The Lost Art of Practice
Alabama trailed Georgia 20-7 in the third quarter and couldn't seem to generate much of an offensive threat. Coach Nick Saban made the difficult choice to bench his starting quarterback, who was 25-2 in his career, in favor of a completely untested freshman backup quarterback. This was the 2018 National Championship college football game so the decision was not made spur of the moment nor without prior consideration.
In fact, Tua Tagovailoa, the backup quarterback, shared that Coach Saban made sure he practiced with the first team during the weeks leading up to the championship game, just in case the situation arose where he needed him in the game. Tagovailoa’s preparation and discipline took over and he went on to lead Alabama to another national championship win.
ROLE PRACTICE
Notice I didn't say role "play"...we said role "practice" because we aren't playing! You are what you repeatedly practice. Executing when it counts isn't simply a function of being in the right place at the right time. It is rather the countless hours of preparation and planning that drives the payoff when it counts most. Joe Frazier, one of the best boxing champions of all times, said it best:
Champions aren't made in the ring, they are merely recognized there. What you cheat on in the early light of morning will show up in the ring under the bright lights.
So, why is practice not a normal part of our weekly process?
Simply put, practice is hard! It takes many hours of relentless effort and withstanding of constructive critiquing from our teammates and managers. In a world where immediate gratification and payoff is the norm, this is something that creates wins when it matters most.
The best salespeople, like athletes, put in hundreds of hours of practice so that when we are "under the bright lights" all that repetition will have sunk in and we will instinctively deliver a winning play. This is why it is critical to practice exactly how we expect our customer interactions will play out.
Below are some best practice recommendations for setting up successful and continuous learning-based role practice:
First and foremost, no matter what type of role practice, salespeople should treat this exercise as seriously as if they were speaking to a real customer. This is the opportunity to script out talk tracks that are focused on helping our customers visualize that we will help them maximize THEIR outcomes. In essence, to "become the only choice" when it comes to choosing a partner.
Voicemail Practice
Scripts are critical in creating an engaging and successful voicemail. It should be focused on sharing an exciting idea or improvement opportunity with the prospect. If a salesperson is uncomfortable engaging on the phone, it will certainly come across to the person receiving the message. See When to Use and Not Use Scripts. Role practice within a team is a "safe" way to work out the "ums" and "ers" and develop best practices. Additionally, tone and smiling are 75% of the success in having a positive voicemail experience. Don't hesitate to put a mirror on the desk...energy and passion go a long way!
Handing Objections
Practicing the art of handling objections is one of the most important skills a sales person will need to become the only choice in the eyes of the customer. Determine the top 2-3 objections you receive in your business. The team can work together to create an appropriate acknowledgement to the objection, such as, "I can certainly understand how you might feel that way." Once you acknowledge and help bring down the prospect's defensive shield, you can ask questions to explore and truly understand what the objection is. Craft questions that make sense for each type of objection and then role practice these responses over and over again. Thinking back to the freshman Alabama quarterback, he role practiced his scenario of coming into the game over and over again in practice. He simply executed what he knew.
Turnaround Questions
What happens if the propect picks up the phone? Practice what are referred to as "turnaround questions". As you are more than likely calling different types of buyer personas in various vertical segments, it is critical to think about the outcomes that are most important to each. Share something of value immediately as to the reason for the call and the positive value for the prospect. Quickly transition to a turnaround question to ensure the conversation is mutual. Role practice with your team taking on the different types of buyers and actually practice on their phones so it simulates the actual situation. As talk tracks are practiced, prospecting superstars will be born.
The great thing about practicing each of these areas is that it provides an environment where salespeople can learn from their mistakes in a "safe" practice zone and try new things to see how they might captivate our potential clients. In order to get better and better, the team will prospect with fury and close more deals. It also helps more senior salespeople put the edge back on their techniques.
At Butler Street, we help companies and their people grow which is validated by the fact our clients grow 4x market. If you would like to better understand how we deliver specifically designed systems to drive the above behaviors and great customer results, please contact us.