Sell Me This Pen - How to Nail This Classic Sales Interview Question
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- Опубліковано 29 січ 2025
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excellent video - incredibly helpful and as a 30 year sales veteran I can advise that this approach works and have been asked this question myself many times over the years!. Well done for sharing the knowledge
Joel Wilson Joel I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Thanks.
+BigBookofSales why the upscale from a 360p video ? this is painful to watch and hear
This is ridiculous! This salesman should have the billions of views instead of the "entertainment" driven salesmen. This guy is sharing AWESOME sales content and never knew until this point.
Very kind of you to say!
Despite the keyboard warriors and critics, I thought it was a very informative video that definitely shows a great level of expertise in sales. Thanks for the advice, and I look forward to my interview tomorrow--especially if this question comes up!
Hopefully you got the job???
I love the idea, content, illustration and purpose of this video. Undeniably helpful and selfless. Thank you for sharing. More power should be given to those who is willing to share them. God bless!
Joeys Gold Yong Thank you for those kind words, and for taking the time to comment.
People like you deserves to be supported with so many cheers to keep your fire burning! Go! Go! Go!
Good analogy of the sales process using an old classic... I've asked the same question during interviews many times and its interesting to see how many people go straight into the benefits ... it's plastic so its durable which means you won't have to keep buying more pens blah blah... those who ask questions tend to fair better however asking too many quickly gets boring... The one question that I'm looking for is "WHY do I need a pen?" You see I let people go on and on selling benefits or asking discovery questions (usually from their perspective) then at the end I tell them this. "I use pencils to write so i can erase and save paper, I need a pen to prop the window open". The motto being - 'If someone wants to buy find out why'.
Great job! The point in "sell me this pen" is about showing your knowledge of all the facets of selling. Nobody wins the job because they made the person buy the pen. They win it by showing they know how to ask the right questions. Thank you for the post.
This was GREAT! I love where you are coming from here. I've been in several sales interviews, and a roleplay is almost always required. I've only been asked the pen question once, and discovering the client's needs is so important. Keep doing what you do.
Thank you Ashlee. You should always be prepared for a role-play question in any sales interview. Good luck, and thank you for taking the time to comment.
Great material! Thank you for the golden nuggets of information. Not very many people take the time to post such valuable videos that help grow the sales force. Thank you.
Nice ! I like how you switch the question from one pen to many pens and many things. That's class there.
So basically you draw out information first and suit to your needs.
That was absolutely fantastic, I consider myself an intermediate level sale associate and with this information I feel like it bumped me up a couple notches! Thank you so much for sharing such a great insight. We need more helpful people in this world, we are in this together, thank again !! - Sincerely, a college student in search for a better paying job.
Sherleymarie Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and I am very pleased that my videos (watch them all) are helping people, and you in particular. Keep learning and I hope you find a sales position that suits you perfectly!
best sell me this pen video on UA-cam
This will help me in tomorrow's interview, thank you.
I know you will get the job! Let us know.
Did you get the job ? ^^
sorry for the reply i just saw this, yes my friends i got it ( sales position in a bank )
Moe did they ask you to sell the pen?
Not a pen. They had a box which contained different objects and you choose one to sell to them. just follow the same approach and attitude and you'll be good
This is the best response to to "Sell me this pen" i've seen so far! Great job!
Thanks. I'm glad this was helpful. I hope you enjoy all the videos and the book.
Still the best video on this exercise.
Wise man.
I see how someone can treat a pen as a low value sale and will try to rush the sale and create some sense of urgency to simply sell that one pen. This is great and demonstrates that fact finding is what really pays the rent month after month.
Why sell him just one pen when you can sell to the whole building.
I just did my first international job interview here in Western Germany and I was actually asked this exact question. Wish I had watched this video before that, because this is brilliant! Thanks so much: I will surely download your book.
Please, keep on doing what you do.
Martijn H And I also subbed to your channel for future content.
Alan, your videos are fantastic. Your information is thoughtful and detailed. Thank you for the book also, and please, keep the videos coming, because this is the way to go from being an amateur to a professional sales person! God bless.
Wow thank you for this comment! I'm very glad you are enjoying the book and all the videos.
