1/26/2024-Role Playing

You cringe when being forced to role-play in a group because few managers know how to run a good session. Role-playing should begin first with 1:1 sessions with your favorite work friends.

Here’s the secret about role-playing: there are only so many buyer situations and reactions to prepare for and practice. You know what a buyer is gonna throw at you.

But role-playing is more than practicing your reactions or killer lines.

You should regularly role-play to help you learn how to set the chessboard in your favor. The TOP 10% control where they take their buyers in pitch meetings…and that can be practiced.

Your role-plays should focus on that one situation you know you need to nail in your meetings.

Set some time to role-play with a friend this week and get back on the practice pitch.

Whether practicing a new product presentation or customizing your value prop for a specific situation, get together with a peer and role-play.

Role-play sessions should last no longer than 15-20 minutes, but don’t cut yourselves off if the session is productive and you’re in a groove.

Remember, it’s better to practice on each other than to practice on your customers.

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!

No matter how much of this 7-minute video you watch of the football god Messi at practice, his mastery is obvious and magical.

He always seems to make the perfect pass and perfect shot!

Watch closely, and you’ll see he’s having fun practicing. YES…practice is meant to be fun. And even though Messi is playing a game and you’re playing a quota, you can still make it fun to practice!

Be whimsical, silly, and loose in your role-play practice, and you’ll perform better when it’s showtime!