Building Confidence in Your Sales Team

By Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor

trainer looking at person during a mock session

As an experienced sales trainer, I've seen my share of role-playing sessions go wrong, with people expected to soar failing. This is not a good situation for anyone, so many people avoid getting into it in the first place.

But what if I told you there's a better way to build confidence, encourage learning, and make training fun? As part of my retail sales strategy, let me share how to transform dreaded role-plays into practical mock sessions to supercharge your sales team's performance.

The Problem with Traditional Role-Play

Let's face it: most people hate role-playing. It's uncomfortable, puts people on the spot, and can feel like a test rather than a learning opportunity. I've seen seasoned professionals balk at the mere mention of role-play, and newbies freeze up in fear. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Introducing the Mock Session

The first step in revolutionizing your training approach is simple: ditch the term "role-play" and embrace "mock sessions." It might seem like a small change, but trust me, it makes a world of difference in how your team perceives the exercise.

Setting the Stage for Success

Setting the stage properly before diving into a mock session is crucial, especially when dealing with a group. Here's how:

Define Success: Start by defining success for this session. Ask yourself and your team, "Why are we doing this?" Get them to talk about it. What isn't working or could be improved? Have everyone write something down, then isolate the most important goal. This will set the foundation for everything that follows.

Break It Down: Don't try to tackle everything at once. The biggest problem I witness is a trainer or boss will say, "I'm the customer, and you're the salesperson. Go!" That leads to a deflated feeling for everyone, as there are too many variables to practice. Break complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps. For example, if you're working on cold calling, you might start with just the opening greeting or handling one specific objection.

Keeping the Balloon in the Air

I like to use a blown-up balloon to illustrate that your job as a salesperson is to keep that balloon in the air. Each time the prospect or shopper says yes or wants more information, it is like a puff of air that keeps the balloon airborne. Throughout the mock session, your primary goal should be to "keep the balloon in the air." This metaphor has become my mantra for maintaining positivity and building confidence. But it also is up to you as the trainer to keep the balloon in the air for the person you're working with - enthusiasm, feeling they can do it, etc. Here's how to do it:

Stay Positive: Avoid harsh criticism that can deflate confidence. Do not joke or make light of a mistake. Instead, focus on what went well before addressing areas for improvement.

Ask Questions: Rather than pointing out mistakes, ask questions encouraging self-reflection. For example, "What do you think happened there?" or "What else could you have said in that moment?"

Encourage Dialogue: Remember, this is a conversation, not an interrogation. Get your team talking about their process, thoughts, and ideas.

The Power of Baby Steps

One of the biggest mistakes I see trainers make is trying to incorporate too many skills instead of isolating them. It is important to remember that knowing doesn't equal doing. Your team might have the information for handling a follow-up call, but putting that knowledge into practice is different.

That's why I advocate for baby steps. Focus on one small aspect at a time. Master it. Then move on to the next. It's like learning to play an instrument - you don't start with an entire concerto; you start with scales.

Handling Resistance

Inevitably, you'll encounter resistance, especially from more experienced team members. Here's how I handle it:

For the seasoned pro who says, "I don't need this," I might ask, "If you could close 10 percent more of your calls or make it more fun when you're on the phone, would that be worth it?" This shifts the focus from their current performance to potential improvement.

For the nervous newbie, I emphasize that we're here to build confidence, not to judge. I might say, "We'd rather you make mistakes here with us than out there with a customer."

The Debrief: Where the Magic Happens

The real learning often happens after the mock session in the debrief. Here's how to make it effective:

Ask Open-Ended Questions: Start with something like, "What did you learn from this?" This encourages reflection and self-analysis.

Discuss Alternatives: If something didn't go well, don't just point it out. Ask, "What else could you have done in that moment?" This turns mistakes into learning opportunities.

Reinforce the Process: Always tie the discussion back to your goals and the overall sales process.

A Real-Life Example: The Chicken Emergency: A Lesson in Adaptability

Let me share a more detailed account of our now-famous "chicken emergency" scenario. It happened during a mock session on cold calling and perfectly illustrates how unexpected situations can become powerful teaching moments.

We were role-playing a typical cold call scenario. I was playing the potential customer, and one of our sales reps—let's call him Patrick—was making the call. Patrick had done his homework; he knew the customer's details, had his pitch ready, and felt confident.

The call started well. Patrick introduced himself, confirmed my information, and just got into his pitch when I threw him a curveball.

"I'm sorry," I interrupted, "I've got to call you back. My chickens just got loose in the barn out back."

Now, this was not a scenario we had prepared for. Patrick was momentarily stunned. He stammered for a moment, then quickly said, "Oh, okay. I'll call you back later," and ended the call.

At this point, the room was a mix of confused looks and stifled laughter. Patrick looked a bit deflated, probably thinking he had failed the exercise.

But this is where real learning began. Instead of criticizing Patrick's response, I asked the group, "So what could Patrick have done differently?"

The room was silent momentarily, and then someone humorously mentioned helping with chickens or using tech solutions like chicken GPS!

The creativity and humor were fantastic, but more importantly, they opened up discussions about handling unexpected situations and keeping conversations going.

We talked about thinking on your feet and using humor appropriately:

- "I understand; would it be alright if I called you back in an hour?"
- "No problem; I can text you our offer summary."
- "Farm emergencies happen; what's typically good timing for you?"

This scenario showed:

1. How real-life calls catch us off guard.
2. The ease of ending calls when thrown off.
3. The value of creativity and engagement.
4. A memorable example of sticking with teams.
5. Broader discussions on handling objections.

Most importantly, it kept our balloon in flight! Nobody felt bad because we turned it into a fun collaboration; Patrick learned valuable lessons, boosting his confidence rather than deflating it.

This chicken emergency became legendary at our store, reminding everyone that adaptability and humor matter while steering conversations toward goals.

And that’s how hypothetical loose chickens taught essential sales lessons. Always find ways to steer conversations toward goals by being prepared and laughing at absurdity.

The Results: Heroes Selling to Heroes

When approaching training this way—magic happens! Your team feels heroic—confident, and capable. As I always say —"Only heroes sell to heroes."

By breaking barriers to traditional role-play, focusing on building confidence rather than flaw-finding, and approaching sessions as dialogues—not tests—you create environments for real learning.

Remember—the goal isn't perfect performances during mock sessions but building confidence, developing skills, and preparing teams for real-world situations.

Doing so yields improved performance, increased profit margins, higher morale, and ultimately increased sales.