How Betterworks Makes Sales Training “Stick” with AI Roleplay Simulations

Overview

Betterworks is a performance management platform that helps organizations align goals, develop employees, and improve performance through continuous feedback and conversations.

For its enterprise sales team, success depends on the ability to confidently communicate complex value propositions, tell compelling customer stories, and navigate high-stakes conversations with prospects.

To strengthen sales readiness and create more interactive training programs, Betterworks introduced Avarra’s AI-powered roleplay simulations into its enablement strategy.

Challenge: Turning Sales Knowledge into Real-World Sales Conversations

Training enterprise sales teams presents a unique challenge. Unlike high-velocity sales environments where reps experience many deals quickly, enterprise reps typically work a small number of large, complex opportunities.

That makes it harder to build conversational fluency through real-world repetition.

“One of the things that makes it hard to up-level an enterprise sales team is that they’re not going through a million different deals,” said Nisha McPherson, VP of Revenue Enablement at Betterworks. “They’re going through a few large, important deals.”

Traditional enablement methods—such as e-learning modules and live training sessions—helped reps learn the material. But without realistic practice, that knowledge didn’t always translate into confident conversations with prospects.

Betterworks needed a way to help reps actively practice messaging, customer stories, and objection handling before engaging with real buyers.

Solution: AI Roleplay Simulations Embedded Across Enablement Programs

Betterworks implemented Avarra to give reps a scalable way to practice real sales conversations in realistic scenarios.

The platform is now used across several core enablement initiatives:

• New hire onboarding simulations to accelerate ramp time
• Sales kickoff preparation through interactive roleplay exercises
• Customer story simulations that help reps refine storytelling
• Ongoing training for competitive messaging and objection handling

Avarra also allowed Betterworks to redesign its sales kickoff experience. Instead of relying on passive presentations, the team created simulations based on real customer stories and required reps to practice them before the event.

The results were immediate.

“One of the most eye-opening things was how much better reps could tell customer stories after practicing the roleplays,” McPherson said.

The simulations also revealed exactly where reps needed more support.

In one instance, the only customer story that did not include a simulation exercise was the one reps struggled to communicate most effectively.

Results: Stronger Storytelling, More Interactive Training, and Better Prepared Reps

Since implementing Avarra, Betterworks has integrated roleplay simulations across onboarding, training programs, and major enablement events.

Key outcomes include:

• Faster ramp for new enterprise sales hires
• Stronger storytelling in customer conversations
• Highly interactive sales kickoff and training programs
• More confident reps entering high-stakes prospect meetings

Most importantly, the platform helps bridge the gap between learning and real-world execution.

“We can do all the training in the world,” McPherson said. “But unless reps have a chance to actually practice it, the information isn’t going to stick.”

Future Applications: Making Practice the Core of Sales Enablement

Looking ahead, Betterworks plans to expand its use of Avarra across additional enablement initiatives, including competitive training, objection handling programs, and sales contests.

For McPherson, the platform has become a core part of how the organization develops sales talent.

“Avarra is my favorite tool for taking information and making it real,” she said.

As Betterworks continues to evolve its enablement strategy, AI-powered practice will remain central to helping reps build confidence, sharpen messaging, and succeed in complex enterprise sales conversations.