4 Acting Techniques That Will Make You a Better Salesperson

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Good Morning. The internet is buzzing about “The Great Lock In” right now. A September-to-December grind where people delete Instagram, chug protein shakes, and make cold showers a personality trait. Sales reps have our own version of this called ‘end of the quarter’. It’s sorta like we invented the trend. Now let’s get into today’s Follow Up. (:

• Assume the next call 🤔 

• Acting techniques for sales reps 🧠 

• A handwritten note that closed a $1.3M deal ✍️ 

• Sales jobs & a meme 😂

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Act like a Better Sales Rep (and actually become one)

Sometimes sales calls feel like auditions.

You're performing for an audience who might reject you. Your palms sweat. Your confidence wavers. You wonder if what you’re saying is landing with your audience.

The best actors and salespeople use a lot of the same skills. Both need to connect with their audience, handle unexpected situations, and deliver their message with confidence.

The difference is that actors train for years to master these skills. Meanwhile, most salespeople wing it.

Today, we're breaking down four acting techniques that will legitimately make you a better salesperson.

1. Act “as if”

Fake it till you make it. Or as actors call it, "acting as if."

Perform the role ‘as if’ you were that person, until it becomes real.

Julie Hansen, a Sales coach and former actor, says if you're having an off day, you act as if you have confidence by doing things like standing taller, speaking up, and holding eye contact.

And it actually works. Hansen says "9 times out of 10, pretty quickly you are actually feeling confident."

Tony Robbins even recommends creating an alter ego for tough situations.

Before your next big call, ask yourself: "How would the best salesperson at my company handle this?" Then act like that person.

Stand up straight. Throw your shoulders back. Put yourself into character.

Once you know how to create your alter ego, you can bring this character out of yourself whenever you need them.

2. Improv in real life.

In improv comedy, actors never know what's coming next. Sorta like a sales call.

The golden rule of improv is "Yes, and...". Which Tina Fey explains as "Start with a yes and see where that takes you."

Instead of blocking what your scene partner gives you, you accept it and build on it.

In sales, your customer is sorta like your scene partner. When they say something unexpected or give you an objection, you’ve gotta think and give them a response.

So instead of trying to block what they say, accept their perspective first, then add your insight.

Bad response: "No, but our product is actually better because..."
Better response: "Yes, I hear you - and I know Brand X has served you well, and now you have more choices. How about I show you a solution that a lot of customers are switching to?"

This approach validates their view while also pushing the conversation forward.

3. Delivery Matters… a lot.

How you deliver a line can often matter more than the line itself.

Research shows that a major part of communication and first impressions is nonverbal. Buyers make a judgment on you within seconds based on your posture, eye contact, and tone of voice. (And you’re guilty of this, too).

‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ sounds nice, but we all do it.

Start with your body language. Stand or sit with your shoulders back and an open stance. Avoid defensive postures like crossed arms.

For video calls, position your camera at eye level and sit slightly farther from the screen than feels natural. Avoid positioning your camera in a spot that looks up or down at you.

Your voice is equally important, and adjusting your tone is one of the most powerful techniques you can use. Try this:

• Lower your voice slightly when sharing important insights.

• Speed up during exciting points.

• Slow down when delivering key takeaways.

• Use pauses before and after critical information.

These subtle shifts keep the brain engaged because it's constantly adjusting to new stimuli and patterns.

4. Practice, and then practice again.

Behind every "effortless" performance are hours of rehearsal.

Actors don't wing it on stage. They practice their lines until they can deliver them naturally, even when distracted.

Sales should work the same way. Geoffrey James recommends rehearsing your pitch "so many times that each call sounds like you're making it up on the fly."

This means role-playing with colleagues. Recording yourself and listening back. Practicing responses to common objections until they become automatic.

Many sales teams do role-playing exercises for exactly this reason. It's like a dress rehearsal for the real show.

When you've practiced your opener, value proposition, and objection responses, you'll feel way less nervous when you’re actually pitching.

Sales Meme of the Day

Today’s newsletter was written by Nic Conley