Research Methodology Spotlight: Sales Simulation Interviews

The insights industry conducts an enormous amount of research among consumers and end-users, but customer-facing sales processes are often overlooked as an insights goldmine. Accelerant Research has developed an invaluable qualitative research method for assessing the one-on-one selling process, which we call Sales Simulation Interviews.  Although the setup, logistics, recruiting, and execution of such studies are incredibly involved, the premise of this research is quite simple…client observers and research team members get to witness actual simulated sales interactions between real sales associates and prospective customers, and then, after the simulated sales interaction concludes, individual moderator-led debrief interviews are conducted with each party (seller and sellee) to understand the nuanced perceptions and opinions of the process from all angles.  Any organization with a sales arm can benefit from this type of study.
This methodology can be leveraged to achieve a number of different internal business objectives to:

• Identify gaps or inefficiencies in the existing sales playbook.
• Test the effectiveness of new marketing collateral material.
• Dissect the current sales process for potential coaching opportunities or areas for improvement.
• Assess sales associate feedback prior to rollout of a new product or service.
• Aid in developing training materials and playbooks for onboarding new sales associates.

Additionally, no matter what type of salesforce an organization has, we can design a Sales Simulation study to accommodate the natural sales environment, such as:

• In-Person in a focus group facility environment
• Via telephone to assess inside sales team processes
• Via webcam or web meeting to allow for screen sharing
• On-site at retailers, showrooms, or other customer-facing venues

We invite you to reach out to us for more information about Sales Simulation Interviews.  Simply give us a call (704-206-8500) or send us an email (info@accelerantresearch.com).  With our support and guidance in participant recruiting, technology/logistics management, and even moderating/full-service support, Accelerant Research can provide you with similarly successful and impactful insights.

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