How to Conduct Effective SDR Roleplays (And Why They Often Fail)

Why Traditional SDR Roleplays Fail

Despite their widespread use, traditional roleplay assessments suffer from several fundamental flaws:

1. Inconsistency Across Candidates

One of the biggest challenges with traditional roleplays is the lack of consistency in the assessment experience:

• Variable scenarios: Different candidates face different scenarios, making direct comparisons difficult.
• Inconsistent difficulty levels: Some interviewers present easy objections while others are more challenging.
• Interviewer mood and energy fluctuations: The same interviewer may conduct roleplays differently depending on their energy level, time of day, or how many candidates they've already seen.
• Different evaluators: When multiple team members conduct roleplays, their varying styles and standards further complicate candidate comparison.

2. Artificial Environment and Performance Anxiety

Traditional roleplays create an artificial environment that may not accurately reflect a candidate's true capabilities:

• High-pressure interview context: The stress of being evaluated can trigger performance anxiety that wouldn't be present in actual sales calls.
• Unnatural dynamics: Roleplaying with a hiring manager who is simultaneously evaluating the candidate creates an awkward dynamic unlike real sales interactions.
• Limited preparation: Candidates often have minimal time to prepare for the scenario, unlike real SDRs who research prospects before calls.
• Awareness of evaluation: Knowing exactly which skills are being assessed can lead to artificial behavior focused on "checking boxes" rather than natural sales instincts.

3. Subjective Evaluation Criteria

Even with structured scorecards, traditional roleplay assessments often suffer from subjective evaluation:

• Confirmation bias: Interviewers may unconsciously look for evidence that confirms their initial impression of a candidate.
• Halo/horn effect: Strong performance in one area (like confidence) can unduly influence the perception of other skills.
• Recency bias: Evaluators tend to remember and weigh the end of the roleplay more heavily than earlier portions.
• Personal style preferences: Managers often favor candidates whose approach mirrors their own sales style.

4. Time and Resource Intensity

Traditional roleplays place a significant burden on sales leadership:

• Scheduling challenges: Coordinating roleplay sessions requires significant administrative effort and calendar management.
• Manager time commitment: Each roleplay typically requires 30-60 minutes of a sales leader's time, plus preparation and evaluation.
• Limited scalability: The time-intensive nature of roleplays creates a bottleneck in the hiring process when evaluating multiple candidates.
• Opportunity cost: Every hour spent on roleplays is an hour not spent on revenue-generating activities or coaching existing team members.

A Framework for Effective SDR Roleplays

Despite these challenges, roleplays remain a valuable assessment tool when properly structured. Here's a comprehensive framework for conducting more effective SDR roleplays:

1. Standardize the Scenario

Create a consistent experience for all candidates:

• Develop a detailed scenario document: Create a comprehensive description of the prospect, their company, pain points, and objections that will be consistently used across all candidates.
• Provide advance preparation materials: Give candidates basic information about the prospect and company 24 hours before the roleplay, similar to how real SDRs would research before a call.
• Script common objections: Prepare a standard set of objections that every candidate will face, ensuring consistent difficulty levels.
• Create evaluation guidelines: Develop clear instructions for evaluators on how to present the scenario and respond to candidate questions.

2. Use Objective Evaluation Criteria

Implement structured assessment methods:

• Develop a detailed scorecard: Create a comprehensive evaluation form with specific criteria and clear rating scales.
• Focus on observable behaviors: Evaluate specific actions and statements rather than subjective impressions.
• Use multiple evaluators: When possible, have two or more people assess each roleplay and compare scores.
• Record sessions: Capture audio or video of roleplays to allow for more thorough review and to resolve scoring discrepancies.

3. Create a Realistic Environment

Make the roleplay experience more authentic:

• Use third-party evaluators: Consider having someone other than the hiring manager play the prospect role to create a more natural dynamic.
• Provide realistic tools: Give candidates access to basic CRM information, company details, and other resources they would typically have during a real call.
• Set appropriate context: Clearly explain whether this is supposed to be a first call, follow-up, or other specific scenario.
• Allow for preparation time: Give candidates 15-20 minutes to review materials and prepare for the call, as they would in a real work environment.

4. Implement Multi-Modal Assessment

Complement roleplays with other evaluation methods:

• Written exercises: Have candidates craft prospecting emails or LinkedIn messages to evaluate written communication skills.
• Call review analysis: Ask candidates to listen to a recorded sales call and provide their observations and suggestions.
• Group exercises: Conduct team-based activities to assess collaboration and communication in a different context.
• AI-powered simulations: Utilize technology solutions that provide consistent, objective assessments at scale.

The AI Alternative: Automated SDR Roleplays

An increasingly popular solution to the challenges of traditional roleplays is AI-powered simulation technology:

How AI-Powered Roleplays Work

Modern AI solutions like FirstDial provide a fundamentally different approach to SDR assessment:

• Candidates call an AI-powered prospect: The system simulates a realistic conversation with natural responses and objections.
• Consistent experience for all candidates: Every candidate faces the same scenario and objections, creating a level playing field.
• Objective, data-driven evaluation: The system analyzes multiple dimensions of performance using consistent criteria.
• Recordings and transcripts: Managers can review the full interaction and receive detailed analytics on candidate performance.

Conclusion: The Future of SDR Assessment

While traditional roleplays have been a staple of SDR hiring for decades, their limitations are becoming increasingly apparent in today's competitive talent market. By implementing the framework outlined in this article—standardizing scenarios, using objective evaluation criteria, creating realistic environments, and complementing with multi-modal assessments—organizations can significantly improve the effectiveness of their roleplay assessments.

For companies looking to further optimize their hiring process, AI-powered solutions offer a compelling alternative that addresses many of the fundamental challenges of traditional roleplays while providing consistent, scalable, and data-driven assessments.

Whether you choose to enhance your traditional roleplay process or explore AI-powered alternatives, the key is to recognize that the quality of your assessment directly impacts the quality of your hires—and ultimately, the performance of your sales organization.