Thanks for the free book! I'm going to go through it, myself, and share it with my business partner if I feel it is valuable (which it most likely is). We may pass it on to our employees, too. If I make any money from using the concepts you've so graciously shared, then I will be sure to donate generously. Much success to you and thanks again for the encouragement and support!
Apologies for my earlier post. I do agree its not nice to talk down on anyone regardless there choices. I would like to share that I got hired with Delta Airlines as a Sale's Reservation/Customer Service Specialist. Thanks for this advice, I was able to sell a stapler. 😄
Sil T I can't even imagine how many staplers Delta Airlines uses! Congratulations on acing the interview.
DERREN MICHELL Hopefully you can take what's in this video plus other videos and books - and craft an approach that works for you. Remember this is a sales interview question so it's less about actually selling a pen than it is showing your prospective employer that you understand the sales process. Anyway, that's what I was going for in the video. I'm sure you'll do great. Thanks for the feedback.
As Sil T commented: That question about The Pen, (or it's generic equivalent, is STILL around, and STILL being asked by Sales managers!) My FIRST QUESTION to the "Pen" prospect, would be something like this: "...I'd be happy to talk with you about your need for Pens. May I ask why you are in the market for a pen? Is there anyone else, beside yourself, that would make that Pen buying decision? If I could help you with your need for a Pen,...would you be making that final decision? ...Today? ...
Great video... I'm going to review all my prospective deals right now.
Great!! Straight, clear and usefull advices!
I was surprised how easy it can be!!
After this video, I have started to watch more videos from you.
Michal - I'm very glad you are benefiting from all the videos, and feel free to download the book at any time. Thanks for the positive comments!
OMG dude, your experience worth a lot of gold sir.
Amazing tutorial...thank you very much for sharing
Woah. Definitely way better understanding of sales than Wolf of Wallstreet's supply and demand simple explanation!!
I love your answer! Thanks for the informative video.
I appreciate the comment! I hope you're watching all the videos and feel free to download the book as well.
BigBookofSales never stop selling
Wow, this was excellent. You really know what you're doing! I'm definitely going to download the book.
Thank you sir. Enjoy the book and keep watching the videos. In fact, share them with every salesperson you know! Thanks.
Good ideas : it's great to ask questions about what is going on now for them.
Great video as always, Alan. I really think that managers aren't necessarily looking for the perfect, gimmicky answer but rather an illustration of how you execute the sales process. If all the applicant does is pitch without knowing anything about my situation, I know that he has a lot of work to do in his development. Needs analysis and qualification is at the heart of salesmanship. Great salesmen ask questions first and recommend after.
Great point. It's also important to understand, the hiring manager is going to hire who he/she wants. If he's looking for the salesperson who understands the process and can show how it would work - he'll hire him. If he's looking for the gimmicky off-the-cuff salesperson - that's who he will hire. I wouldn't want to work in a company where gimmicks are valued, and a gimmicky salesperson probably wouldn't want to work for me. There is room for every style, even on the same sales team. Different styles and approaches make it interesting and we all learn from each other's style.
The big issue I see with this is this makes the assumption that the person wants the pen to begin with. A pitch is being made, but there are steps to take before a pitch. This seems to be all about upselling as part of the pitch. You can't upsell until you've already established interest in the sale to begin with. I think you would need to go through the initial steps of the promise, picture, and proof before the pitch. You have to make them want the pen first by establishing an emotional connection to the product.
Michael Brown exactly right. what he is talking about really is up selling once he has already closed on the sale of the pen. nothing wrong with that but it is not helpful if you are looking to improve your ability to simply close the business.
Absolutely right he didn't show you haw to sell the pen, he is a second rate salesman at best.
This is a different scenario than the one in Wolf of Wall Street. The classic pen question doesn't presuppose that the person wants the pen. It's about making the person want/need/buy that one particular pen.
despite all of the negative comments. I enjoyed this role play. Thank you for sharing.
excellent video!! I subscribed and looking forward for new videos
Cutie mimi Thank you Mimi. Enjoy all the videos and feel free to download the book. I wish you the best in your sales career.
Liked the video and tutorial. I've just established a startup and would be going for client pitching was going through diff videos to understand the ways to pitch a client. I found this video really helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Nisarg Shah Nisarg - you're very welcome. Watch all of them, and feel free to download the free book. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I wish you the best of luck in your new business. Let me know if you think I can help in any way.
