Improving your negotiation skills takes practice, just like any other skill. However, finding chances to practice can be hard. When you negotiate with a buyer a lot is at stake. You must think about what you want, what the other person wants, and any problems that might come up. That’s where sales role-play comes in. Role-play scenarios let you see what you’re good at, where you need to improve, and what problems you might face. They are also great for practicing how to handle tough situations, like when someone asks for a big discount or makes unexpected demands.
Sales Role-Play Exercises and Role-Play Scenarios
- “The Extreme Sales” Scenario
- “Walking Away From a Deal” Scenario
- “The Stalled Deal” Scenario
- “General Objections” Scenario
- “The Higher-Level Questions” Scenario
1. “The Extreme Sales” Scenario
Lots of sports coaches push their athletes to train harder than they need to. They believe that if you can do something when it’s difficult, then when those obstacles are removed it should be very easy to accomplish.
The same idea works in sales. If you can handle a tough negotiation, you’ll be ready for an easier one. It’s all about getting your mind and emotions ready for whatever comes your way.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
(This sales role-play is for two people: one Sales Rep and one Prospect. If you’re up for it, the Sales Rep can negotiate with two or more customers for an extra challenge.)
Sales Role-Play Rules:
- Write down the toughest negotiation situations you’ve been in, like tight deadlines or big deals, on separate pieces of paper. Mix them up and pick one randomly.
- Decide who will be the Sales Rep and who will be the customer(s). Act out the situation. After you come to an agreement or get stuck, talk about what happened. What worked well? What didn’t? How can you use what you learned in future negotiations?
- You can do the negotiation again with the same situation or pick a different one. Keep doing the exercise as many times as you want.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
In this situation, the prospect has just lost their supplier and needs to find a new one really quickly. You can change it to fit what you need.
The Prospect: “Hello! Our business just lost our supplier for [what your business offers], and we need to find a new one in the next few days.”
The Sales Rep: “Nice to meet you! I can help with that. Can you tell me what you need so I can answer your questions?”
The Prospect: “Sure! We have about 300 clients, so we need enough [what you offer] to give them what they need every week. Our last supplier was good but we always wished they had [something special your business offers]. I know we’re in a hurry. We really need to find a new supplier as fast as possible!”
The Sales Rep: “I get it! Even though we need to move quickly, I sure we can do it. We offer [what your business does], which seems like what you’re looking for. Our prices are [how much your business charges], and we bill every month. Normally, we need about 3 weeks to get started but we are able to start sooner for an extra [extra cost] for the first month. How does that sound?”
2. “Walking Away From a Deal” Scenario
Ending a business relationship can be tough, especially when it means saying goodbye to a customer and the money you earn from them.
It’s really helpful to practice these role-play scenarios because they can make new reps feel nervous and stressed. Role-playing breaking up with a customer is an important part of sales training. If you do it right, it can actually help you get more business later on.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
Sales Role-Play Rules:
- Think of different situations where you might need to end a relationship with a prospect. Maybe your product or service isn’t right for their business, they don’t have enough money, or they’re not ready yet but might be later.
- Write down possible reactions from the prospect on separate pieces of paper, like being upset, disappointed, or grateful.
- Decide who will be the Sales Rep and who will be the Prospect and pick slips of paper randomly to act out different breakup role-play scenarios and reactions.
- After each practice, write down what went well and what didn’t. Then, talk about what you would do differently next time with your team.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
The Prospect: “We’re having trouble with [describe the problem], and we think your tool could help us fix it.”
The Sales Rep: “I get that dealing with that problem can be tough. However, our service isn’t really made for [describe what they need help with]. We usually focus on [describe what the tool is used for]. I don’t think our product is the right fit for that situation, but maybe you have other problems that our tool could help with?”
The Prospect: “No, that’s the only issue we have. Are there any other options?”
The Sales Rep: “I’m sorry but we don’t have any other options that could help with that specific problem. If things change and you think we could help you in the future, I’d be happy to talk again and see if we can work together.”
3. “The Stalled Deal” Scenario
Every Sales Rep will come across deals that don’t seem to be going anywhere. The prospect might keep changing the demo schedule, disappear for weeks, or take forever to sign a contract.
