Category Archives: Sales Role-Playing
A Guide to Perfect Sales Presentations
What do Account Executives have in common with Chris Rock? They’ve both been slapped in the middle of a presentation. Maybe not a physical slap like Chris Rock suffered, but a virtual slap when a prospect suddenly interrupts an online presentation. For Account Executives, every sales presentation needs to be an Oscar-worthy performance. In this […]
Using No to Get to Yes
Do you remember the last time you were solicited by a salesperson at a kiosk in your local mall? On a recent mall visit, I walked past a kiosk and the salesperson asked, “Can I ask you a question?” I replied, “No thanks” and kept walking. As a sales trainer and coach, the question got […]
7 High-Impact Sales Coaching Activities to Prioritize
For many organizations, sales training and coaching are as linked as peanut butter and jelly. Of course, this makes sense. The two follow each other seamlessly: reps attend periodic training, and managers reinforce that training over a longer timeframe. This is great when your organization has a training scheduled. However, with the cost and logistics, […]
Why Your Sales Scripts Should Be Guidelines – Not Rigid Rules
The subject of scripts in sales can be divisive. One viewpoint is that sales scripts result in rote conversations that are disconnected from the organic way conversation operates. The other school of thought is that scripts are necessary to provide a grounding for sales reps and a consistent customer experience. Both sides have valid points […]
How to Turn Apathetic Customers Into Invested Ones
“Not interested.” “We’re happy with what we have now.” “I don’t have time.” We’ve all heard those rebuffs that sit in the middle of the sales/prospecting road – giant obstacles that block us from proceeding further. They’re not even objections that we can work with – they’re stonewalls that signal a refusal to engage. Unanswered […]
Job Sims and Assessments are Sales Hiring Wins for Employers and Candidates
The NFL Draft has, by the time of this publication, come and gone. Equal parts art and science, the league’s rookie dispersal of college players reminds us a lot of the hiring process in sales. In football, you have things like college games, all-star games, the combine, interviews, and various workouts with which to evaluate […]
Real-World Scenarios: The Key to Effective Sales Role-Playing
While role-playing is an excellent tool for coaching and developing sales reps, specific parameters that more accurately replicate their real-life selling experience is needed to maximize the value of the experience. Not only does the role-play then become a teaching moment to improving sales reps’ skills and weaknesses, it’s an opportunity to model the preparation […]
How To Use Role-Playing To Drive Sales Success
One of the most overlooked and underutilized sales training and coaching tools is sales role-playing. However, just over 20% of sales teams utilize role-playing, despite its effectiveness in improving sales results, In fact, in one case study, daily role-playing exercises took two radio stations from a combined $600,000 in sales to $6 million in two […]
How to Ensure That Sales Training Pays Off
It’s common practice for sales organizations to earmark significant budget dollars for sales training. It’s an ongoing operating expense, and a necessity for a healthy company. But in order for a training program to be effective over the long term, it needs to be thoughtfully and carefully planned from the outset. In other words, it […]