BigBookofSales The video's a good one. How do you handle other types of sales call? Some that I have made include: Charity fundraising in which you are selling the concept of giving regularly to a specific charity. This particular market is saturated because it requires so little to set up sales office where there is no actual product as such.
Then there's business sales in which the main obstacle is getting past the secretary to the company MD. It's their job to deter sales calls. A typical scenario I have found is asking MDs to submit to an interview, then reveal their contacts list for subcontractors. You have three pitches: 1. Getting past the reception desk. 2. Getting the MD to submit business details, in a market where others are trying the same model. 3. Calling the subcontractors and selling them advertising space around the main article.
Thirdly, there's single-product sales calls. A little like your pen, but you have nothing else to sell besides that single pen model, and perhaps some add-ons; like the graphics example you use. Car insurance is like this: You have one policy with a few features and it's your job to sell in a marketplace which has cheaper similar products, knowing they can just put the phone down and go to an internet insurance aggregate.
I like your video, I wonder if you have time to say more on the typical scenarios listed above?
Cloeren Jackson The number of sales scenarios and variations is nearly endless. That is exactly why I offer corporate sales training and individual sales coaching. It allows me to get into a specific sales process - offering specific suggestions to improve the process, or sometimes creating an entire sales process from beginning to end. When I work with individuals I can identify their individual strengths and weaknesses and help them from that point.
It goes back to that fact that sales people should genuinely care about their customers.
Pretty good stuff, but I think you left out some important key questions like...The pen you have now, what do you like about it? What don't you like about it? What type of writing to you currently do? How much writing do you currently do? What's most important to you about the next pen you buy? When you bought your last pen, what made you buy that one over the competitor brand? What have you liked the most about your current pen? What have you liked least? Find out how and why they bought their last pen and you'll have the info on how to sell them their next pen.
I love all your videos👍 very informative, thank you!!
You're very welcome Susan. I'm glad these videos are helping. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
that makerting tip is awesome man,tx
Great video.. It really helped me on selling my product.. I think you are doing a nice job
Thank you. I'm glad these videos are helping salespeople.
Wow, great and for free.
Very good!
Thanks
I'm so glad you are enjoying these videos. Thanks for the kind encouragement.
Great I loved it - I had the question of sale me this stapler-
Too good! Sales manager will be paranoid of my talented answer !!!
hey, would u have an idea of how to push the boundaries within pricing?
All my interviews are off site never in the office. Typically, I will meet the candidate in Starbucks, or in a heavy public place, and perform a real "intro" with a potential buyer. I ask the candidate to sell whatever he is currently selling with the company he is currently employed or was employed. An actual selling scene should not be much of a challenge, when selling what you were selling or sell, before meeting with me. Door to door sales can be performed in any real-actual setting. Some candidates want to try the sales profession, many think in their own mind, they can do the job. Although, thinking you can do something is a great starting point, it still does not prove you have experience or have the skill. I am looking, and testing potential prospects ability to follow the sales process in real time. D2D, is a high churn position in my universe, for this reason, I am always prospecting everywhere, or anywhere I am, and this is how I have found my best of the best sales reps. So, the recommendation in this video may work for some managers, it doesn't work for me.
Woow I loved this video, you're great at this!
Jomar - thank you so much for the compliment. I love to hear that people are getting benefit from these videos. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Thanks for sharing this, but I didn't hear you ask why they have an interest in buying a pen or why they bought the pen they use now...
actually have a interview monday. I'm so nervous. I've never been in sales.
How did it go?
Jacob Rester i have one tomorrow!
I have one tomorrow too
did y'all get the job? ☺
Ruilin Lin i didn't /: lol
Salesman= Confidant People 💪🏽
I've been selling Fuller brush and I'm horrible at it. I would like to improve ,I like the product line.
Bubba Brazil check out my most recent video
that was informative, thanks for the upload.
Good Job! I would add that it never hurts to be the most excited person in the room. Enthusiasm is contagious. So I would definitely bring up all the great things you can do "with a pen." Or something interesting about a pen. A great hook might be the difference between a "no thanks" or a "tell me more." Prove that you have done the work to know your product and you will have earned the right to discover why this prospect needs such a fantastic item as this pen.
