log: docs opened, hypothesis tier, TAM, contact, channel, opener. What you did before Alex narrated Turn 1.
3
Prep retrospective
Strategic planning score compares your war room prep to ground truth. What aligned, what was off-account. Only at debrief.
4
MEDDPICC Scorecard
Per-element scores across five dimensions: discovery quality, depth, validation, timing, and application.
4
SPICED Handoff Readiness
Verdict from SPICED depth: Situation, Pain, Impact, and Critical Event documented, plus Decision context started. Ready, partial, or not ready for CSM inheritance.
4
Expand/Renew Call Bands
expand_renew_v1 tier (right_strong, right_lucky, wrong_call, no_call), gapsDetected vs gapsMissed, and call rationale. Overall blends defensibility, element average, and gap coverage.
5
How You Discovered
Your discovery approach breakdown: what percentage was indirect (pro-level), direct (acceptable), or blunt (ineffective).
6
Action Focus
How you spent your time: critical actions, advancing actions, maintenance, and waste.
7
Pipeline Management
Portfolio mode: fold accuracy, AP efficiency, and quota achievement.
8
Sales Behavior Mirror
Your dominant selling style, behavioral patterns, blind spots, and self-insights.
9
Key Decisions
The 5 decisions that most shaped your outcome, with alternatives and lessons.
10
Growth Path
Three personalized improvement recommendations and a shareable summary card.
11
ICCE Behavioural Scorecard
A four-dimension reading senior leaders trust: Intelligence (research depth and signal use), Character (champion integrity and discovery posture), Coachability (response to Klara's coaching cues), and Experience (recovery from mistakes, MEDDPICC fluency under pressure). Every number is derived deterministically from your session evidence; the same session always produces the same score. Each dimension shows its weights and source signals so a recruiter, sales VP, or manager can verify the reading.
Section 11

Tips for Success

✍️
Write your own intent. Don't just pick the first suggestion. The act of articulating your move forces strategic thinking.
📂
War room quality carries forward. Docs, hypothesis tier, and opener shape Klara coaching in live play. Strong prep shows in ICCE Intelligence.
📂
Check Documents early. War room docs keep their badges in live play. Klara cites real titles, not generic intel.
👔
Managers see your prep. War room progress and timestamps appear on the manager strip before Turn 1. Treat Act 1 like a visible dress rehearsal.
📊
Respect the probability. If the consequence preview shows 35%, that's information. Prepare before you act.
🛡️
Build Champion early. The champion journey takes multiple turns. Starting late means finishing never.
🚪
Fold is a valid move. A well-documented fold is better for your pipeline than a stall you never end.
🎓
Read Klara's insight card. It's outside the story for a reason: it's the part that transfers to your real deals.
⏱️
In portfolio mode, fold early. Recognizing a trap deal in week 2 saves AP for the deal that matters.
🎤
Speak your moves. Tap the microphone. Sales reps think out loud. The engine processes speech identically to typed text.