Be it in sport, a musical instrument, or sales. You practice like you play. Nothing is executed perfectly on the first attempt, and it’s likely hurdles will be faced, learnings will be made, to all soon be overcome. Simply put, sales is always a work in progress. And the challenge of facing objections are not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’.
I’ve learned from working with many clients over the years that a short roleplay exercise proves great benefit. Allowing sales pitches and conversations to be a step closer to flawless. A one minute three-way pitch. A quick, simple, effective team exercise without the added pressure of the client. Allocate the role of a customer, salesperson and observer, agree a scenario and you’re set. Allowing your team to become familiar with certain instances. Discover language to effectively manoeuvre around what could be a tricky situation, and gain confidence to address future objections.
With a clear structure, it’s a great method to provide instant feedback, acknowledge issues and confront challenges that may be encountered by more than just one individual in your team. I’m not suggesting you to ask your colleague to “Sell me a pen”. Far from it. Instead, relevant, simple questions you may be asked by clients or prospects. All with the aim to gain clarity in what the correct answer should be to move them through the pipeline with ease.
Role-play may be predominantly associated with the onboarding process to shape new members towards internalising company best-practice. But it is equally important to maintain standard upkeep. Salespeople are used to being kept on their feet, being fired questions at, challenged. Sometimes single skill practice is important to isolate in order to perfect. Perhaps it’s time to spice up the usual pleasantries when starting off a zoom meeting with some roleplay – after all it’s a great short session, regardless of face to face or remote.
Practice like you play. Consistent practice leads to improvement and the best results.