Let’s say that you’ve assigned Stephanie to the role of the sales rep and you’ve given her the standard pitch script. This is what helps you build the confidence to really take control of the conversation and work on relationship-building off-script.įor these exercises, focus on basic skills-but with one complication. If you were in memorization mode before, this is where you’ll learn to be more mindful of the conversations you're having. Just make sure the third party is present, even if it’s virtually. It may be a more senior rep, coach, or sales manager.Įven though there's a third party observing the interaction, you can still host this role play in person, over the phone, or through video chat. This time, though, there is a third person there to observe. This is a one-on-one exercise between two sales reps.
This gives you a chance to observe, provide constructive feedback, and show your trainees how to become more agile and flexible when they’re in the thick of it. It’s perfectly fine to work off of a script when training, but real-world interactions with prospects don’t always go that predictably. The overall goal, regardless, is to iron out the kinks. This exercise can be used to reinforce the basic skills from exercise #1, or it can be used as part of ongoing training. This gives Mark the chance to master the cold-calling script while also being able to see what it feels like in the prospect’s shoes. You let the two of them work through the exercise a few times, switching back and forth in the roles.
She knows that she’s spending too much time on the wrong tasks, but doesn’t have the time or money to hire someone or figure out what kind of software she can offload it to.
Mark is to play the sales rep and Winnie is to play the small business owner who’s never heard of the software Mark is about to pitch her. You give Mark a cold-calling script and you set Winnie, your sales manager, up in one of the conference rooms with a prompt of her own. So, you ask your two newest recruits to work through the exercise together.
Let’s say you want to teach some techniques for making cold calls. This is your chance to really cement those basic skills, so design your exercises to be specific as they need to be. That way, everyone can get comfortable using your company’s technology, which speeds up the whole process even more. However, many sales activities take place over the phone or video chat (like Google Hangouts), so it's a good idea to run through some of these exercises using the platforms where they’re most likely to take place.
These are the kinds of skills you need to master to effectively engage with prospects one-on-one-and take them from “Who are you again?” to “I can’t believe I waited so long to buy this!”īecause this kind of exercise is meant to help you get better at the basics of selling, this is best handled one-on-one (typically, with one sales manager and one sales rep, or one sales trainer and sales rep, or one senior sales rep and one new sales rep.)Įssentially, you want a seasoned sales pro to lead this role play exercise and help the newest team member strengthen their skills through practice and feedback. You (and your sales reps) should have a firm grip on the basics of your "sales motion," or the steps you take to close a sale.