THE FEEDBACK PROCESS
As Castleberry (1989) noted, videotaping role plays can be traumatic for some students.
Castleberry (1989) provides several useful techniques for students to minimize camera fright. A
more traumatic experience may be the debriefing session that takes place immediately following the
role play.
Tanner, John F. and Lawrence S. Chonko, Avoiding the Guillotine Effect After Video-Taping Role Plays,
Marketing Education Review (Spring 1991), pp. 37-41. Reprinted with permission.
Often the purpose of the debriefing process is the root cause of traumatizing the student. When the
verbal debriefing process is viewed as an opportunity to criticize performance (even with the
perception that it is for the good of the student), the risk of a guillotine effect, or the feeling that
students may have of their heads being chopped off, is great.
Rather, the approach should be that the debriefing process is a learning process for all of the
observers as well as the student/salesperson (Hawes, 1990), hereafter referred to as the trainee.
The debriefing becomes less of a critique and more of a lesson in how to sell (or manage, or
present, etc.). The role play can then serve two purposes in addition to the purpose of experiential
learning for the trainee. First, the role play can serve as vicarious learning for the observers.
Second, the role play can serve as a mini-case for all involved.
Vicarious Learning From Role Plays
Several techniques (which are summarized in Table 1) can minimize the possibility of the guillotine
effect while also enhancing the vicarious learning experience for observers. These techniques
depend upon the professor’s evaluation during the role play, however. When the professor looks for
positive performance in addition to working on improving the student’s shortcomings, the
evaluation will be more positive. A professor who looks only for mistakes often delivers a guillotine
blow during the debriefing.
TABLE 1
Techniques for Avoiding the Guillotine Effect
Record positive comments whenever possible.
Focus on behaviors, not the individual.
Begin debriefing with the trainee listing what was done well.
Peer comments must, when possible, identify methods used by the trainee.
Finish comments with a positive stroke.
Keep the verbal debriefing short and focus on major issues.
Note minor concerns in the written evaluation only.
The debriefing procedure is a series of four steps, the first three of which are designed for vicarious
learning. The first step is to solicit the trainee’s feedback. The second step is for the student’s peers
(observers) to provide their critique, and the third step is a summary by the professor. The last step
of the overall procedure is the review of written comments by the trainee while watching the
videotape.
the potential for the guillotine effect is the greatest.
Step 1
In the first step, the technique recommended for preventing the guillotine effect is to encourage the
trainee to focus on positive accomplishments. The trainee must learn to feel good about the process
if he/she is to feel compelled to try to improve performance. Any experience that is humiliating will
not be productive. A positive focus is accomplished by asking the trainee what was best about
his/her performance in the role play. By having the trainee speak first, the trainee can be the first to
recognize the positive elements of his or her performance. This positive start has the added benefit
of defusing some of what can occur in Step 2 – a concentration on only mistakes by observers,
offering little or no positive feedback.
Frequently, a trainee responds, “S/he bought it,” or “Nothing.” If the trainee says “S/he bought it,”
ask the trainee what s/he did that led to the purchase. The idea is to force the trainee to focus on his
or her performance, and not that of the buyer. Rarely is a trainee correct when he or she responds
that there was nothing to like about the role play. Because the professor has already listed the
positive aspects on the grade sheet, the professor can then mention “I liked the way you ..., what do
you think?”. or, “How else could you have reacted when…?” Asking questions allows the trainee to
reach positive conclusions and requires that he/she think about issues.
Step 2
The second step of the debriefing process involves participation by the trainee’s peers. Several
actions by the professor can both improve the learning process and avoid the guillotine. Prior to the
start of role plays, the professor must explain the review process to the student observers.
Emphasizing empathy and reminding the student observers of their own feelings when finishing a
role play can encourage them to be less critical and more helpful.
The professor should encourage specific comments, giving the student observers examples of
appropriate comments. For example, an appropriate comment is, “You used a curiosity approach,
which is a good choice for this product. However, the approach might have been more effective if
you had chosen a product approach because of the strong image that your product has in the
market.”
By guiding the student observers to phrase their comments in this manner, the professor actually
accomplishes more than just minimizing the negative impact of the criticism. The professor can
also check the observer’s state of mastering the material because the observers must first correctly
identify what took place. When observers must also respond with how they would have acted in the
situation, they have applied their knowledge as well.