No matter what’s happening, it wastes the reps’ time and money. It’s crucial for them to recognize these situations and figure out why they’re happening. That way, they can decide whether to end the deal or try to move it forward.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
Sales Role-Play Rules:
- The person acting as the Prospect should decide which behavior they’ve been doing to stall the deal. Are they postponing the demo again? Have they been silent for weeks? Are they asking for last-minute changes to the contract?
- Write down on separate papers the real reasons why a prospect might be stalling (like their budget got cut, their boss wants a different vendor, or they’re just unsure how to say “no”). Each prospect should show different emotions when the Sales Rep asks them to be honest, like anger, frustration, or relief.
- Each Sales Rep should ask their prospect questions to find out why they’re avoiding making a decision. Questions like, “Usually, when someone keeps postponing the demo, it means it’s not a priority for them right now. Is that the case?” can help the prospect figure out if they really want to move forward.
- After the Sales Rep understands why the Prospect is stalling and either moves the deal forward or ends it, they should talk about what went well, what made the Prospect uncomfortable, and how they could do better next time.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
The Sales Rep: “Hey [customer’s name], I’m calling because we had a product demo planned for today. Is it still a good time?”
The Prospect: “Oh, hi! Sorry, I’m busy right now. Can we move the demo to next week? My boss is out of town, and I want them to be able to join.”
The Sales Rep: “Sure thing! I understand you want to postpone the demo. However, we’ve already rescheduled twice before. Can I ask if there’s anything holding you back that I can help with to make sure we’re on the same page?”
The Prospect: “There’s nothing holding us back, I just want everyone involved to be informed.”
The Sales Rep: “Got it! I’m here to answer any questions you have, even if there’s something you’re unsure about.”
The Prospect: “Actually, I do have a question. [insert question]”
The Sales Rep: “I’m happy you asked! [insert solution].”
4. “General Objections” Scenario
Every sales team hears the same objections often. It’s important to handle these objections easily to keep deals moving forward. This activity is good for new employees who aren’t used to these objections yet, and it helps experienced salespeople stay quick with their responses.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
Sales Role-Play Rules:
Here’s a simpler version:
- One person is “it.”
- The rest of the group pretend to be prospects and take turns throwing common objections at the rep. The rep has a certain amount of time – it could be 30 seconds or up to two minutes – to respond to the objection in a way that satisfies the group and keeps the deal moving.
- Keep throwing out objections one after another until the rep’s time is up, which could be five or 10 minutes.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
The Sales Rep: “Do you have any questions for me today?”
The Prospect: “Yeah, I’ve seen online that sometimes other people who use your tool have had [a common problem].”
The Sales Rep: “We’ve heard about that. If a customer has that issue, we usually [offer a solution].”
The Prospect: “Okay, but what if that doesn’t work?”
The Sales Rep: “We haven’t had many cases where that solution didn’t work, but if it happens, we would [offer another solution].”
The Prospect: “Well, my specific problem is [describe their issue]. What if I fix that but still want to keep doing [mention another common concern]?”
The Sales Rep: “That’s actually a common question! We handle each situation differently. In similar cases we’ve [provided a solution].”
5. “The Higher-Level Questions” Scenario
Sometimes, customers do a lot of research before talking to a salesperson. This means they already know about your business and what you sell.
This activity helps salespeople learn how to talk to customers who might ask more advanced questions. It also reminds them to study up on their products so they can answer questions from all kinds of customers.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
Sales Role-Play Rules:
Here’s a simpler version:
- One person is “it,” and someone else acts as the customer.
- The customer should do some research and come up with a more advanced question that’s not usually asked.
- The customer approaches the rep with the question and starts the conversation. Since they’ve already done research, the rep asks specific questions about product details because the customer already knows what they’re interested in.
- After the customer gets a response they’re happy with, the group talks about how well they think the question was answered, considering the customer’s level of knowledge.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
In this example, a customer is looking for a specific type of computer hard drive, which is different from most customers who just want any hard drive. You can adjust the script to fit your business.
The Sales Rep: “Hello! How can I assist you today?”
