Tanja Hartwig
Overview
A Hanover-based telecommunications carrier wanted to expand the advisory services that its service center employees offered. Up to that point, the employees had mainly taken calls from existing and potential customers. The goal was for the service center to offer other options as well as advice, such as renewing broadband internet plans or signing up for better telephone plans. The employees were still reluctant to actively offer anything to callers. In order to also facilitate comparability, the service center was to be split into two groups on two training workshop days.
Topic
The aim was for the employees to get more enjoyment out of selling. I had been working with the company for some time and had been hired primarily to help the employees overcome their inhibitions about selling products and services. We had already covered selling in detail in previous training sessions. They had learned how to sell by stressing the benefits and understanding what motivates customers to buy, and it was now a question of putting it into practice, of doing it.
We devised an active, rather playful element with the managers to coax the employees out of their shells and enable and support change in how customers were advised.
Staging
a. Preparation
I prepared a large room with four tables for one sales team each, one in each corner. I divided up the group randomly by drawing lots. In the center of the room, I used masking tape to designate the marketplace. On each table was a starter set with instructions. I assigned observers, who were in this case the team leaders.
b. Performance
“As you can see, we will now be taking a different look at the topic of ‘selling.’ We’re about to start an interactive task. On your tables you will find a set of instructions and a starter set. Please read the instructions carefully and solve the first task right away. I’ll be your referee today and George will be your observer. Have fun!”
c. Progression
The setting was well received. The participants were immediately eager to form teams and to agree on a name and a symbol. The first instructions were discussed and the start of market trading was eagerly awaited.
Transfer to the real World
| Elements in the learning project | Elements in the real world |
|---|---|
| Name and logo for each team | Forming a peer group, identification with the topic or product |
| Metalogs (= coins) | Negotiating funds, currency, money |
| Heart | Core of the company, service center, teams |
| Marketplace | Contact with customers |
| Observers | Support, but also appraisal by the managers |
| Assessment sheet | Mutual assessment |
| Team table | Place of retreat to develop strategies, share information with colleagues |
The players were already waiting on the sidelines. By the first round, the different strategies of the individual teams crystallized, which they were to maintain throughout. It was fascinating to see how intensively the teams discussed, negotiated, and worked together. The room was filled with loud voices and it was clear they were really enjoying the learning project.
One team had decided on a strategy of collecting as many metalogs as possible and treating the construction of the heart as secondary. They followed this strategy through to the end, which resulted in them not enjoying the activity as much – and still came in second.
Another team shifted to blatant “wheeling and dealing” and resorted to rather pushy methods. This team ended up last because it was judged by all the other teams to be unfair.
It was also fascinating to see how participants who normally disliked active selling really enjoyed negotiating and even outed themselves as minor sales talents. Many previously assumed roles in the service center became obsolete, as everyone realized that “I’m good at it after all!”
Reflection
Different strategies were recognized and evaluated:
• Risk strategy (“going all out”)
• Cautious strategy: focus on certainty and profit
• Flexible strategy: adaptation to the prevailing situation on the market
• Secret strategy
• Fraud strategy
• Tactical, goal-oriented strategy
In both groups on the two days, the participants intensively discussed what defined fair selling and how they could set themselves apart from “door-stepping methods.” The main reason for this was the loud “hawking” behavior of one team, which many of the participants found unpleasant. Together, we developed what exactly fair selling in the service center was to entail.
The groups took away the following personal insights:
• The product has its price: it is “value for money” in the truest sense of the word.
• Any product can be sold if it’s packaged properly.
• Ambition and enthusiasm help sales.
• There is more than one way to achieve a goal: it pays to be more flexible.
• It is important to have your own strategy.
• It is important to be more active and courageous in offering products.
• It is important to take a more relaxed approach to offering products.
Conclusion
The evaluation of the learning project HeartSelling was included in the overall appraisal of the day. The feedback was conducted in a circle of chairs with a fluffy ball with each participant contributing his or her opinion. In addition, the company conducted a follow-up written questionnaire.
Shortly after the training I received the following email from one of the participants: “Hi Tanja, I wanted to thank you again for the training. It helped so much I have already made 16 new sales. Thx, N.”