Theoretical Principles of Simulation-Based Sales Communication Training

Abstract

Background. Simulation-based instruction can be applied successfully to communication skills training. However, communication skills training (CST) for salespeople is a somewhat underdeveloped area, and only limited knowledge of different theoretical approaches and their application to sales education is available.

Sales Education in the United States: Perspectives on Curriculum and Teaching Practices

“…Although the Journal of Education for Business was included in the Cummins et al (2013) investigation, it was not included in the present study due to the fact that there were no published articles on sales education during the recent 5-year period. 2017Negotiation skill development exercise Billups and Poddar (2018) Recruitment and resume screening simulation Bussiére 2017Selling newspaper advertising space project Castleberry 2014Interactive sales ethics computer simulation Chapman, Schetzsle, and Wahlers 2016Local community organization sales project Cummins, Loe, and Peltier (2016) Student sales competition video presentation Cummins, Peltier, Pomirleanu, Cross, and Simon (2015) Sales career lectures, sales management and selling process lectures, sales expert panel discussion, sales alumni presentation, lecture-demonstration hybrid, mini-sales trade show competition Fleming and Hawes (2016) Negotiation scoreboard planning tool Herlache, Renkema, Cummins, and Scovotti 2018Cross-cultural negotiation role-play exercise Jones, Vijayalakshmi, and Lin 2016Behavioral assessments of sales candidates project Koponen and Julkunen (2015) Sales theater workshop and drama education Lastner, Rast, and Andzulis 2016Immersive learning sales project Lee (2016) Sales marketplace exercise Lilly and Stanley (2016) Constructivist learning curriculum design Magnotta 2018Inside sales short-term role-play module Marcos-Cuevas, Critten, Squire, and Speakman 2014Work-based pedagogies McDonald and Derby 2015Pecha Kucha ("chit chat") presentations Mullen and Larson (2016) Sales shadowing project Nielson and Border (2016) Real-world negotiation experience Nielson and Cummins (2019) In-class presentation on employment opportunities by a sales organization representative O'Reilly 2015Sales coaching model Paden, Stell, Trainor, and Mushro (2016) Professional selling workshop Pelletier and Hopkins (2018) Videoconferencing technology role-play Rippé (2015) Show and sell project Rippé, Weisfeld-Spolter, Cummins, and Dastoor (2016) Teaching online sales (TONS) Rocco and Whalen (2014) Improvisional (Improv) comedy technique Rocco and Whalen (2016) Student sales managers proj...…”

A Critical Review of the Literature for Sales Educators 2.0

“…Examples include work that shows sales classes with experiential components can raise critical thinking skills in both online and in-person formats (Alvarez et al, 2015). Koponen and Julkunen (2015) apply situated learning theory and drama education techniques to sales training, showing the combination can be utilized to improve communication skills. The impact of sales student customer orientation is the focus of a 2018 work showing such an orientation can improve role-play performance when coupled with questioning skills (Arndt et al, 2018).…”

Theory to Practice in Simulation

“…For example, Rodgers (2015), Der Sahakian et al (2015), and Koponen and Julkunen (2015) agree that the learning environment needs to be psychologically safe and supportive of reflective practices. Most authors expressed the need for debriefing techniques that are nonjudgmental.…”

“…Another important theme that emerged from the articles was the interdependence of participants in the learning community in many simulation sessions. More than half of the authors (Clapper, 2015; Hermann, 2015; Koponen & Julkunen, 2015; Rodgers, 2015) expressed the idea that their particular learning theories enabled, encouraged, or was based on participants’ mutual cooperative support in the learning environment. Thus, importance is placed on cooperative learning, one main element of which is mutual support by members of the learning community.…”

“…Other authors, (Battista, 2015;Kyaw Tun, Alinier, Tang, & Kneebone, 2015) recognized that tools used for simulation can change the perception by the learner and how they interact with others in a case or scenario. As noted by these and other authors (Clapper, 2015;Koponen & Julkunen, 2015), simulators, tools, and even actors offer cues that, when combined with a learner's existing and emerging perception of the case, can create experiences characterized by considerable variety.…”