The Prospect: “Hi! Thank you. So, I’m a video editor and I need an external hard drive that can handle transferring large multimedia files, sometimes many times a day, without having to wait too long. I edit on a desktop. It should have a USB 3 connection and I prefer it to be portable since I travel a lot.”
The Sales Rep: “Thanks for sharing your specific needs! I’m here to help you find what you’re looking for. Can you tell me how much storage you need? Do you need enough for just a few big video files?”
The Prospect: “Actually, I need more than that. I’m looking for at least 5TB, preferably closer to 8TB. It’s not about the number of files but more about how much it can hold at once. Sometimes I need to switch between computers.”
The Sales Rep: “Got it! Let me show you our options. These two here might be perfect for you. They both have 8TB of storage, USB 3 and thunderbolt ports, spin at 5400 rpm, and they’re priced around $300. Most people who buy these are into photo editing and work with big multimedia files, which seems to match your needs.”
Sales Negotiation Sales Role-Play Exercises
- “Further Develop Your Skills” Scenario
- “The Difficult Prospect” Scenario
- “The Win-lose Negotiation” Scenario
- “Multiple Tactics” Scenario
- “Choosing Between You and Competitor” Scenario
6. “Further Develop Your Skills” Scenario
It’s really important to know and get ready for the parts of negotiating where you might not be so good. For instance, you might get scared and give discounts too early. Or maybe you’re too stubborn to make compromises, which makes a lot of prospects leave.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
Sales Role-Play Rules:
- Write down one thing you need to get better at when negotiating.
- Decide who will be the Sales Rep and who will be the Prospect. You can take turns so everyone gets a chance to be the Sales Rep. Then, do a regular negotiation. The Sales Rep should try to work on their weakness during the negotiation.
- After you reach an agreement or decide you can’t make a deal, talk about how it went. The Sales Rep should think about how they did with their weakness. The Prospect should give feedback.
- Switch roles. Now the Sales Rep is the Prospect and the Prospect is the Sales Rep. Do the exercise again, with the new Sales Rep working on their weakness.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
In this scenario, the Sales Rep is having trouble compromising, even when the prospect’s needs are clear.
The Sales Rep: “Our regular price for [mention product or service] is [mention price]. That covers all the features you need to solve [mention client’s problems].”
The Prospect: “Since we’re a small company, that’s a bit too expensive for us. Our budget fits better with the lower-tier pricing, but we need the features from the higher tier. Can we find a way to make it work?”
The Sales Rep: “Our prices don’t change much. Which specific feature do you need?”
The Prospect: “We’ll get the most out of [mention commonly used feature]. We’ve had great success with it before and doubled our revenue in less than a year. We really want to use your tool and we’re okay with paying yearly instead of monthly to show we’re serious.”
The Sales Rep: “I understand. Thanks for explaining. We don’t usually make exceptions like this. So, I need to talk to my team before deciding what to do.”
The Prospect: “Is there anything else I can tell you to show we’re interested? We really want to work with you.”
7. “The Difficult Prospect” Scenario
Regular negotiations can be tough, but dealing with unreasonable or demanding buyers can be even tougher for Sales Reps. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at making deals that work well for everyone.
These types of role-play scenarios help you learn to stay calm and handle tough situations with difficult people.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
Sales Role-Play Rules:
- The person acting as the difficult customer picks two to four behaviors to use during these types of role-play scenarios. They might interrupt a lot, make threats, give ultimatums, change their mind suddenly, bring up things that don’t matter, criticize, get loud, avoid certain topics, refuse to commit, or not pay attention.
- Have a regular negotiation for 10 minutes.
- Take five minutes to write down what responses and tactics worked and what didn’t.
- Switch roles and do the exercise again.
- Compare your notes. What worked well? What didn’t? Figure out the best ways to deal with a tough customer.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
Here’s a simpler version:
The Prospect: “I got this blender in the mail, but it doesn’t work. I want my money back.”
The Sales Rep: “I’m really sorry about that. That’s not good at all. I’ll help you with that. Can you tell me what’s wrong with it?”
The Prospect: “I just want my money back.”
The Sales Rep: “I get that it’s frustrating. I don’t want you to have a faulty product either. I just need to know exactly what’s wrong so I can find the best solution for you, even if it means giving you a refund.”
