Learning activity

Role play self-assessment using SPIN Selling methodology

Have students self-assess their role play skills using a SPIN selling methodology rubric to develop critical thinking and reflection skills.

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Created by:

Dr. Robert Hammond

University of South Florida

Pedagogy

Experiential learning

Learning outcome

Critical thinking

Prep time

Intermediate (10-30 min)

Activity type

Learning Activity

Why this learning activity?

Learning activities targeting high-order skills like this one can help you activate students more effectively. This learning activity will help you with:

Build Reflective Skills

Students will evaluate their own performance using a structured rubric to develop self-awareness and support continuous personal and professional growth.

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Engage in Iterative Learning

Students will use self-assessment insights to identify improvement areas and plan next steps for future practice

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Develop Critical Thinking

Students will critically analyze their decision-making and communication choices during the role play to deepen reasoning skills and strengthen judgment.

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Activity setup

Activity steps Activity goals Tools used In this activity

Role play self-assessment using SPIN Selling methodology

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Activity steps

1. Read instructions: Go through the instructions to understand the activity requirements. A PDF copy of a rubric attached to provide context for the self-assessment feedback criteria.

2. Review your own skills: Students will self-assess their sales role play skills based on the assigned feedback criteria. This criteria is based on a rubric based on a scale of 1-10.

3. Grading: Instructors can give feedback and assign grading based on the student’s completion of the self-assessment.

Rubric

This feedback criteria included in this activity is grounded in the SPIN Selling methodology, a well-established sales framework focusing on four stages: Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-payoff. The rubric mirrors these stages through five weighted sections, promoting structured learning and reflective practice:

Approach (5%): Emphasizes professional rapport and smooth entry into the conversation, reflecting the Situation stage.
Needs Identification (25%): Focuses on uncovering buyer motivations and decision-making, aligning with the Problem and Implication phases.
Product/Service Presentation (20%): Encourages matching solutions to explicit needs, a key part of the Need-payoff stage.
Overcoming Objections (15%): Teaches students to actively listen, clarify, and resolve concerns—vital for confidence and adaptability.
Close and Communication Skills (25%): Evaluates persuasion, verbal/non-verbal cues, and professionalism—foundational sales competencies.

This rubric supports durable skill development by giving learners a clear, behaviorally-anchored framework to self-assess. By not grading the role play delivery itself, the activity shifts focus from performance anxiety to metacognition. Students critically evaluate their own strengths and gaps in areas like communication, problem-solving, and persuasive reasoning—skills transferable to real-world business settings.

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Activity goals

This activity helps facilitate a flipped classroom approach to your teaching. When student engage with material prior to class there are several benefits:

1. Read instructions: Go through the instructions to understand the activity requirements. A PDF copy of a rubric attached to provide context for the self-assessment feedback criteria.

2. Review your own skills: Students will self-assess their sales role play skills based on the assigned feedback criteria. This criteria is based on a rubric based on a scale of 1-10.

3. Grading: Instructors can give feedback and assign grading based on the student’s completion of the self-assessment.

Rubric

Approach (5%): Emphasizes professional rapport and smooth entry into the conversation, reflecting the Situation stage.
Needs Identification (25%): Focuses on uncovering buyer motivations and decision-making, aligning with the Problem and Implication phases.
Product/Service Presentation (20%): Encourages matching solutions to explicit needs, a key part of the Need-payoff stage.
Overcoming Objections (15%): Teaches students to actively listen, clarify, and resolve concerns—vital for confidence and adaptability.
Close and Communication Skills (25%): Evaluates persuasion, verbal/non-verbal cues, and professionalism—foundational sales competencies.

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Learning Activities Used

Self Assessment

Multilevel assessment to stimulate deeper learning

Skill Review

Multilevel feedback to enhance student success

In this activity

Guide students in analyzing the their role play with a structured rubric based on the SPIN selling methodology. The attached rubric is one version of this methodology from Dr. Robert Hammond from the University of South Florida, you can change this to match your course needs.
There are 7 sections with 24 criteria total in the rubric, you can easily add or remove any criteria in the Feedback Criteria configuration settings.
Add guiding instructions for your students such as a review checklist.
You can turn on “required comments” if you want your students to add some explanation about their ranking.
Configure the rubric criteria weighting in the Grading section.
Determine if you want to add a grade for averages and instructor feedback