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Appendix 3
Partnership Role-Play Simulation
Instructor’s Guide and Forms
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Contents
Introduction 4
Role-Play/Simulation Instructional Activities Schedule 8
Class Schedule 10
PART I DEVELOPING A SALES-ORIENTED
PRODUCT STRATEGY 12
Teaching Guide
Completed Sales Proposal
Rivera Letter
Rivera Letter Assessment
Product Strategy Assessment Test
Product Strategy Assessment Test Key
PART II DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP STRATEGY 22
Teaching Guide
Partnering Model for Part II (#1)
Role-Play 1A
Customer Instructions
Salesperson’s Assessment Form 1A
Salesperson’s Assessment Form 1A Key
Role-Play 1B
Customer Instructions
Salesperson’s Assessment Form 1B
Salesperson’s Assessment Form 1B Key
PART III UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER’S
BUYING STRATEGY 35
Teaching Guide
Partnering Model for Part III (#2)
Role-Play 2A
Customer Instructions
Salesperson’s Assessment of Form 2A
Salesperson’s Assessment of Form 2A Key
Role-Play 2B
Customer Instructions
Salesperson’s Assessment Form 2B
Salesperson’s Assessment Form 2B Key
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PART IV DEVELOPING A SALES PRESENTATION STRATEGY 47
Teaching Guide
Completed Sales Proposal—Association Accounts
Completed Sales Proposal—Corporate Accounts
Role-Play 3A—Customer Instructions
Role-Play 3B—Customer Instructions
Final Examination
Final Examination Key
NOTE TO INSTRUCTORS
Use your imagination to improve upon the suggestions provided in this manual. If you
will, please share them with us, so other instructors can benefit from your creativity in future
editions of this role-play/simulation. In doing so, we can share the “Master Skills for Success in
the Information Age” more effectively with our students.
Please enjoy this program. I look forward to hearing from you. You can reach Jerry
Manning by writing: Gerald L. Manning, 13745 Lake Shore Dr., Des Moines, IA, 50325, by
phone: 515-778-7368, or by e-mail at glmanning@mchsi.com Also, if you would like to receive
updates, such as new proof devices, new instructional ideas, etc., please contact me.
Old Chinese Proverb:
Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.
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Introduction
Partnership Selling: A Role–Play Simulation for Selling Today is the first role–play
simulation text on today’s relationship-oriented, partnership style of selling and customer
service. It has been designed to develop consultative selling skills in the following areas:
customer service strategies, relationship selling strategies, product selling strategies, customer
strategies, and sales presentation strategies.
This exercise has been created, tested, and developed by the authors. Many of the
methods and assignments have been developed from the industry sales training programs the
authors have participated in and presented. Instructions for using Partnership Selling: A Role-
Play/ Simulation for Selling Today have been carefully added to the text. The instructions are in
addition to complete instructions presented in the “Instructor’s Guide” that follows this material.
The detailed teaching guides provided in this manual will make it easy for you to use
Partnership Selling in your class or training program.
THE COMPANY, PRODUCT, AND INDUSTRY
The program includes complete product information and exercises for selling a high-end,
luxury, beachfront resort hotel’s convention service. The hotel convention center is located in a
fictitious location in the southern California Mission Beach Community. A large amount of
competition exists in this market, with many “look–alike” convention centers. This company, the
Park Shores Resort and Convention Center, has differentiated itself from the competition by
providing value-added services. However, the competitive value-added advantage in this mature
market will be the partnering abilities created by the salespeople who participate in the
simulation-training program.
A hotel convention center service was selected because it is a nontechnical product with
which many people have some familiarity. It is easy to learn, yet requires a strategically prepared
multicall presentation to sell. The convention service also lends itself to frequently having to
make a sales presentation using photos, charts, drawings, the hotel website, etc. Unlike some
products, you don’t need a physical product in the classroom. In addition, approximately 80
percent of a typical hotel convention center’s sales come from the sales department working with
customers like those represented in this simulation. Students will become familiar with the
concept of “total quality selling” because the company they will be working for has implemented
a total quality management (TQM) process.