In addition, student observers are encouraged to follow up a criticism with a positive statement. An
example would be, “I also liked the way you uncovered the decision-making process. It sounded
professor an opportunity to re-emphasize the good aspects of the trainee’s performance. Using
playback of the stronger portions of the student’s performance can also strengthen that student’s
confidence while reinforcing the correct behavior.
Care must be taken to avoid sending mixed messages. That is, the professor must not say one thing
while non–verbally communicating another. For example, a professor cannot say, “No one does a
perfect presentation the first time. I know you can improve and we have to work on your rapport
building,” while frowning the whole time.
The two concepts of offering a positive experience and giving honest feedback seem to be opposed
to each other. However, if a trainee‘s behavior is in need of improvement, negative feedback can
and should be given. A very damaging professorial behavior is to ignore ineffective behavior.
Silence is often interpreted by students as approval.
The key to effectively implementing these two concepts is to separate the observed behavior from
the trainee. That is, the professor should limit commentary to what was seen or heard, not what the
professor thinks the trainee was thinking or intending. It is also important for the professor to
focus on behavior that can be changed, such as a persistent tapping of a foot, or skills such as
comments, then, should focus on major issues. These should also be behaviors that can be observed
by watching a brief portion of the tape during debriefing. There is usually not enough time to watch
long portions of the tape.
One tool that helps focus on behavior is the use of a stop watch on the video camera. The stop
watch feature allows the professor to quickly and accurately note points of a trainee‘s presentation
statement of purpose of the role play exercises. Ordinarily, such a statement of purpose involves
skill practice, obtaining feedback and allowing others to learn by observation or by playing the role
of a buyer. The professor must also make it clear that it is the process that is being evaluated. That
is, the way a trainee handles the sales presentation in terms of skills taught in the class is more
important than the result (sale or no sale) of the presentation. And, of course, professors must
behave in ways that they want the trainee to emulate.
Step 4
As Castleberry (1989) suggested, only half of the students are present to observe any given role
play. Our procedure, though, is to require the student observers to also grade the role play. These
grades are then averaged with the professor’s grade (which is weighted by a factor of 2) to
determine the final grade. The grading requirement raises the attention paid to the role plays by the
observers and improves the quality of their comments during the debriefing. Comments are also
written by the student observers and distributed to the trainee. Student observers are also requested
to key any comments they have to the stopwatch discussed in Step 3.
Those comments form the basis for the student’s own review of the role play. Careful observation
EXTENDED USE OF ROLE PLAYS
Role Plays as Mini-Cases
One enhancement of the debriefing procedure occurs after the four debriefing steps. The role plays
that we use are written so that a larger issue occurs in the role play. For example, an ethical issue
(such as the buyer asking for confidential information about another customer) may occur. Or the
Videotape Role Plays Versus Other Projects
Role plays are one experiential learning method. Other methods, such as actual job experience, are
also being incorporated into safes classes. Videotape role plays have the advantage of presenting
the student with direct evidence of performance. Specific skills can be learned by observation of
performance evaluation, coaching, corrective action, and motivating. The mini-case format also
allows for observers to take part in the more traditional case discussions that are often used to
illustrate issues in those areas. Videotaping such role plays offers students greater insight into their
interpersonal behaviors. Improvements are more dramatic with video feedback.
BENEFITS OF ROLE PLAYS
that the role play process is a positive one for many students.
An exciting dimension for the professor is realizing the depth of the comments offered by student
observers as the course progresses. The style of feedback that is encouraged strengthens their
ability to diagnose (and plan) their own efforts as well as those of others. Then the students are
truly educated, not merely trained.
minutes are usually required for the entire debriefing process.
CONCLUSION
Providing a quality debriefing is the key to making video taped role plays an effective teaching tool.
A quality debriefing session should be honest, timely, and constructive (Ingram, 1990). It should
also maintain the integrity of the trainee. The combination of a positive oriented debriefing that
Relations Quarterly 32, 20-22.
Black, Arthur (1967), “Multi-Level, Multi-Media Training Systems,” Speech Presented at the National
Education Association Convention.
Breen, M. P. (1970), “The Best Strategy for Coaching with VTR,” Training In Business and Industry 54,
29-30.
Castleberry, Stephen B. (1989), “Videotaped Role Playing in the Personal Selling Classroom: A Practical
Guide,” Journal of Marketing Education (Spring), 33-39.
Decker, P. J. (1983), “The Effect of Rehearsal Group Size and Video Feedback in Behavior Modeling
Stroh, Thomas (1969), The Uses of Videotape in Training and Development. Watts, M. W. (1973),
“Behavior Modeling and Self-Devaluation with Video Self-Confrontation,” Journal of Educational
Psychology 64, 212-215.
