Improv for Sales

In Improv, other actors in your scene are partners with you. Providing detailed information about relationships, locations, and stories can create emotional connections between characters and their audience.  This skill is highly applicable for salespeople in establishing a rapport with prospective customers in outbound marketing or group-based virtual meetings.

Improvisational acting exercises unlock spontaneity. Actors who master these fundamentals imagine whole new worlds right in front of an audience’s eyes without any prior rehearsal.  This is a translatable talent for sales professionals who often open conversations cold and begin guiding their prospective clients through a buying journey.

Improv provides a safe and supportive environment for taking chances.  Failure is celebrated as growth. Participants are encouraged to make bold choices and try new techniques among their peers in a judgment free atmosphere. It’s the perfect place to practice and get repetitions (reps) without the risk of losing real clients.

A “Group Mind” is an improv term meaning all participants in a scene are in sync emotionally and on the same page mentally.  It is a strong present feeling of agreement, a shared vision for telling a story and sense of connection with those in the scene and the audience.  This is a highly effective technique when practiced in team-based sales environments.

Improv exercises are intended to go fast so actors don’t have time to think of the perfect thing to say.  Games are designed to pull participants out of their heads so that they begin trusting their ability to react honestly to what they see and hear without preconceived notions. This is especially helpful in sales where professionals can respond to surprises with more awareness.

The most well-known fundamental of Improv is saying “Yes, And” to the other actors in your scene.  Yes, And involves agreeing with what your partner is offering you and building on it by providing specific information for exploring or expanding the idea together.  This technique inspires collaboration among actors and their audience which also applies to sales.