Objective

The goal of the sales roleplay sessions with students from the was to give students hands-on experience in sales, acquisition, and client conversations within a realistic business environment.

The focus was on:

• Practicing cold calling and sales conversations
• Building confidence during pitches and customer interactions
• Learning how to ask the right questions instead of immediately selling
• Experiencing realistic B2B sales situations
• Preparing students for commercial conversations in the professional world

In addition, the sessions aimed to show students that successful sales are built on genuine curiosity, communication, and human interaction.

Approach

The roleplay sessions took place at the office of , under the guidance of Claudio Perotti and in collaboration with Alexis van Dam.

A total of 12 students participated and delivered their sales pitches. Each student represented a fictional company within the coffee industry. From coffee machines and beans to syrups and concepts, every pitch had its own commercial angle.

The practical experience already started before the event itself. Students first had to call and schedule their own appointment, making the phone call part of the learning experience as well.

One key principle remained central throughout all conversations:

Sales does not start with pitching. It starts with asking questions.

Topics covered during the sessions included:

• How to open a conversation without immediately selling
• The importance of genuine curiosity
• Active listening during commercial conversations
• Dealing with tension and uncertainty in sales situations
• Building confidence and persuasion through repetition and practice

The setting created a realistic simulation of professional sales conversations within a real business environment.

Results

The impact of the sessions was immediately noticeable:

• Students gained practical experience in acquisition and sales
• Increased awareness around questioning techniques and communication
• Strong interaction and energy during the pitches
• More confidence in both phone calls and face-to-face conversations
• Valuable insights into how sales work in practice

The sessions also sparked inspiring conversations about branding, customer experience, and commercial communication within relatable products such as coffee concepts.

What resonated most was the realization that great sales are not about the perfect pitch, but about showing genuine interest in the other person.