CommandShrimp

Sales

Realistic Roleplays for Cold/Discovery Calls with AI

Just stumbled upon a conversation on reddit about looking for a buddy for prospecting/discovery call roleplays. Like many here, and as someone deeply embedded in the SaaS sales space, I've been keen on practicing pitches and mastering objection handling without the risk of losing real prospects. I've always believed in the power of roleplaying but felt the need for something a bit more... nuanced and tailored.

I've recently been toying around with the concept of a hyper-realistic conversational AI buyer tailored for sales roleplay. Imagine customizing everything – from the buyer's voice, age and attitude (rude or polite) to specific sales scenarios and objections, offering both quantitative feedback (like talk-listen ratio, use of filler words) and qualitative insights on objection handling. I realize that for it to work like it does in my head, the AI has to sound as lifelike as possible, with real-time interaction and low latency being a key focus. Drawing from my background in tech (I was a data scientist at American Express before hopping into sales), I'm currently nearing an MVP, but before diving too deep into the tech (old habits die hard!), I'm seeking feedback from fellow sales enthusiasts here.

Not here to pitch but genuinely interested in understanding the community's needs and incorporating that feedback into something that could be incredibly useful for us all! What features would make this tool a game-changer for you? Any particular concerns or pain points you think it should address?

📞 Cold Calling

🤓 Sales Tech

😎 Sales Skills

12

25 comments

Sort by:

jefe

Arsonist

5

🍁

If you can pull it off convincingly, I could definitely see a lot of orgs interested in buying. Role plays are always so stilted and unrealistic.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

3

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

And time-consuming for the other participants.

CommandShrimp

Contributor

3

Sales

Exactly! I'd much rather focus on leveling up my own sales game.

CommandShrimp

Contributor

2

Sales

Absolutely, I'm with you on that. The quest for a tool that could offer contextual and realistic role-playing without the awkwardness led me nowhere, so it seemed only natural to roll up my sleeves and dive into creating one myself. It’s about making those practice scenarios as close to real-life as possible, so when the moment comes, you’re ready, not just rehearsed. Taking matters into our own hands sometimes is the only way forward!

deathbysales

Politicker

3

Vice President, Sales

It's an interesting concept and one you could sell to orgs for training purposes if it worked. I personally struggle with getting my team to role play; it feels so fake, forced they don't give it 100%. In the past I have thought about doing sales consulting and marketing my services to help "role play" with others for an hourly fee since no AI tool existed for this scenario.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

3

🦊

It's because it IS fake and people are assholes with it.

CommandShrimp

Contributor

2

Sales

Absolutely, that's the goal. And I completely understand the hesitation around role-playing; it can definitely come across as artificial or contrived, making it hard for teams to fully engage. That's precisely why a major focus is on ensuring the AI's interactions are as lifelike as possible. Thanks to recent tech advancements, achieving a natural conversational flow is more feasible than ever.
Btw, you could still tncorporate this tool into your sales/marketing services and add a unique edge, making those roleplay sessions more effective and engaging :)

Gasty

Notable Contributor

2

War Room Community Manager

Definitely interesting!

While I see it becoming huge in the L&D for orgs space. I still have doubts about how real it can get?

We don’t always get to talk to prospects, how would we set up duration? Rude prospects? Unexplored questions? Technical queries?

We all know real world scenarios can be quite different.

I think every person(including salespeople) can hold a conversation that’s easy and to the point with an AI even.

Salespeople are needed to handle the tough, the rude, the unwanting, the rejections, and more.

What do you think?

CommandShrimp

Contributor

2

Sales

Absolutely, I totally hear you on those concerns. It's essential that any tool designed to simulate real-world scenarios captures the full spectrum of interactions, including the challenging ones you've mentioned. With the strides we've made in technology recently, I'm optimistic about our ability to create an AI that can not only mimic these various prospect behaviors but also react in real-time to a wide range of questions and objections, including technical ones.
We're focusing on making these roleplay scenarios as rich and varied as possible. So, whether it's setting up different durations to match typical call lengths, incorporating behavior patterns of less-than-enthusiastic prospects, or tackling those deep technical queries, the goal is to cover it all.
Your insights are super valuable in this pursuit, and I’d love to keep this dialogue open as we evolve!

waterjugsales

Politicker

3

Account Executive @ Funemployed

As braintank said, I think there are a few tools aiming to do that. Hyperbound is one I’ve heard about too.

