#14 – Don’t Be That Guy - MSP Sales Role-Play - Practice Wins (Ryan Alter)

If you’re not practicing, you’re guessing—and losing deals. In this “Don’t Be That Guy” session, Josh Peterson and former MSP owner Ryan Alter unpack practical, repeatable ways to role-play sales moments so your team reacts faster, handles objections with confidence, and books more meetings. ✅ Enjoyed this episode?  Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below.  https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog  Episode Description  Ryan Alter (former MSP owner - co-host) and Josh Peterson break down how to build a sales practice culture that actually sticks—without awkwardness or wasted time. You’ll hear real scenarios from MSP life (gatekeepers, price pushback, “we love our current IT,” and post-call debriefs) and how to coach both junior reps and salty veterans. 👉 Why practice beats talent: moving from “trying not to lose” to “playing to win” 👉 Micro-drills that work: one objection, one outcome, 10 minutes, done 👉 Gatekeeper strategies that avoid the receptionist altogether (social proof, intros, and LinkedIn outreach) 👉 After-action reviews: the simple, non-judgment framework that improves every call 👉 Cross-team role-plays: dispatch, security tabletop, interviews—sales isn’t the only place to train Natural keywords: MSP sales training, objection handling, gatekeeper strategies, cold calling scripts, discovery meeting recap, sales coaching. Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources. 🔗 Resources & Links • Ryan Alter – Silverstream AV: https://www.silverstreamav.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Why role-play (and why most teams avoid it) 00:45 – Meet co-host Ryan Alter & sales practice mindset 02:22 – Realistic scenarios - theory: how to frame the drill 04:29 – Athletes train 90% of the time—what about sales? 05:37 – The “ring-ring” drill and breaking awkwardness 07:58 – From “I’d say…” to actually saying it out loud 09:33 – Bold openings and memory-making moments 10:36 – After-action reviews that don’t turn into rambling 12:47 – Coach with questions, not “what I would’ve said” 17:53 – Prospecting focus: getting past the gatekeeper 20:32 – Warm paths to cold doors: intros and LinkedIn 23:34 – Junior rep practice: writing the outreach together 25:27 – The five objections you’ll hear on every call 27:43 – Yes, veterans must practice too 31:24 – Selling outcomes when you don’t know the tech 34:21 – Discovery openers that humanize the convo 38:02 – Train reactions like F1 pit crews—micro-drills 39:38 – Weekly cadence: one micro-moment at a time 41:32 – 1:1 vs group role-plays (and when to mix) 44:39 – Security tabletop & cross-dept simulations 49:23 – Add surprise players: the CTO walks in 50:47 – Book a session & where to watch replays 🔍 Primary Keywords msp sales training, sales role playing, objection handling, gatekeeper strategies, after action review, cold calling scripts 🔍 Secondary Keywords sales coaching framework, discovery meeting debrief, socratic selling, interview role play, security tabletop exercise, dispatch training #️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #msp #managedservices #salestraining #roleplay #objectionhandling #coldcalling #mspsales #gatekeeper #salescoaching #businessdevelopment #discoverycall #tabletopexercise #dispatch