How to Use Role-Playing in Innovation Sessions

Role Plays ... We both love them and hate them. At their best, they're a great way to build new muscles. At worst, just a chance for people to goof off in a breakout room. Now you can do them with AI, which is great for more at bats, or when you need to role play a first meeting with an industry SME or a specific ICP. But there's great value in having your team do these live to build shared experience and get them coaching eachother. How have you made them productive and useful for your team? Some things I've been incorporating: 1. Kick it off by creating a safe space for learning together 2. Ideally a role play should be done on a real, current Opportunity. If that's not possible, on a current Lead for a real Account. If that's not possible, on a fictional scenario, but it better be very realistic. Otherwise it's too contrived. 3. Role plays should be short. Ideally you're practicing just one behavior (how to open a call, a common objection, or introducing one differentiator) If they go on longer than a few minutes, you lose people. 4. Your best coaches are more experienced sellers currently or recently in the same role. So create your breakout room groupings with intention. 5. After the role play, start the feedback portion by having the person self assess on how they did and what they would change. Then ask for feedback from their peers. 6. Remove friction that keeps people from focusing on what you want them to practice, by: * Having them write possible questions, proof points, examples, etc. in a conversation planner before they start * If you're trying to change a behavior, and a sales scenario is too complex, can they practice in a different context? (i.e. "Tell me about your pet." as a prompt to practice listening and keeping the focus on the prospect) * Giving the "prospect" and "seller" a set of questions and answers they can use, if what you're doing is completely new to the team. Just let them go back and forth with those the first time to build muscle memory. * Providing an "out" - by letting them phone a friend if they have no idea what comes next * Have a couple people do an example role play before you go into breakout rooms. (Let them prep for it ahead of time, so you can be sure it will be a good example) 7. Finish by having the team share their key takeaways Role plays don't have to be painful. And ideally they make the real thing easier and more fun. #roleplay #saassales #enablement #salesenablement

Earlier this year, I facilitated a strategy session where one person’s voice dominated while quiet team members retreated into their shells. Halfway through, I paused, put everyone into small groups, and gave them roles to pick up. Here's how it works: 1️⃣ Assign Roles: Each small group had a Questioner, Connector, and Synthesizer. - Questioner: Probes deeper and asks clarifying, “why?” and “how?” questions. - Connector: Links ideas across people, points out overlaps and sparks “aha” moments. - Synthesizer: Distills discussion into concise insights and next-step recommendations. 2️⃣ Clarify Focus: Groups tackled one critical topic (e.g., “How might we streamline on-boarding?”) for 10 minutes. 3️⃣ Reconvene & Share: Each group’s Synthesizer distilled insights in 60 seconds. The result? Silent participants suddenly spoke up, ideas flowed more freely, and we landed on three actionable priorities in our timebox. Next time you sense a lull in your meeting/session/workshop, try role-based breakouts. #Facilitation #Breakouts #TeamEngagement #ActiveParticipation Sutey Coaching & Consulting --------------------------------------------- ☕ Curious to dive deeper? Let’s connect. https://lnkd.in/gGJjcffw

One team I worked with increased their discovery to demo conversion by 40% in just 30 days with consistent role playing. But… Before I started working with them, they used to HATE it! Here’s what their sales leader said: "Marcus, my team hates it. It feels awkward and forced. Plus, my top performers don't need it." Here's the exact framework I implemented that transformed their performance (and changed their minds): 1️⃣ Make it unexpected Don't announce who's going next in your meetings This keeps EVERYONE engaged and prepared Your reps should be slightly uncomfortable (that's where growth happens) 2️⃣ Include your stars: Make sure to also pick your top performers This shows the team that EVERYONE needs practice It creates psychological safety for less experienced reps It prevents the "I'm-too-good-for-this" mentality 3️⃣ Make it specific: Don't use generic scenarios ("sell me this pen") Focus on REAL objections your team faces daily Target specific stages of your sales process Address actual deals they're working on 4️⃣ Keep it brief: 3-5 minutes per role-play Immediate, actionable feedback Recognize what they did well and then.. One or two specific improvements to focus on 5️⃣ Create a feedback culture: Have peers provide feedback too Focus on what could be improved, not what was "wrong" Document common challenges for future training Celebrate improvement openly This worked so well that even their top performer came to me and said: "I honestly thought I was too good for this, but you caught me off guard in that role-play and I realized I was leaving money on the table." The reality is simple: every professional athlete still practices fundamentals daily. Every world class musician still practices scales. Your sales team needs the same discipline. One sales leader told me: "I was shocked at how quickly our conversations improved. My team went from dreading role-plays to actually requesting them before big meetings." — Hey sales leaders… want to top this off with a 3 step blueprint to running the PERFECT sales meeting? Go here: https://lnkd.in/gtkFi9CK