Would you trust a surgeon who never practiced? A lawyer who never rehearsed? An athlete who never trained? Then why do we send sales reps out unprepared? This thought-provoking question shared during SellMeThisPen podcast by Hamish Knox, an Official Sandler Trainer, highlights the critical importance of role plays in sales enablement.
In this article, we will analyze why most traditional sales role plays fail and share a proven 20-minute framework that can transform your team's performance and confidence before they engage with real prospects.
As David Sandler wisely put it, "Never practice in front of your buyer." Yet that's exactly what most sellers do. They practice their pitches, objection handling, and closing techniques on real prospect, opportunities and revenue.
This approach is not only inefficient but also costly. Every mistake made during these "live practice sessions" can result in lost deals and damaged credibility.
Even when companies recognize the importance of practice, their role play approaches frequently miss the mark due to:
Without a structured approach to role plays, sales teams are left vulnerable when facing real-world selling scenarios.
Hamish Knox shares a powerful, time-efficient framework for conducting effective sales role plays that create real improvement. Let's break down this five-step process:
Unlike traditional approaches where reps are thrown into the deep end, this framework starts with leadership showing the way:
The leader plays the seller role first. The team member plays the buyer.
By modeling the behavior first, leaders demonstrate their willingness to be vulnerable and create psychological safety for their team.
After the initial role play, create space for honest feedback by asking your rep:
"What resonated with you?"
"What doesn't resonate?"
"What would you change?"
This step is crucial because it empowers the rep to analyze the interaction critically and offer suggestions for improvement. It transforms the exercise from a top-down directive into a collaborative learning experience.
Don't just collect feedback – act on it right away:
This immediate application demonstrates that you value their input and reinforces the collaborative nature of the exercise.
Now it's time for the rep to take center stage:
The rep becomes the seller - they use their own style and approach.
You become the buyer - you provide the scenario details.
This role reversal allows the rep to practice in a safe environment with the benefit of having just seen a demonstration. They can incorporate elements they liked from your approach while making it authentic to their style.
Keep the wrap-up focused and brief:
The debrief shouldn't be lengthy—the value is in the practice and the immediate feedback loop you've established.
How do you know if your role plays are making a difference? Hamish suggests monitoring these key conversion ratios:
Prospecting attempts → Conversations
Conversations → Meetings
Meetings → Demos
Demos → Proposals
Proposals → Closed Deals
Each gap between these stages represents a coaching opportunity. If a rep is securing plenty of meetings but few convert to demos, that specific transition needs focused practice.
"Don't expect dramatic changes overnight," Hamish advises. "A rep going from 10 demos per proposal to 9? That's a 10% improvement." These incremental gains compound over time to create significant results.
Don't try to role play entire calls or meetings. Instead:
As Hamish puts it, it's "like pro golfers who practice one club for hours." Mastery comes from focused, deliberate practice.
One common mistake is treating coaching as a one-and-done activity. Avoid the mindset of "I coached... He/she is better now", because as Herman put it: “humans are not light switches" that can be instantly flipped.
So instead of treating it as a one-time event:
Sales role plays, when done correctly, can dramatically improve your team's performance and confidence. By implementing Hamish Knox's 20-minute framework, focusing on specific scenarios, and measuring the right metrics, you can create a culture of continuous improvement and preparation. Remember, the goal isn't perfection but progress—and every increment of improvement translates to better results in the real world.
The most successful sales teams aren't just naturally talented—they're rigorously practiced. As David Sandler warned, "Never practice in front of your buyer." With a structured role play approach, your team won't have to.
In this episode of SellMeThisPen Podcast, Michael and Hamish dive deep into the science of effective sales role plays. They discuss why traditional approaches often fail, how to create psychological safety for authentic practice, and the specific framework that has helped countless sales teams improve their performance through structured practice.
Hamish Knox is an Official Sandler Trainer, host of the Full Funnel Freedom podcast, and a former journalist turned sales expert. With years of experience transforming sales teams across industries, Hamish brings practical, actionable insights that sales leaders can implement immediately to improve their coaching and their team's results.
