Recently I was reminded of this as my little boy doesn’t like to have his haircut. We visited a salon together and made an appointment. Leading up to the appointment, we role-played, putting on the haircutting cape and I started cutting his hair while he watched something on my phone (the ultimate bribe). I was amazed at how much he let me cut. We still have the actual haircut to come but it was good practice for him.
Do you have a new or tricky situation coming up? Like speaking to your boss about a pay rise or promotion. Perhaps you have a new pitch for a client. Or you are doing a sales call. Why not set up a role-play with a good friend and give them the brief on what you want to practice.
Running through it a few times will make the actual situation easier. It might not cover all your ground however you will most likely feel more confident going into the situation having practiced.
What are you going to role-play next?