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THE STUDENT ROLE-PLAYS
In Part I, students quickly become knowledgeable about their product service, company,
competition, and industry. They accomplish this by assuming the role of a sales trainee, working
closely with their sales manager and the company-training program. While in their training
program, they are asked by their sales manager to respond to a customer service request by
completing a sales proposal and writing a sales letter.
Parts II, III, and IV engage students in a dynamic person–to–person role-plays. Part
II/Role-Play I involves establishing a relationship with a customer. Part III/Role-Play II requires
each student to conduct a needs-assessment sales call. Part IV/Role-Play III consists of making a
formal sales presentation. Part IV provides four optional mini role-plays on demonstrating,
negotiating, closing, and servicing the sale.
Students are provided with detailed instructions for assuming the role of a customer.
These exercises enable them to experience the customer’s reaction to Partnership Selling.
When introducing Part II of this program, it is important that half of your group select
Category A—Association Account Sales—and the other half select Category B—Corporate
Account Sales. They will use this selection during all role-plays. Category A salespeople will sell
to Category B, who will be the customer, and then Category B salespeople will sell to Category
A.
Role-play instructions and forms are provided for the salesperson in the text at the end of
Chapters 1, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, and in Appendix 3. Role-play instructions for customer
and assessment forms for evaluation are provided in the Instructor’s Manual. (Note: You should
have copies printed of the customer instructions and assessment forms prior to the role-plays.
The number of copies should correspond to the number of participants in categories A and B.)
It is important to note that in both Role-Plays I and II, the customer will have information
the salesperson does not have. As in the case of consultative selling situations, it is the
responsibility of the salesperson to acquire this information, so he or she can customer fit a sales
proposal that meets the customer’s needs. Acquiring this information is one of the objectives for
both Role-Plays I and II. This customer information is provided within the customer instructions
in this manual. This customer information will also be used by the salesperson to prepare the
present Role-Play III.
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THE INSTRUCTOR’S ROLE
With Partnership Selling, you can assume the traditional role of instructor, guiding
students through the exercises. A more dynamic role, however, is that of you being the
instructor, plus assuming the position of T. J. McKee, the Park Shores Convention Center Sales
Manager/Trainer. This role, in addition to guidance and instruction, would include coaching and
counseling. Field tests of the simulation have proven this second approach to be very effective. A
position description for a sales manager such as T. J. McKee is as follows. (Note that T. J.’s
responsibilities include both account sales and training.)
Position Description
Title: Sales Manager of Hotel Convention Center Services
Reports to: General Manager of Hotel Convention Center
Specific duties: In addition to the duties of an Account Executive, the Sales
Manager of the Hotel Convention Center Services will:
• Recruit, train, coach, and counsel Account Executives in all matters pertaining to
convention center sales.
• Provide input for and approve all advertising and marketing campaigns pertaining to
convention center sales.
• Be responsible for approving all firm, tentative, and cancellation of date
correspondence to clients pertaining to convention center sales.
• Be responsible for providing leadership and support to the TQM process.
• Re-assign client files whenever necessary.
• Review client files to be destroyed.
• Assign new accounts.
• Develop sales forecasts, assign quotas, and be responsible for convention center sales
budgets.
• Review and approve all expense reports of Account Executives.
• Be responsible for the review process of each Account Executive.
• Other responsibilities to be assigned.
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VIDEOING OF ROLE-PLAYS
Videoing of role-plays is a popular method of providing direct feedback to salespeople
and students in both business and academic settings. Detailed instructions for videoing role-plays
are provided in the “Additional Considerations for Presenting Parts II to IV” section.
If you are going to use videoing extensively, ask the students to bring individual thumb
drives. The individual videos can be saved to the student’s thumb drive and used throughout the
class. With adequate time available, videoing can be done in the classroom. If time is not
available, it can be done in your school’s video studio (if one is available), or students can video
presentations outside of class.
In addition to students viewing their presentations, the instructor can also review them to
evaluate the progress of each student.
Partnership Selling: A Role–Play/Simulation for Selling Today has been designed to
emphasize the process of selling, and the principles learned are transferable to any product in any
employment setting.
