Sales Behaviours

Sales Behaviours

Behaviours are the core competencies that Oliver AI evaluates during practice sessions. Each behaviour represents a specific sales skill, with a defined rubric and weighted evaluation criteria.

What Are Behaviours?

A behaviour in Oliver AI defines:

• Name -- The skill being evaluated (e.g., "Objection Handling")
• Description -- What the skill involves
• Category -- Classification (e.g., "core" for fundamental skills)
• Rubric -- A 5-level scoring guide from Novice to Expert
• Evaluation Criteria -- Weighted factors that determine the score

Built-In Behaviours

Oliver AI ships with eight built-in behaviours that are automatically seeded for every organization:

1. Objection Handling

The ability to identify, acknowledge, and overcome customer objections effectively during a sales conversation.

Rubric:

Level	Label	Criteria
1	Novice	Ignores or dismisses objections
2	Developing	Acknowledges objections but struggles to address them
3	Competent	Addresses objections with standard responses
4	Proficient	Reframes objections as opportunities with tailored responses
5	Expert	Anticipates objections and proactively addresses them before they arise

Evaluation Criteria:

Criterion	Weight	Description
Acknowledgment	20%	Acknowledged the objection without being defensive
Clarification	20%	Asked clarifying questions to understand the real concern
Value Response	30%	Addressed with a value-based response, not just features
Confirmation	15%	Confirmed the objection was resolved
Next Step	15%	Moved the conversation forward after handling

2. Discovery

Skill in asking open-ended questions to uncover customer needs, pain points, and decision criteria.

Rubric:

Level	Label	Criteria
1	Novice	Asks only closed questions or jumps to pitching
2	Developing	Asks some open questions but misses follow-ups
3	Competent	Follows a structured discovery flow covering key areas
4	Proficient	Adapts questions based on responses and digs deeper
5	Expert	Uncovers latent needs and connects them to strategic value

Evaluation Criteria:

Criterion	Weight	Description
Open Questions	25%	Used open-ended questions to explore needs
Active Listening	20%	Built on prospect answers with follow-up questions
Pain Identification	25%	Identified specific pain points and their impact
Decision Criteria	15%	Uncovered the decision-making process and criteria
Rapport	15%	Built rapport while gathering information

3. De-escalation

The ability to calm frustrated or upset customers, restore trust, and steer conversations toward productive outcomes. The de-escalation behaviour follows the same rubric structure with criteria focused on empathy, tone management, problem resolution, and trust restoration.

4. Upsell & Cross-sell

Skill in identifying opportunities to expand the deal or introduce complementary products and services during the conversation.

5. Closing

The ability to guide the conversation toward a clear commitment, next step, or buying decision without being overly aggressive.

6. Demo Delivery

Skill in presenting your product effectively, tailoring the demonstration to the prospect's stated needs, and handling technical questions confidently.

7. Empathy

The ability to demonstrate genuine understanding of the customer's situation, feelings, and concerns, making them feel heard and valued.

8. Rapport Building

Skill in establishing trust, finding common ground, and building a positive personal connection with the customer early in the conversation.

Each of these behaviours follows the same rubric structure: a 5-level scoring guide from Novice to Expert, with weighted evaluation criteria specific to the skill.

How Behaviours Are Used

1. During evaluation -- After a practice session, the AI analyzes the transcript against each behaviour's rubric and criteria.
2. Score assignment -- Each behaviour receives a level score (1-5) based on how well the rep demonstrated the skill.
3. Criteria breakdown -- Each criterion within the behaviour is scored according to its weight.
4. Feedback generated -- The AI provides narrative feedback explaining the score and suggesting improvements.

Viewing Available Behaviours

1. Navigate to Training Setup (under the Setup section in the sidebar).
2. The list shows all built-in and custom behaviours for your organization.
3. Each entry displays the name, description, and category.

Organization-Specific Configuration

Behaviours are scoped at the organization level:

• Built-in behaviours are available to all organizations.
• Custom behaviours are only visible within the organization that created them.
• On first access, built-in behaviours are automatically seeded into your organization's data.

Note: Modifying behaviour rubrics and criteria affects all future evaluations. Historical evaluations retain the scoring from the time they were created.