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How to Nail a Sales Role-Play
Step-by-step advice on how to prepare for a sales role-play, including 'sell me a pen' and other examples, to succeed in sales roleplays
What Are Sales Role-Plays
A sales role-play is a simulated interaction where sales professionals (usually candidates or sales trainees) act out a real-world scenario to practice their communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills. Think of it as a "flight simulator" for selling, as it provides a safe, low-stakes environment to crash-test different strategies before you’re standing in front of a high-value target prospect.
In a typical session, one person plays the seller, another plays the prospect (often throwing out tough objections or "curveballs"), and sometimes a third person acts as an observer to provide constructive feedback.
Sales Roleplays in Interviews
Whether you have a sales role-play scheduled or simply want to "gen up" in case one is sprung upon you, the key is to stay grounded. A great way to visualise a successful roleplay is to think of a high-end mobile phone shop. All of the staff in the major phone provider stores are trained to follow a very specific, effective process, and I hope you've had a positive experience of this.
So, here is an 8-step framework for nailing the interview, using that familiar high-street phone shop experience as your guide.
- Smalltalk – they will ask about the weather, your day, etc, to establish trust, credibility and empathy.
- Identify Need – there is an old sales adage that you cannot prescribe a cure if you haven't diagnosed the illness. So, you should aim to spend 70% of the roleplay asking high-impact open questions. What are open questions? Remember '6 Ws and a H' – they all start with What, Why, Where, When, Which, Who or How. So, going back to the mobile phone shop, the questions will be 'what are you looking for', 'why are you looking for an iPhone over another brand', 'what is your monthly budget', etc.
- Acknowledge Need – use 'active listening' to repeat their requirements to ensure you are on the same page. Going back to the mobile phone shop:
- "so, to confirm, you're looking for an iPhone as all of your files are Apple and stored in the iCloud, the camera needs to be high spec for your hobby of landscape photography, and your budget is £65 per month. Is that correct?"
- "Is there anything else that is a must-have requirement?' Your goal is to get the prospect to agree that you have understood their need. Now, finally, you are in a position to Pitch.
- The Pitch - The "Buyer" in a roleplay will deliberately play 'bad cop' and will be sceptical. So, rather than bore them with tonnes of data and specifications, use the FAB Formula:
- Feature – "I've selected the iPhone 17. It's £67 per month, which is just £2 above your initial budget, but let me explain why that's an investment worth making."
- Advantage – "You mentioned that the quality of the camera is vital to you. Well, the The iPhone 17 camera offers significant upgrades over the iPhone 16, such as a 48MP Ultra-Wide sensor and an upgraded front camera."
- Benefits - "the 48MP Ultra-Wide sensor is four times better than the iPhone 16 for wide scenes and the 18MP front camera for selfies is the best around at the moment. Our customers and review sites say it is a massive jump forward from the iPhone 16's camera".
- Feature – "I've selected the iPhone 17. It's £67 per month, which is just £2 above your initial budget, but let me explain why that's an investment worth making."
- The Semi-Close – also known as the 'soft close' or 'mini close' is a technique used to gauge a prospect's interest and commitment level before making a final, direct request for the sale. It helps move the prospect along the sales pipeline without the immediate pressure of a hard binary, "yes-or-no" ultimatum. Going back to the mobile phone shop:
- "So, how does it sound to you?".
- If positive, "I appreciate it's an extra £2 per month, but do you agree that it's worth the small supplement per month?"
- Objection Handling - Objections are not rejections; they are simply requests for more information. Never get defensive. Returning to the mobile phone shop:
- "I understand why you'd feel that the price is a bit high",
- "Other clients have felt the same way initially when looking at their budget"
- However, "A client who ordered an iPhone 17 through me last week came in yesterday to thank me for convincing him to pay the extra supplement and he showed me some of his landscape photos from the Peak District. The 48MP Ultra-Wide sensor really made a difference - they were stunning!"
- Go Back to the Semi Close
- "so, we can either look at the iPhone 17 at £67 per month or the Samsung 22 Pro is under £65 and has a pretty similar camera spec. Would you like me to go through this handset with you?"
- "so, we can either look at the iPhone 17 at £67 per month or the Samsung 22 Pro is under £65 and has a pretty similar camera spec. Would you like me to go through this handset with you?"
