This is Pete's first solo episode, and he dedicates it to role play — one of the most underused training tools in rent-to-own. The premise is simple: there's always a gap between knowing what to say and actually saying it when a real customer is standing in front of you. Role play closes that gap in a safe environment where mistakes are expected and learning is the point.
Pete walks through several selling styles worth practicing. Transactional selling is the rush scenario — a customer who knows what they want and needs it now. The training goal is making sure employees still slow it down enough to get a complete rental order without losing the customer. Solutional selling focuses on solving the customer's specific problem rather than pushing features. Consultative selling adds features and benefits back into the conversation, helping customers understand why one product fits their situation better than another.
For format, Pete outlines a few options. One-on-one role play between manager and employee is the most common starting point. The fishbowl format puts two employees through a scenario while the rest of the team watches and then critiques — everyone sees what works and what doesn't, and roles can rotate so each person gets a turn on both sides. The audience format keeps one person steady on one side while cycling different employees through the other role, exposing the team to a range of scenarios from the same vantage point. Full simulations walk through the entire customer interaction from greeting to signed agreement to scheduled delivery, and Pete recommends saving those for training rooms rather than live stores where the day-to-day will always compete for attention.
He also makes the case for using role play on the collections side, not just sales. When an account manager has to knock on a door or look someone in the eye to ask for a payment, that face-to-face pressure is different from a phone call. Practicing it matters.
Pete closes with a personal note — early in his career, a manager put him through role plays that embarrassed him in the best way possible, showing him what he actually sounded like and where he needed to grow. That experience is part of why he believes in it so strongly.
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