Fictional training scenarioClosingTransportationDifficulty: Hard

    Competitive bake-off roleplay: the final call before the decision

    Keisha's team has piloted your fleet tracking software and a competitor's side by side, and the committee decides on Friday. The other vendor is cheaper and came out ahead on the feature list, so find out how the decision will really be made and give her a case she can take into the room.

    The buyer

    Keisha

    Head of fleet operations at a regional delivery company

    The situation
    You sell fleet tracking and driver safety software. After a month-long pilot of both products on a handful of vans each, an evaluation committee from operations, finance and IT meets on Friday. Keisha leads the evaluation and asked for one last call.
    Personality
    Fair, organized and under pressure. Gives straight answers to straight questions. Ends the call politely if you criticize the competitor.
    Hidden concern (for whoever plays the buyer)

    Her drivers preferred your app during the pilot and she personally favors you, but the scoring sheet weights price and feature count heavily. She also doubts the competitor's promised setup timeline, but she needs evidence, not your opinion, to say so to the committee.

    Fictional training scenario. Names, companies and products are invented for practice.

    Your goal

    Learn how the committee will score the decision, address the price and feature gaps without criticizing the competitor, and give Keisha evidence she can use on Friday.

    Success looks like

    • You asked how the decision will be scored and who weighs which criteria
    • You learned that the drivers preferred your app and asked how that is being counted
    • You responded to the price gap with value and trade-offs, not an instant discount
    • You agreed on what Keisha will take to the committee and when you will hear back

    The opening line

    "I'll be straight with you. They're cheaper, and they came out ahead on the feature list. Give me a reason to keep you in this."

    Keisha, head of fleet operations at a regional delivery company

    How a strong start sounds

    An illustrative script for the first exchange. Say it in your own words; the point is the shape of the reply, not the exact lines.

    1. Keisha

      I'll be straight with you. They're cheaper, and they came out ahead on the feature list. Give me a reason to keep you in this.

    2. You

      Thanks for being straight with me. Before I answer, can I understand how Friday works? Who's on the committee, and how is the scoring weighted?

    3. Keisha

      Ops, finance and IT. Price and features count the most. Ease of use is on there, but it's a small line.

    4. You

      That helps. How did the drivers find the two apps during the pilot? In the end, they're the ones who decide whether it gets used.

    5. Keisha

      Funny you ask. The drivers liked yours.

    Curveballs to expect

    Keisha won't make it easy. Be ready for these.

    1. "Can you match their price? Yes or no."
    2. "They have route planning built in. You don't."
    3. She shares the drivers' feedback only if you ask how the pilot went from the drivers' side.
    4. "Why should I believe your setup timeline over theirs?"
    5. "I can't share the scoring sheet with vendors."

    Scorecard

    What a reviewer, or your own replay, should listen for. The criteria lean on MEDDIC and MEDDPICC.

    CriterionWhat good looks like
    Mapping the decisionAsks who decides, how the criteria are weighted and what happens after Friday before making any case.
    No competitor bashingAcknowledges where the competitor is stronger and never criticizes them, even when invited to.
    Reframing the criteriaConnects driver adoption and setup risk to outcomes the committee cares about, using the pilot's own evidence.
    Handling priceExplains what the price difference buys and offers a trade, if any, rather than matching the price outright.
    Equipping the championAgrees on specific evidence for Keisha to take to the committee, such as a reference call or a written setup plan, and a time to hear the outcome.

    Want to score real calls the same way? Use the free sales call scorecard template.

    To run this exact persona, rebuild it in the scenario builder (Starter plan and up), or run it with a colleague.

    Questions about this scenario

    What is a bake-off in sales?

    A head-to-head evaluation where the buyer tests two or more vendors, often in a pilot or a scripted demo, and scores them against the same criteria before choosing.

    Should I criticize the competitor on the final call?

    No. Keisha ends the call if you do, and most real buyers react the same way. Acknowledge where the competitor is stronger, then focus on the criteria and evidence where you lead.

    What if I can't win on price?

    Make the value of the difference concrete, such as drivers who actually use the app, and trade any concession for something in return. Sometimes the right move is to accept you won't be the cheapest and win on lower risk.

    Which methodology does the scorecard use?

    It leans on MEDDPICC, especially decision criteria, decision process, champion and competition.

    Scripts and methods

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