1. Define the goals and situation
Before the actual mock up call starts, it's recommended to set goals or outcomes that the SDR should achieve.
For example, The goal is to overcome certain objections that prospects can confront with the SDR.
After the goals are defined, and it's clear why the mock up should be conducted, the roles and conditions need to be defined.
There's on one side the prospect role and on the other side the SDR role.
Questions that should be considered are:
Who is the prospect? (name, company, background info)
What is the role and position of the prospect?
What are his daily tasks?
Which challenges is the prospect facing?
Tip: If the SDR is new to cold calling, it's important to define the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and to give them a clear understanding of the products or services of your company.
2. Change the environment
If the sales rep is still unfamiliar with cold calling, it can be helpful to provide a quiet and low-traffic space in your office to avoid interruptions. For
remote working sales reps this means finding a quiet place at home or in a co-working space where no other people can interrupt the SDR.
Also important: the sales rep should already use the equipment that is required to do cold calling later on in the day-to-day operations. This makes the SDR gets used in working with headsets/microphones, software, etc.
After the first mock up calls are made, and the sales rep could get familiar with cold calling or the specific task, the environment can be changed. This means the salesperson can be in the office where other SDRs are and where the sales calls are usually conducted.
3. Start the mock up call Let each call go as it may. Analyze how your salespeople respond when they are agitated or made to work harder.
You can't stop every now and again to give suggestions, compliments, or criticisms because these calls need to be as realistic as possible if you want to get the most out of them.
Once more, your SDRs are receiving these calls in order to advance their professions and gain experience. When they make a genuine sales call, they won't have you watching over their shoulder providing in-the-moment intelligence. Give them room to succeed or fail as they naturally would. Following the exercise, you'll have time to offer sage advice.
4. Record the call The call recording will benefit both you and your reps greatly. It helps to have the caller's real content in front of you when you offer praise and criticism. You don't have to rely on memory for your evaluation or take copious notes throughout the process that can obstruct the exercise's flow.
Having a clear guide for where they need to make the biggest improvements can also be beneficial for reps. It's helpful for them to clearly understand the words they used most successfully, the queries and subjects that caused them to stumble, and the phrases they should avoid using while speaking to actual prospects.
You can use a
CRM to record sales, though sometimes you'll need to use a separate call recording program depending on your CRM.
5. Increase the difficulty slightly As your salespeople continue to develop their abilities and take on new responsibilities, your mock calls should grow increasingly difficult and high-stakes. Keep that pattern in mind, as overselling or underselling a rep's aptitudes during a mock call won't do much to advance their development.