Leading BPO

The Advantages of SymTrain’s Automated Role-Play and Coaching for BPOs

Spoiler Alert: A Leading BPO Achieves 100% Improvement in Time to Proficiency!

CHALLENGE:

We needed to scale our Business Development Reps from 15 to 32 in three months. The company had an excellent training program based on a proven methodology that every BDR followed. However, when additional elements were added to the new hire training—such as managers reinforcing training and subject matter experts providing one-on-one shadowing—productivity actually declined. We discovered that new reps were deviating from the process and approach, instead adopting shortcuts and tricks used by experienced reps, which negatively impacted results and made it more difficult to identify and resolve the underlying issues.

ACTION:

Leveraging an innovative simulation-based platform, the company provided reinforcement and one-on-one shadowing through simulations, replacing the need for managers and subject matter experts. Simulated role-plays were introduced to help new hires learn how to better support more experienced representatives. New team members practiced until they achieved mastery-level scores on both the content and delivery of what they were saying, all without requiring oversight or support from trainers, managers, or SMEs.

By reinforcing training through these simulations, new hires were learning faster than in previous cohorts. They displayed increased confidence, executed with the consistency of top performers, and even surpassed existing production records. The BDRs felt supported without judgment, enabling them to assimilate into the teams more quickly and with better overall results.

Managers were able to monitor their team’s performance during each simulated conversation and provide effective feedback based on the scores and recorded results.

RESULTS:

Overall productivity surpassed all expectations, delivering record results for new hires that also elevated the overall performance of the more experienced teams.

“Managers appreciate the visibility and automated coaching opportunities provided by the simulation platform, and our BDRs benefit from its simplicity, ease of use, flexibility, and reinforcement of real-world selling scenarios. We’ve measured a 100% improvement in time to proficiency for new hires, while managers and SMEs now spend more time on client-facing activities. We didn’t anticipate the overall impact, but we increased our monthly output organization-wide. I can’t imagine achieving these results without leveraging simulation for training and coaching.”

— Founder and Chairman