"Mr. Prospect, did you know that the pen has an honorable history. Kings of all nations have used this simple gadget to pass laws that have changed the world! The basic design of a pen has changed many times over the last several thousand years. What's even more impressive is that most of those changes have happened within our lifetime. Mr. Prospect, if you will allow me, I would like to ask you a few questions to help you find just the right pen...
This was a great help. Thank you so much.
Andy Serrano You're very welcome, and thank you for taking the time to comment.
Thanks for sharing for free. This was great!
Ryan Giambattista You're very welcome Ryan and thank you for taking the time to comment. I'm always so glad to hear that these videos (and the free book) are reaching people who can benefit from them. Thanks again.
Thanks for posting great video
Thanks for your tips!
Salesperson: This is a great pen , what would you use it for?Client : Well I could write with it. I could put my logo on it, I could stir my coffee with it I suppose.Salesperson: Yes, it would be great for all those things. What would that be worth to you.Client: Probably about 2 bucks.Salesperson: Great I'll take it. Shake his hand seal the deal and he didn't know what hit him.
Where as the statement sell the pen or walk you might sell one but he will have a complete office supply order for how long ??? I'll take the office order any day!
Good stuff. Only comment I wasn't crazy about was asking what we did wrong in the follow-up meeting. As the buyer I would be a little concerned that you expect something to go wrong with my first order.
Gary Jones Good point Gary. Rather than asking if anything went wrong, ask the customer if he has noticed any possible areas for improvement. Thanks.
I really wish someone would ask me this one day. I'd hope it's the only pen they'd got. I would put it in my pocket then ask them what they are going to write their notes with.
You did a great job except I might caution one thing, and its something a LOT of salespeople do during the "discovery" process, and that is to SELL during that phase. It's a known fact to keep "selling" out of the discovery process as you have a tendency to shut the open door exchange with a client if they "identify" your attempts to sell and then you don't get the rest of the information that allows you to build a strong case for selling that pen.
So keeping relevant to the actual phase you're in. I would make sure I kept all the questions focused on the "WHY" and away from the value add... Remember the 'ol Columbo TV series? What made him so incredibly effective is he KNEW they were guilty, but left them totally in the dark while he continued to gain clue after clue after clue, and then, his famous line as he started to act like he was walking away... "Oh, by the way, why did you murder that person? You see, you just told me you were there, and that you had the motive and the means, you just haven''t told me why you did it"....
It's very important to maintain an open door with a client. getting as much information as you can, making the client think they're still in the questioning phase is a human factor shared in many other practices. For example, a doctor is very careful to gather ALL discovery symptoms BEFORE ever talking about a treatment. Why? Because they know people have "fear" and once they begin mentioning treatments, especially those which may require some pain in the process, people SNAP back to a reality that they may have to actually go through with that, and people will literally LIE and DIE as they say, instead of being honest with the doctor about their symptoms....
Don't believe that people will always do what's right for them. In today's society, we're a LOT MORE hedonistic than you can imagine... So keep to the script as they would say, and make SURE you don't close that door of opportunity too quickly leaving you without the CLUES to make the CLOSE later!
DERREN MICHELL The one place I give him a small pass is that he is still playing two roles in this video. He is semi-explaining to the audience of the video, while also role-playing the selling of the pen. Secondly, he quickly jumps over the "consultative" parts telling you he would also ask other questions, etc.
So for the most part, I'd give him a slight break, but that's from a veteran's perspective where I can decipher those values and extract from this video those areas which should be values or not used sequences.
Where the true criticism has to remain here, is that he doesn't just have veteran sales professionals like you and I watching this video, but young "impressionable" sales people who may not see those points of value and instead operate organically from the fullness of the information expressed here.
As he mentions below in another comment, these are just suggestions, and we can ALL learn from one another. With that said, my tip to him would be that he tries to keep in mind as he does future videos, that his audience will also have inexperienced people in it and that he must remember to be very precise with zero level of assumptive consideration.... :)
This could be help to enhance my selling skills... Keep it up for making Videos :)
+Cesar Orbon I'm glad these videos are helping. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
"You want me to sell you this pen? Okay, give me the pen. Now write your name for me."