CommandShrimp

Contributor

1

Sales

Absolutely, I'll be giving them a closer look. Appreciate the heads-up!
Out of curiosity, have you had the chance to use any of these tools yourself? I'm keen to understand what features users like you find most valuable or what you feel might be missing. Also, how did Hyperbound catch your eye? It's always interesting to learn about the paths that lead us to discover new tools!

braintank

Politicker

2

Enterprise Account Executive

Check out Hyperbound: https://www.hyperbound.ai/

oldcloser

Arsonist

2

💀

Validation of concept?
Maybe

CommandShrimp

Contributor

2

Sales

Thanks for the heads up! I'll definitely give them a look.
If they're on a similar path to what I'm envisioning, it sounds like a solid nod to the need in the market. Just out of curiosity, how did you stumble upon them? It's always fascinating to see the routes through which we discover these tools!

braintank

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

I saw a "viral" LinkedIn post about trying to book a meeting with it. Demo was really easy so I gave it a try.

CommandShrimp

Contributor

1

Sales

That makes sense! I'll aim to keep the demo flow simple and intuitive as well, then. LinkedIn definitely seems like a powerful channel for this kind of outreach. Do you think there are any other platforms or forums where seeking feedback or launching could be just as effective? Always on the lookout for more ways to connect and gather insights!

BigShrimpin

Catalyst

2

Account executive

this already exists not sure how effective it is but honestly it would just end up being another tool for people to fuck around on instead of just dialing

nothing will ever prepare you for cold calling you just have to do it and learn on the job

CommandShrimp

Contributor

1

Sales

You're right - there are tools out there, each with its own approach. Maybe this can provide a safe space where reps can refine their approach in a risk-free environment before jumping into the deep end. I personally believe in the power of preparation as much as I do in learning from real-life experiences.

And absolutely, there’s no substitute for the real thing. Cold calling is an art and science that gets better with practice.

BigShrimpin

Catalyst

2

Account executive

if one ever gets good enough i dont think its an issue to use it but ultimately its better to just jump in and rip the bandaid

snafu_sales

Catalyst

2

SaaS Sales

Here's one for SDRs: https://app.getskylar.com/theSDRnewsletter
Might be utter balls but could be a bit of fun/give you some ideas at least

CommandShrimp

Contributor

1

Sales

Oh, this looks interesting! Thanks for sharing. It's always useful to see different takes on this concept, even if it might not hit the mark compared to others out there. But hey, there's value in every attempt :)

billymcbillington

1

Founder

Oh it works - my buddy is a video game designer and was recently doing voice over work using an AI tool he built where all you have to do it talk to it for 30-60 seconds and after that the AI will mimic your voice perfectly. You just tell it what to say and it sounds just like you or whoever the voice belongs to in the recording.... we did it with Peter Griffin and it was spot on.
I immediately said we have to use this for cold calling - wrote him a script and I have meetings in my calendar this week.. so it works. You have to aim for quick conversations with the prospect and the main goal is to get a meeting booked with the real sales rep ASAP - if you guys want to see the script I used that worked I would be more than happy to share - let me know!

CommandShrimp

Contributor

1

Sales

That's super cool! I also stumbled upon a clip where someone was cold calling Saul Goodman, and it was hilarious. The AI's ability to grasp characters' nuances from TV shows and blend that with today's dubbing tech makes these interactions surprisingly natural. It's fascinating to see how far AI has come, making even fictional characters part of our real-world conversations.
Absolutely, if you're up for sharing the script you used, I'd love to have a look!

Gasty

Notable Contributor

1

War Room Community Manager

Also, @CommandShrimp
Hyperbound is doing a AI sales call contest. You can check that out. Seems interesting.

CommandShrimp

Contributor

1

Sales

Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun! Contests like these can be a great way to spark ideas and bring the community together.

Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.

Products

The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U

Company

About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty

Contact

© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs

If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.