The Prospect: “The product is obviously bad if it didn’t work when it arrived. I just want you to do your job and give me my money back. Should I talk to your manager instead?”
The Sales Rep: “I’m sorry I’m not helping you the way you want. Let me…”
The Prospect: “Please let me talk to your manager.”
8. “The Win-lose Negotiation” Scenario
The three main ways people negotiate are win-lose bargaining (one person wins while the other loses), win-win bargaining (both people win), and mixed-motive bargaining (both people win by making the situation better for both). This activity from MIT, called the Two Dollar Game, demonstrates all three methods, and it usually shows that mixed-motive bargaining leads to the best results.
You need a moderator and at least six participants to play the Two Dollar Game. So, ask your sales manager or another team member to lead it. (Don’t read the Sales Role-Play Rules below yet, or you won’t be able to play.)
Participants:
- Three (or more) groups of two
Sales Role-Play Rules:
- Let everyone know they’ll negotiate three times with three different partners.
- Pair everyone up randomly. Each pair gets $2 to split between them.
- At first, everyone might think, “Easy, we can just split it 50-50.” But each person gets a secret set of instructions on a piece of paper that makes it hard to just split it evenly. (You can find printable instructions for each person on this page.)
- Round 1 (see secret rules below)
- Let the pairs negotiate for 10 minutes.
- Form new pairs and have them do the exercise again. Give each person a new set of secret instructions on a piece of paper. (You can find printable instructions for each participant on this page.)
- Round 2 (see secret rules below)
- Instead of switching partners again, participants will run through the exercise for the third time with their current partner to show how important it is to reach agreements that benefit both sides and keep good business relationships.
- There are no secret instructions for this round. Participants can use any strategies they want. Some might be nice to their partner because they were nice before, while others might try to get back at a tough partner.
- Each person should share their secret instructions with the partner they had in the second and third rounds. They should talk about how they did (either in a group or on paper) and what worked and didn’t work.
Secret Rules for Round One:
- Pair #1: One person is instructed to get as much of the $2 as they can, while the other is told to secure at least $0.50 – and more if possible.
- Pair #2: One person is tasked with getting as much of the $2 as they can, while the other aims for at least $0.80 – and more if possible.
- Pair #3: One person is instructed to get as much of the $2 as they can, while the other is advised to secure at least $1 – and more if possible.
- Pair #4: One person is tasked with getting as much of the $2 as they can, while the other aims for at least $1.30 – and more if possible.
- Pair #5: One person is instructed to get as much of the $2 as they can, while the other is advised to secure at least $1.60 – and more if possible.
Secret Rules for Round Two:
- Pair #1: One person can use any tactic to get as much money as possible from their partner, while the other knows it’s okay if they don’t reach a deal this time – they’ll have another chance to negotiate.
- Pair #2: One person is known as a tough negotiator, while the other won’t meet their partner again but their friends are watching to see how well they can negotiate. They should try everything to get as much of the $2 as possible.
- Pair #3: One person is seen as untrustworthy in negotiation, while the other thinks any agreement is better than getting most or even half of the money.
- Pair #4: One person should talk as little as possible, while the other’s partner likes it when they ask questions.
- Pair #5: One person should be firm and create tension, while the other knows their reputation depends on how they negotiate and what they achieve.
9. “Multiple Tactics” Scenario
There are lots of negotiation strategies, from thinking carefully before responding to being the first to make an offer. Find out which negotiation tactics your company uses the most and practice them until your reps feel confident.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
Sales Role-Play Rules:
- Write down the negotiation tactics your company uses on separate pieces of paper and give them to the reps playing the role of “Sales Rep.”
- Pair each Sales Rep with a “prospect.” Write down your company’s price on one slip of paper and the prospect’s budget on another. Try to use real numbers your reps have dealt with before to make the exercise more realistic. Then, give the Sales Rep and the Prospect their price and budget.
- Let each Sales Rep use their assigned tactic to negotiate the price. Encourage some prospects to ask for discounts and have your reps do the sales role-play so they respond in real-time.