*Pulls out napkin*
"Write your name on this piece of paper for me."
#SupplyAndDemand
congrats, you saw Wolf of Wallstreet.
Alpha-Q-Up that was the point... It was a reference, you are so dense that you didn't even noticed the quotation he made.
Impressive. Well done.
Great insights, thanks
Hello I'm Edgar Molina from my BUS.142 class. To begin selling the pen I would ask whether the pen is for personal usage or for the office. If it is for the office, would it be only for this specific building or do you have another building in downtown Los Angeles that you would wish to supply. I would include that the pens come in a variety of colors and styles and that the one in their hand is the very basic, but most popular model. We can also print your companies Logo, name, and number if you wish on the pen to create a corporate culture within the firm and elaborate on it. To really emphasize your companies corporate culture with a prestigious look on our stainless steel pens that has your name and number carved into the pen instead to prevent wear and tear. Sure these stainless steel pens have a small percentage mark up from our basic models, but the ink inside is disposable and sold at a fraction of our basic models! Saving you money overall! With our dependable logistics of 1-day shipping from our local office and flexibility, you can do a 3-month or 6-month payment plan on each order to prevent overwhelming costs and allocate them accordingly. We save addresses and credit cards, with your consent, to readily reorder pens or disposable ink for your company and your customers. When your consumers get a hold of your prestigious pens, it will undoubtedly be their new favorite due to their elegant design and writing style that they will maintain and market your pens with your name and number for all the world to see.
I would also offer the customer a business card with my email and number, with an extension number, to get in direct contact with me in case there are any complications with the order so I can address them immediately.
You're hired!!! You understand the basic elements of sales - you were well taught.
I will buy that pen!!!
You guys don't understand the point of the question, which is like he said, to determine what level you're at in your selling skills. Sales is all about determining and meeting needs, upselling, and adding value to not just the item but your service with convenience and follow up. If you have all those down, you're going to build lasting customer relationships. Give them a quality experience and they'll give you their loyalty. Retention is key.
As for how long it takes you to illustrate that, if it's too long, they'll stop you, but more than likely they'll want to see where it's going because not many candidates are going to be this prepared.
Well the only thing left out is overcoming objections. You have to roll with those. Relate, address, overcome, back to pitch.
Fantastic way to sell your pen !
Yes sales managers DO ask this question during a sales interview, as was shown on the documentary on Liberty of London when they were recruiting Christmas sales staff. The interviewer asked the candidate being interviewed "Sell me this marker pen".
Royal Fool Absolutely. It pays to be prepared for a sales role playing question during any sales interview.
Thank you for the upload, but actually I don´t see on which point the pen was sold as you start with "you have chosen a really nice pen" and than just ask how many of those your customer needs and so for. Maybe you can explain it to me?
dsfsdf The bigger point of this video is to prepare yourself for this type of role playing scenario in a sales interview. You want to show them you understand the sales process, and in so doing you will have a great opportunity to differentiate yourself from other candidates..
this was AMAZING. And super useful
Chanise - it's always great to hear that these videos are helping people. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Great Video. Thank You
OR... "Write your name down. Oh you dont have a pen? Here you go"
What if he has another one lol, that would be a disaster and would ruin you haha
Valdrin Krasniqi you can also put the pen in your pocket and ask him how much would he pay for the pen
WRITE YOUR NAME ON THIS NAPKIN
jasonjunger okay mr. wolf of wallstreet..btw best movie. i'd watch it 500 more times.
that creates need but not desire. what reason would they have to want to write their name on a napkin? I'd say something like who is your favorite sports player or actor? what would u do if they came here and you wanted an autograph? if u want to create urgency say that you heard they will be here to sign autographs
¿Why should I write my name on that napkin?
jason! yup nailed it
Because I asked you to do it, so i don't forget your name, lol :)
What a melodic voice
Good video..helpful, thnx :-)
If they already are using a pen they like and have used for years I would ask a few questions about their needs and uses for the pen. Differentiate then ask if they'd be open to learning about how our pen works. Set an appointment and close the deal.
