Category Archives: Role-play

Could you present blind? 4 Lessons in preparation from Olympic champion, Michael Phelps

February 9, 2018 Julie Hansen Leave a comment

Many presenters share the actor’s nightmare of being in front of an audience and not knowing their lines. I lived that nightmare early in my sales career. A Presenter’s nightmare As a new salesperson I was excited when I received a last-minute opportunity to present to an important prospect. Although I didn’t know the product well or have much preparation time, I felt confident. After all, everything I needed was on my slides! I arrived at the prospect’s office, introduced myself, clicked on my PowerPoint and…nothing happened. I clicked, rebooted, prayed. Still nothing. Soon my audience was chiming in with suggestions, all to no avail. (Now mind you, this was before flash drives and the ability to email large files easily.) I decided to forge ahead – sans-slides – since I knew it would be difficult to get this same group of people together any time soon. I wish I Read More

Role-play

Traditional Sales Role-play is Dead (Meet its Replacement)

April 5, 2017 Julie Hansen 2 Comments

Two words that can send the most confident sales rep racing for the door: Role-play. While as children most of us happily engaged in some form of role-play, sales has turned this once valuable learning experience into an awkward, high-pressured test of a rep’s ability to correctly articulate product knowledge or follow a particular sales methodology. Traditional sales role-play embodies every actor’s nightmare of stepping into the spotlight without knowing their lines or even what the play is about. High expectations and vague circumstances (Ok, Alice you’re the salesperson, Ken, you’re the customer…Go!) set reps up for failure – and it all takes place in front of the chief critic (manager) and their peers. Reps go into survival mode under these nerve-racking conditions, regurgitating back information that is expected of them. The result is a performance that rarely resembles the salesperson on an actual sales call. So what are reps Read More

Acting tips, Role-play, Sales managers

5 Sales Role-Play Tips for Success from the Theater

October 13, 2016 Julie Hansen 2 Comments

Sales Reps hate to role-play. But you knew that, right? Done well, role-play can be an exceptionally powerful tool in helping sales reps master communication skills and navigate many changes in products, customers, and competition they continually face. Unfortunately, approaching it with a gallows-like resolve as most sales reps do, limits the opportunity to get the real transformative benefits that role-play can produce. What Sales Role-play Tips can help? Look no farther than your local theater. Stages across the world consistently churn out winning performances using role-play as their primary tool. Applying a few fundamentals from the theater to your sales role-play will greatly increase your sales reps’ understanding and confidence in the process and provide them with valuable insights they can apply immediately in the field. 5 Sales Role-play Tips for Success from the Theater: Clarify expectations. Making sure everyone is clear about the goal of the role-play is key. Keep Read More

Role-play, Sales managers

Get Real Results from Sales Role Play (psst..the secret is in the casting)

December 4, 2014 Julie Hansen Leave a comment

Actors love to work with director Clint Eastwood for good reason: “He expects you to know what you’re doing. And he’s going to take two giant steps back and let you do it,” says Morgan Freeman. But some Hollywood directors are notoriously difficult to work with. Kate Winslet said that working with James Cameron on Titanic was “an ordeal” after nearly drowning and chipping a bone in her elbow. As the director of your sales role-play, you control the experience and ultimately the results for your team. In Part 1 of this series on sales role-play, we laid out how to Set the Stage for success by setting clear expectations and selecting a specific customer and opportunity. Now you’re ready to cast your sales role-play. Sales role-play: the secret is in the casting Take a lesson from acting and don’t thrust salespeople into the spotlight without giving them some tips Read More