- The Close – The biggest mistake in role-plays is ending with, "Okay, let me know what you think." You must define a clear next step. Great selling is closing in two stages – a 'trial close' and a 'hard close'. Reverting to the phone shop:
- "I’m pleased you agree that the iPhone 17 is worth the extra £2. So, £65 is based on a 30-month contract. Does this seem good for you?”
- “Great. I will need some proof of ID and a bank card. Do you have these to hand now so I can process the credit check and the paperwork”.
- “Excellent”
The SPIN Technique
At senior levels, sales interviewers will expect you to follow a proven, recognised sales process. SPIN methodology, developed by Neil Rackham, is a logical flow that builds urgency:
- Situation Questions - Establish facts, e.g., "What phone are you currently using?"
- Problem Questions - Identify pain points, e.g., "What are the issues with your current handset?"
- Implication Questions - Highlight the consequences of not fixing the problem. This is where you build the "value" of the solution, e.g. “So, your photos are fuzzy, and your friends' photos look much better. That must be quite frustrating when you're trying to capture memories."
- Need-Payoff Questions - Get the prospect to articulate the benefits of your solution themselves (e.g., "So, if I could recommend a phone with a camera that currently has the World’s highest definition camera for selfie shots, how would this make you feel?”
A bit trite, but you get what I mean!
Sell Me the Pen!
Jordan Belfort’s "Sell Me This Pen" challenge in The Wolf of Wall Street is probably the most famous sales exercise in modern culture.
Most amateurs respond to "Sell me this pen" by describing its physical attributes: "This is a great pen, it writes upside down, the ink has been proven to write for three kilometres, it is ergonomically designed to stop your hand aching, etc."
Sales professionals respond with:
- "So, how long have you been in the market for a pen?" (qualifies and establishes urgency)
- "What kind of pens do you usually use?" (identifies the current state)
- "Is this a gift or for your own personal use?" (are they the decision maker)
- "What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a writing instrument?" (softly asks what is your budget)
- "When you’re using your current pen, what’s the one thing that frustrates you the most?" (understand pain points)
- "Does your current pen feel like it reflects the professional image you want to project during meetings?" (Taps into ego and status).
- "When that pen skips or leaks, how much time do you waste looking for a replacement or cleaning up the mess?"
- "If you're in a high-stakes meeting and your pen feels cheap, do you feel that affects your confidence or the way the client perceives you?"
- "What’s the actual cost to you if a pen leaks in the pocket of one of your custom-tailored suits?" (Belfort’s favourite "pain" angle).
- "If I could provide a pen that was guaranteed never to leak and felt like a piece of precision engineering in your hand, how would that help you?"
- "Would it be important to you to have a pen that you only have to buy once, rather than constantly replacing disposables?"
- "If we could solve the 'smudging' issue you mentioned, would you feel more comfortable taking notes during your executive briefings?"
- If the interviewer is playing a "difficult" character and says, "I don't need a pen, I use my iPad for everything," use this tactic: "That makes sense. Since you've moved to a digital workflow, when was the last time you actually had to sign a physical document—like a lease, a marriage license, or a major contract?"
Once they answer "Last month" or "A few months ago," you follow up with:
"So, for those rare, high-value moments of your life, shouldn't you have a tool that matches the importance of the occasion?"
Check Mate!
Here's a Secret for You!
In most sales interviews, the "pen" is actually a hidden test of your ability to uncover a high-stakes, high-budget requirement. The interviewer is often sitting on a specific "secret" profile: they have a massive £125,000 budget, are looking for a bespoke, gold-and-diamond-encrusted masterpiece, and have a critical deadline of tonight to present it as a reward for their top-performing salesperson.
However, you will never "luck" into this information. You must earn it through a structured interrogation.
Good luck with your sales role-plays, and we hope that this has helped.
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About the author
Rob Scott
Rob Scott is the Managing Director of Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment, a premier UK agency dedicated to connecting top-tier sales and marketing talent with diverse commercial sectors. With a career in sales recruitment spanning over 28 years, Rob has cemented his reputation as a definitive authority in the sales industry.
Before founding Aaron Wallis in 2007, he served as the Marketing & Sales Director for a £0.5BN recruitment group. A first-class History graduate with an MBA and a PgCert in Management Practice, Rob bridges the gap between academic rigour and practical market expertise. His insights, backed by some of the UK’s most extensive sales professional surveys, are frequently sought by global outlets including Forbes, The Independent, Medium.com, the FT, and Business Insider.
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