No one likes role playing, but it is a necessary part of becoming a successful seller. The good news is there are ways to make it more fun and engaging for students. In this episode, BJ Allen and I share practical tactics to help students get more comfortable with role playing and show professors how to turn it into a meaningful learning experience.

Why Role Plays Matter

1. Even though students may resist role plays at first, they often become one of the most valuable parts of the course.
2. Based on student feedback, BJ and I have seen role plays rank highly in evaluations.
3. Introducing them early, sometimes as soon as the second day of class, helps lower anxiety and build confidence over time.
4. Role plays give students a chance to apply what they are learning right away, helping them move from theory to real conversations.

Effective Strategies for Role Plays

1. Here’s how we design and run role plays in class:
2. Teach, Demonstrate, Practice: We follow a simple approach. First, we teach the concept. Then we demonstrate what it looks like in action. Finally, we give students time to practice so they can build comfort through repetition.
3. Start Simple: We keep scenarios familiar and relatable, such as selling well-known products in a B2B setting. This helps students focus on the skill instead of getting stuck on the scenario.
4. Clear Structure: Students know exactly where the conversation starts and ends. Each role play has clear steps and a set time limit so expectations are clear.
5. Feedback That Evolves: Early in the semester, the focus is simply on practice. As students gain confidence, we introduce more specific feedback using clear criteria so they can continue improving.

Tips for Professors: Start Small and Improve Over Time

1. If you are new to using role plays in the classroom, the advice BJ and I share is simple. Just start. Your first few role plays do not need to be perfect, and it is normal for both you and your students to feel uncomfortable at the beginning. That discomfort fades as everyone gets more reps and confidence grows.
2. As you continue using role plays, you will naturally see what works and what does not. Each class gives you an opportunity to adjust your approach and improve how you structure the exercise.
3. Keep things simple and give both yourself and your students room to learn. With a clear structure, limited scope, and supportive feedback, role plays become less awkward and more valuable over time. By the end of the semester, students consistently say they appreciate the experience and the confidence it builds.

“Let the students give feedback, but give them very specific points to focus on.” — BJ Allen

“Giving them clear criteria for how they’ll be evaluated helps fine-tune the role play. I’ve seen it be very effective.” — Donald Kelly

show notes

Did you know that sales reps spend 60% of their day on tasks that don’t directly generate revenue? Much of this time is eaten up by planning and other non-sales activities.

In this episode, BJ and I discuss how sales professors can teach students to plan their day effectively. This helps them stay productive and focus on the activities that drive results.

Why Planning Matters

· In sales, everyone talks about closing techniques and prospecting hacks, but I want to shine a light on a less glamorous but crucial skill: planning.

· Learning how to manage your time effectively is one of the most important foundations for early sales success, and it can make a real difference in how students perform once they hit the field.

Student Insights: Planning’s Real-World Impact

· Over the years, I’ve been surprised by how much students value planning exercises.

· Many of them tell me that these lessons have had more impact than trendy topics like LinkedIn prospecting.

· BJ and I have seen students consistently rank planning skills as the most transformative lesson, both for their careers and their personal productivity.

Teaching Time Management: From Principles to Practice

· We break down how to embed planning into a sales curriculum in a practical way:

o Principles First: Students learn the difference between activity and productivity. We use exercises and psychological studies to bust multitasking myths and show the power of focused work.

o Time Blocking and Color Coding: Techniques like batching similar tasks and visually organizing a calendar help students understand where their time really goes.

o Weekly and Daily Planning: We walk students through breaking weekly targets into actionable daily routines, ensuring prospecting and customer-facing work happens consistently rather than by chance.

Making Planning Measurable

· We also emphasize the importance of metrics. Tracking calls, outreach efforts, and alignment with KPIs turns planning into a measurable skill.

· This approach moves students and new sellers from just staying busy to actually being productive and results-driven.

"Good salespeople know how to use their time effectively...People who can kind of plan their day and do more revenue generating activities are the ones that succeed." - BJ Allen

"Focus on the activity and the results will come as a natural byproduct. But if you don’t plan at a day-to-day level, you might say, ‘I did some prospecting this week,’ but how much time did you really spend on it?" - Donald Kelly