I heard Dennis Ross speak a while back and purchased his book. The more I read "Statescraft", the more I really wanted to call the book: "Salescraft: How to Restore Your Buyer's Confidence and Improve the Effectiveness of Salespeople."

Here's a sales training consultant's perspective about Rule #7: "Employ the good cop - bad cop approach carefully."

Let me share a story with you to illustrate the problem of not using this sales training technique properly.

A new sales rep, Jack, is eager to create a reputation, please his customers, make the sale (and commission), and impress his manager, Tom. The problem is that Tom puts
Jack in a tough position. And not just one-time.

You see, Tom used to be the old sales training rep for Jack's customers before his promotion to manager.

When Jack's customer has a request that requires consulting with his manager, he lets his customer know that he will see what he can do and get back to her quickly.

Here's the problem. Jack's boss consistently tells him to let his customer know how valuable she is to the company, to let her know his company can't manage the request, and to let her down as easy as possible.

Jack does as he is told. The customer listens, occasionally complains a bit, sits back and waits. You see, Jack's customer knows that part of the sales training process is for the manager to meet with the customer.

When Tom comes in for his visit, the customer makes her request again. Invariably, on the spot, Tom caves to the request, at least to some degree. Sometimes with flat "okay," and sometimes approaching the request more creatively.

Regardless of how Tom responds, and whatever the reason, what Tom is really doing is making himself the good cop and making Jack the bad cop; minimizing Jack's sales training effectiveness and Jack's ability to build a trusting relationship with his customer.

In the short term, Tom avoids an uncomfortable situation and satisfies the customer.

In the long term, Jack's customer becomes a time-sucker preventing Tom from getting to all his duties as a manager, relying more on Tom than Jack. Instead, Tom should do everything in his power to make Jack the good cop, the sales training hero.

If Tom's answer is going to change from "no" to "yes", he should tell the customer he will meet with Jack to reconsider. Then, let Jack deliver the message.

To further cement the sales training relationship building process, the next time Tom sees the customer, he needs to make it a point to tell her that her how effective Jack is as an advocate for her and that she is lucky to have him as her sales training rep. Or, if a change in response is required immediately, Tom should say that he has been reconsidering his response due to Jack's persuasive argument supporting the customer's request.

Not every sales training manager has an existing relationship with prospects and customers. However, this misuse of good cop - bad cop is not restricted to managers with prior existing relationships.

Every sales training manager needs to do his part to help sales training reps quickly build trusting relationships with prospects and customers. Managers, make a note to yourself. Letting your rep be the good cop is just one effective sales training relationship-building tool. Give your team credit. It's better for you and better for your business.