It’s better to practice with each other than with your clients. Cement that one in your brain (it’ll resurface the next time you blow something in front of a customer at a pitch meeting).

Old and archaic practice sessions featured two chairs on a stage under bright lights…and that never really turned out well. The only thing you learned was to come late and sit in the back at your internal sales meetings.

The problem with the aforementioned setting was that there was little to zero instruction going on. It was mostly just saying the wrong thing and getting trampled for doing so.

And yet, role-playing provides the most direct line toward perfecting a skill and/or trying a new approach. Today’s role-playing template includes FOUR simple session elements:
1. Grab one friend for the role-play session.
2. Practice one specific scenario that came up, or will arise with a customer.
3. Use your "TIME-OUT" privilege liberally. If you don’t like how something sounds coming out of your mouth, call a TIME OUT and do it over.
4. HAVE FUN. Laugh when someone says something stupid (you will). Giggle when someone blows a line (it’ll happen). In short, loosen up and try to make it less intense than it has to be.

But whatever you do, get out on the pitch…. PRACTICE!