- After the negotiations are done, talk about what went well and what didn’t. Did the Sales Rep give in to the Prospect’s discount request too easily? Did the Prospect feel the Sales Rep was too pushy? Discuss specific ways each rep can improve for next time and repeat these exercises as many times as needed.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
In these negotiation role-play scenarios, the tactic being used is letting the prospect start the negotiation. You can change the script to fit your business needs.
The Sales Rep: “Here are the details of our deal. Our price is [insert relevant numbers].”
The Prospect: “Thanks for explaining that! I understand how your service can help me. But my budget is around [insert relevant numbers].”
The Sales Rep: “Got it. Is your budget number firm?”
The Prospect: “Yes, our budget is firm.”
The Sales Rep: “Do you have a range or is [insert prospects numbers] your exact budget?”
The Prospect: “It’s our exact budget. After hearing your presentation, I believe your option is the best fit for me and I’d rather not look elsewhere. Can we discuss the price?”
10. “Choosing Between You and Competitor” Scenario
Sometimes, customers are almost ready to decide but they can’t choose between two options. They might come to a rep at one company to get more details before they make up their mind. Some of their questions might be about how your product compares to a competitor’s. So, it’s important to know what makes your product valuable.
Participants:
- The Sales Rep
- The Prospect
Sales Role-Play Rules:
- The Prospect comes to the Sales Rep and says they’re trying to decide between you and a competitor. Then, they ask questions to see if you can convince them to pick you.
- Sales reps need to know what makes their business special and how it’s different from competitors.
- The Sales Rep should be careful about their tone, so they don’t sound aggressive or criticize the competitor. That might make the Prospect go away.
Script for Sales Role-Play:
You can adjust the scenario to better match the products and services your business provides.
The Prospect: “Hi! I’m thinking about buying a [insert your product] and I’m almost ready to decide. However, I’m also looking at [insert competitor’s product]. Can you help me make up my mind?”
The Sales Rep: “Of course! What are you unsure about?”
The Prospect: “Well, I really need a tool that [describe product features] and I know yours has that, but I’m not sure about the price compared to [competitor’s name].”
The Sales Rep: “I see! Our product has [describe product features]. We aim to [describe product purpose]. I know there are similar products out there. What makes ours special is [explain your product’s unique qualities]. Does that answer your questions?”
While these role-play scenarios are great for practicing with your team, you might also face similar role-playing scenarios during a job interview.
How To Prepare Sales Role-Play for an Interview
When you’re interviewing for a sales job, you might have to do role-playing exercises that simulate situations you’d face as a salesperson.
This might sound scary, but don’t worry. Employers use this method to see how you work, not to make you feel trapped. It’s easier for them to see your skills in action than just hear you talk about them. Here are some tips for handling sales role-play during an interview:
1. Do your research.
Before the interview, check if there’s any information online about whether role-playing will be part of it. While it’s good to be ready for anything, knowing for sure can help you prepare better.
2. Review the job description.
Even if you can’t find out about role-playing in advance, looking over the job description can give you clues. It’ll show you what skills are needed for the job and what kind of role-play scenarios you might face. For instance, if the job requires strong negotiation skills, you might have to negotiate with a tough customer during the sales role-play.
3. Practice common role-play scenarios.
Another way to get ready is to go over typical sales role-play scenarios, like the ones on this list. Practicing them with a friend or mentor can give you a feel for what to expect and help you get comfortable.
4. Be confident.
Remember, you got invited back for the interview because the hiring manager liked what they saw. Have confidence in your abilities, know you’ve done your best to prepare, and handle the scenario as it comes.
Conclusion
Role-playing isn’t just about learning new skills. It’s also a great way to keep learning as you go. Salespeople who often do sales role-play exercises tend to do better in sales. Almost half (48%) of reps who did role-play scenarios did better than those who didn’t.
It’s clear that sales role-play has a lot to offer sales professionals, so make sure you use it to your advantage! By practicing the scenarios mentioned earlier and following these tips, you can make role-playing sessions that really help your team do their best.
Looking for expert sales trainers to lead role-plays with your sales team? AIM Consulting is here to support you! Reach out to us today to set-up training to take your sales team to the next level.