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Part
Class
Time
Required
In-Class
Activity
Take Home
Assignment
In-Class
Salesperson
Activity
In-Class
Customer
Activity*
I
1–2 hours
1. Present
orientation.
2. Assign pt. 1
and T. J.
McKee
Memo
“Assistance
with a Sales
Proposal.”
Read complete
sales proposal
and sales letter
assignment.
I and
II
1–2 hours
1. Discuss
assignment
and
administer
quiz.
2. Divide
students into
association or
corporate
account sales.
Prepare for
first sales call
“Establishing a
Relationship.”
II
1–2 hours
1. Assign role-
play 1
“Developing
a Sales
Relationship.
”
2. Distribute
customer
instructions
and
assessment
forms.
Prepare for a
second sales
call.
1. Association
salespeople
make first
sales call.
2. Corporate
salespeople
make first
sales call.
1. Corporate
salespeople
are
customers.
2. Association
salespeople
are
customers.
III
1–2 hours
1. Show
“Questions”
Video Assign
role-play 2
“Discovering
a Customer’s
Buying
Strategy.”
2. Distribute
customer
instructions
and
Prepare for a
third sales call:
1. Develop
sales
proposal.
2. Develop
sales
portfolio or
PowerPoint
presentation.
1. Corporate
salespeople
make
second
sales call.
2. Association
salespeople
make
second
sales call.
1. Association
salespeople
are
customers.
2. Corporate
Salespeople
are
customers.
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assessment
forms.
IV
1–2 hours
1. Assign role-
play 3
“Developing
a Presentation
Strategy.”
2. Distribute
customer
instructions
and
assessment
forms.*
3. Final exam
1. Association
salespeople
conduct
final sales
call.**
2. Corporate
salespeople
conduct
final sales
call.
1. Corporate
salespeople
are
customers.**
*
2. Association
salespeople
are
customers.
Roll Call Three Alternatives:
*
**
***
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Class Schedule—Partnership Selling
Week
Date
Chapter
Topic
Simulation Activity
1
____
1
Opportunities in
Selling
Introduction—Assign pp. 421–462
2
____
2
Modern Selling
Models
(1) Discuss Conv. Sales Position (see
Description on p. 427) Show
Communication Styles Video
(2) Discuss relationship with customers,
executive chief, housekeeping, etc.
3
____
3, 4, and 5
Selling
Relationships/Ethics
TEST Chapters 1–5
4
____
6
Creating Product
Solutions
Part I—Product Strategy
(1) Assign Customer Serv./Sales Memo p.
459
(2) Assign Strategic Planning Form A.
(3) Assign Sales Proposal.
(4) Assign Sales Letter.
(5) Assign Product Test.
Discuss B. H. Rivera’s Needs.
Discuss Prospect Identification.
5
____
7
Product Strategies
That Add Value
6
____
8
Understanding
Buyer Behavior
7
____
9
Developing a
Prospect Base
TEST Chapters 6–9
8
____
10
The Approach
Part II—Relationship Strategy
(1) Show “Questions” Video.
(2) Assign Role-Play 1A and 1B pp. 464–
465
(3) Assign Post-sale Assessment.
9
____
10
The Approach
10
____
11
Need Discovery-
Questions
10
____
11
Need Discovery-
Questions
Part III—Customer Strategy
(1) Assign Role-Play 2A and 2B pp. 468–
469.
(2) Assign Post-sale Assessment.
11
____
12
The Presentation
Part IV—Presentation Strategy
Assign Role-Play 3A and 3B pp. 472–473
(1) Assign Strategic Planning Form A.
p.482
TEST Chapters 10–
12
12
____
13
Negotiating Buyer
Resistance
(2) Assign Strategic Planning Form B and
C.
(3) Show Negotiations Video, Assign
Portfolio Preparation.
(4) Assign Strategic Planning Form D.
(5) Practice Role-Play 3A and 3B.
(6) Assign Presentation Times.
(7) Exam over Simulation.
13
____
14 and 15
Closing and
Confirming the
Sale/Servicing the
Sale
14
____
None
Review for Final
Exam
TEST Chapters 13–
15
15
____
None
None
Final Role-Play 3 Presentations