When talking to sales leadership and management about training one thing that always comes up is “We want you to include role playing in the training….”
YET when sales managers are working with their teams, I never observe role playing as part of their strategy on how to improve their salespeople’s skills.
Which makes me wonder – do sales managers hate inside sales role playing more than salespeople?
I know it’s not real and feels contrived. Yet it is one of the best ways to have the people on your team become more comfortable:
- when trying a new skill.
- asking difficult questions.
- figuring out a strategy.
That is why you want trainers to use it!
Three Role Play Tips
#1 – New Skills
When you are working with a salesperson to turn new skills into good sales habits, having them ‘try it out’ in a role play allows them to practice. Practice gives them the opportunity to play with the ideas and create a way that sounds like them instead of a Sales-bot.
#2 – Difficult Questions
At anytime in a salesperson’s career there are questions they find it difficult to ask. Even great salespeople have things they aren’t comfortable asking (even if it is one question to a particular person about a specific deal). Instead of TELLING them what piece of information they need to get from their contact… ask “How will you ask for _________?” and then role play until they have it down!
#3 – Deal Strategy
As you are working on a deal with a salesperson and you sense resistance about a particular topic throw out this question “What will it sound like when you ask about that?” Then allow THEM to be the prospect and YOU play the role of the salesperson. Remember to give them the opportunity to mold your style or strategy into their own.
Bonus Tip – use real life situations that you’ve heard from other salespeople on your team as your scenarios! Don’t feel like you need to have a list, use what came up earlier that day or week.
Role playing is a great way to improve your team’s skill level and make them sound more like themselves when they pick up the phone to put new skills into practice, ask difficult questions, and execute deal strategy. So go role play!
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