Purpose: To make role plays easier and less threatening for sales people.

 Time Required: 20 minutes.

 Size of Group: Unlimited, but participants should work in small groups of three.

 Materials Required: None.

 The Exercise in Action: The two-person role play has always been a cornerstone of effective sales training. But Mike Kaska, director of training for international operations at John Hancock Financial Services in Boston, believes the three-person approach—with one participant acting as a coach—makes it easier for participants to absorb the learning points they might have missed while in the heat of the moment of a role play.

In this scenario, one participant plays the role of salesperson, another the role of the prospect, and the third person plays the role of an observer or “coach” who can supply advice to the salesperson whenever needed. The roles are rotated until everyone on a team has a chance to play each role at least once. With this arrangement, learning takes place in three ways, says Kaska:

•   Learning by doing (salesperson)

•   Learning by listening (prospect)

•   Learning by observation, analysis, and feedback (coach)