Woolley, T. R. (1960), “Potential Utility of VTR as an Auxiliary Feedback,” The Speech Teacher 9, 135-
139.
ROLE PLAY GRADING SHEETS
Seller____________________________________________________ Score ________________
10 ___ Discovered/reiterated buyer’s needs early
10 ___ Discussed benefits, not just features
10 ___Got buyer to participate in meaningful manner
10 ___ Did not interrupt or “steamroll” buyer
cut off no pause before
answer
probe after major points
10 ___ Nonverbal
eye contact gestures nervous posture
10 ___ Visual aids
appropriate professional easily seen
10 ___ Correct speech
fast/slow loud/soft monotone verbal pauses choice of words
10 ___ Objections
confidence clarify good response post-obj. probing
10 ___ Obtaining commitment
timely appropriate “post-close”
communication
10 ___ Professionalism
honesty well prepared respectful dress friendly
ROLE-PLAY EVALUATION
SELLER
Seller:
______
_____________________________________________
_____
Social Style
Encountered:_________________
(4 points) APPROACH
_____ (11 points) CLOSE
Good first-impression
Gained buyer’s attention
Smooth transition into the rest of the sales call, with
permission
Gained agreement/commitment throughout the
presentation
Used trial closes
Recognized buying signals
______
______
_____
______
(4 points) RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Built rapport and credibility
Showed relationship orientation (rather
than single quick sale)
(10 points) NEEDS
IDENTIFICATION/CONFIRMATION
Needs identified or confirmed up front
SPIN sequence if appropriate
Probed for additional needs
Got buyer to agree about needs
Determined that speaking with decision maker
(16 points) PRESENTATION
Good preparation/knowledge of material
Kept buyer’s attention
Good use of visual aids and/or other tools
Visual aids communicate well (NEW)
Got buyer involved
Improved buyer’s understanding
Made it so buyer is more likely to remember information
Offered proof
Created a sense of value
Features, advantages, and benefits appropriate for
buyer’s needs
Got buyer to agree about major points and benefits
(11 points) OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS
Anticipated and prepared for objections
Probed for clarification of objections
Handled objections confidently
Used methods appropriate to
objection, buyer, and situation
Got buyer to agree that objections
had been overcome
Instructor Comments:
_____
_____
_____
Used effective closing methods
Did not give up too easily
Effective post-closing communication
(8 points) PROFESSIONALISM
Enthusiastic but not over-eager
Courteous, respectful
Professional language (good grammar, no
slang)
Did not disparage competition
Ethical
Professional appearance
(16 points) COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Promoted two-way communication
Active listening
Did not interrupt buyer
Reacted appropriately to buyer’s non-verbal
communication
Good body language (eye contact, posture,
gestures)
Adapted for the social style of the buyer
Good flow of speech
Spoke clearly
Absence of verbal pauses (“ah,” “uh,” “um,”
“okay,” “you know”)
Word choice (positively-toned, not too
technical, image-evoking)
Good use of open and closed-ended questions
Avoided “third degree” and complicated
questions
Probed and encouraged additional information
Tolerated silences
Did not read excessively in making overall
presentation
(80 points) TOTAL
ROLE-PLAY EVALUATION
BUYER
(5 points) BUYER
Portrayed designated social style well
Knew the case
Raised all objections-but not if they
were forestalled
Did not make the role-play more
difficult than was necessary
Gave opportunity for seller to
demonstrate skills
Instructor
Comments:
ROLE PLAY GRADING SHEET
INDIVIDUAL SELLING TO GROUP
Seller _____________________________________________ Score ______________________
10 ___ Discovered/reiterated buyer’s needs early
10 ___ Discussed benefits, not Just features
10 ___ Got all buyers to participate in meaningful manner
10 ___ Did not interrupt or “steamroll” buyers
cut off no pause before answer probe after major points
10 ___ Nonverbal
eye contact gestures nervous posture
10 ___ Visual aids
appropriate professional easily seen by all
10 ___ Correct speech
fast/slow loud/soft monotone verbal pauses choice of words
10 ___ Objections
confidence clarify good response post-obj. probing
10 ___ Obtaining commitment
timely appropriate “post-close” communication
10 ___ Professionalism
honesty well prepared respectful teamwork friendly
ROLE PLAY PAPER INSTRUCTIONS
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