How do you run a sales negotiation role-play?

Give the seller their limits in writing, such as the most discount they can offer. Give the buyer a private brief with a real target that sits inside those limits. Afterwards, list what the seller gave and what they got back for each item.

How long should a negotiation role-play last?

Ten to twelve minutes works for most scenarios. A buyer needs time to push more than once, and the seller needs time to answer the second push as well as the first.

What should you score in a negotiation role-play?

Pick one or two things and say what they are before the start. Good picks are whether each concession was traded for something, and whether the final deal stayed inside the seller’s limits.

Sales negotiation role-play scenarios

Two sales negotiation scenarios you can run in your next session. Each has a situation with the learner’s limits, a private brief for the buyer and a short scoring guide. Judge the answers by your own method.

A buyer who demands 20 per cent off
An extra request at signing

A seller and a buyer across a table with papers between them

What is a sales negotiation role-play?

A sales negotiation role-play is a practice conversation about price, scope and terms. One person plays a buyer who wants more than the seller can give. The seller has to trade, and not give things away.

Where it fits in a programme

Run these after you have taught your negotiation approach and before learners face a real buyer with a real target. Pressure to concede is hard to feel on a slide, so it needs a live person across the table.

What good looks like

Asks what matters to the buyer besides price.
Offers a concession only in return for something.
Keeps to the stated limits and still closes the deal.

Scenario 1

A buyer who demands 20 per cent off

10 minutes
Intermediate

The situation

The learner sells a yearly software licence to a mid-sized manufacturer. The quote is £50,000 and the buyer is ready to sign this month. The learner can give up to 10 per cent off, and only in return for something. Anything beyond that needs sign-off they do not have.

The learner’s goal

Agree a deal at or inside the limit, with a concession traded for each thing given.

Private brief for the buyer

Rachel, Procurement Manager at a manufacturing firm.

You are firm and you are used to suppliers folding. You have a quote, a budget and a date, and you want to look like you pushed hard.
Your real target is 8 per cent. You care more about 60-day payment terms than about price, and the other supplier cannot deliver by your date. You do not say either of these unless asked.
Open up if the seller asks what matters besides price and offers a trade. If they give a discount fast and for nothing, ask for more. If they refuse flatly, go cold and say you will take the other quote.

The buyer’s opening line

"I need 20 per cent off or we go elsewhere."

What to look for

1 Asks what matters to Rachel besides price.
2 Ties each concession to something she gives back.
3 Holds the 10 per cent limit without a flat refusal.

Debrief questions

What did you learn about Rachel that changed what you offered?
Which concession did you make that you would take back?

Make it harder

Have Rachel say the other supplier has quoted 25 per cent less, and ask for an answer within two minutes. The learner has to hold the limit under a deadline.

Scenario 2

An extra request at signing

10 minutes
Advanced

The situation

The learner has agreed price and scope on a training platform deal with a logistics company. The contract is on the table. Extra training days cost the learner £1,500 each. They can offer up to one day free, and only for a longer term or a bigger commitment.

The learner’s goal

Sign the deal today without giving away more than one day, and without losing trust.

Private brief for the buyer

David, Operations Director at a logistics company.

You are friendly and you want to sign today. You have said yes to everything so far, and you feel a little awkward about this request.
Your boss told you to come back with something extra. You would take a smaller extra, and you would sign a longer term to get it. You do not say this unless you are asked what is behind the request.
Open up if the seller asks what is behind the request and offers a trade. If they give the two days for free, ask for one more thing. If they say the deal is closed and refuse, say you need to call your boss before you sign.

The buyer’s opening line

"One last thing before I sign. I need two training days thrown in."

What to look for

1 Asks what is behind the request before answering it.
2 Offers a trade, and not a plain yes or a plain no.
3 Keeps the free days within the limit and holds the line on a second ask.

Debrief questions

What did you find out about why David asked, and when?
What would you have given up if he had asked for one more thing?

Make it harder

Once the first trade is agreed, have David ask for one more thing. The learner has to hold the line a second time and still sign today.

Common questions

How do you run a sales negotiation role-play?: Give the seller their limits in writing, such as the most discount they can offer. Give the buyer a private brief with a real target that sits inside those limits. Afterwards, list what the seller gave and what they got back for each item.
How long should a negotiation role-play last?: Ten to twelve minutes works for most scenarios. A buyer needs time to push more than once, and the seller needs time to answer the second push as well as the first.
What should you score in a negotiation role-play?: Pick one or two things and say what they are before the start. Good picks are whether each concession was traded for something, and whether the final deal stayed inside the seller’s limits.

Build these scenarios on your method

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