I had an interview in sales. The guy wanted me to sell him his phone to him and I explained all the key features that I knew in the 10 seconds I had the phone. I also kept it light hearted because it had a crack on the screen and I told him this is considered the working person's phone that comes with a cracked screen right out of the box. I told him ti also comes with a picture of your family already built in. I had never sold anyone anything.I think I did fairly well but having no sales experience I wills ee if I have the job.
>> Joseph Hodges: Let us know if you get the job
Im looking at investing in sales dvd set .. Any recommendations ?
MrBoomish Just watch all the rest of my sales videos and save yourself the money.
negative commenters are missing the point and likely are not used to sales. Professional salesmanship will elevate opportunities by molding it into a full sales cycle and ensuring a close, while pening up further business. If the scenario does not fit your particular interviewer's answers, adapt and ask open ended questions to guide through a cycle. Adaption is more impressive to me than a smooth sales pitch.
really, sell the pen was the theme, he didn't sell the pen, not negative just factual, if someone is going to teach you haw to sell a pen, then that is what they should do.
Haha I recognice this is very good. Congrats
Excellent
Very helpful
Let me try to make it short.
interviewer: Sell me this pen
You: This pen can be used to write my first pay check so u might need to buy one for yourself as well :)
The end!
my grandfather told me to always create a demand for the pen in the interview.
What if it's for personal use?
Think on the fly! Nobody (not even me) has all the answers for every situation. Every sales video on UA-cam and every sales book ever written are no more than suggestions for you to incorporate into your comfort zone and use in your exact situation. Good luck!
Very good
i subscribed.... ossom video
I want to also invite you to test yourself and take the free sales challenge I have put together. www.bigbookofsales.com/youtube
The one big thing I would be looking for is to have the salesperson hand me the pen and let me feel how good it writes and how good it feels in my hand. That's how you pass the pen test.
+kkeav600 That's a very good point. I appreciate you adding that concept.
The "right" answer depends on the type of sales job you are interviewing for. The real point of this video is to be prepared for this type of role play question in an interview when it comes up. Be prepared - whatever direction you're going to go - hit this one out of the park and stand out from every other person interviewing for that same job.
We are all "sold" each and every day by complete and total strangers: television, social networking, radio, etc. Why? because we have trust in the product and our relationship to it. Sell this way: Honesty = Believability. Those "pens"? you'll always remember who you purchased the from.
Drop the pen on the desk and suggest they use it to sign the order, Boom!
This was a nice vidro. Thank you
How important are pens to you?
Hey man, I like your video and I like you. However, I don't like the sales technique. All you've proven IMHO is that you can quickly turn pen buying into a long, drawn out conversation. You have that talent and it's a good skill to have.
However, I don't think that being able to spontaneously create a long conversation (with or without features and benefits) equates to good selling. I think people would find it irritating to be spoken to like that. On the other hand, I'm from the UK and I suppose people have a different attitude here.
I'd like to do an alternative (response) video on how to sell a pen and would welcome your criticism of that.
+David Connelly The purpose of this video is to help people be prepared for that question. Every salesperson is different, and every sales job is different. Be prepared - because interviewers still ask this question - "Sell me this pen".
The more ideas posted here, the better. I would love to see your response. When we put all the different approaches together - our preparation to respond to this question can only get better. After a year and a half of hearing other people's feedback to this video, much of it great input, my answer would get better too.
How you answer this question reveals your sales mindset and experience. Your answer can separate you from all the other candidates because it helps the interviewer decide if they want you - and not every other candidate - to represent them to their customers, or not.
+BigBookofSales Okay cool. Point taken. Let me stress, even though I'm saying that I'm not a fan of the particular response that you gave in this instance, I absolutely acknowledge that your response is light years ahead of what the average person would probably come out with. There is no question that you're ahead of the pack and putting out great content. So please do keep up the good work!
I may do a response video but the more I think of it, the more I'm starting to think I'd make a complete fool out of myself!
+David Connelly Go for it. Put yourself out there! It's fun to hear the good and the bad. You're in sales - the feedback won't hurt your feelings. I'm sure you have a lot of value to add and people will benefit from hearing how you would handle it. (At least write it so we can all benefit from it.)
+David Connelly I see that you commented a month ago but I think I will just add my perspective to this. I do not sgree that people in the UK have a different attitude to being sold to like that. Having previously worked and then owned a business in the UK, I found that the best sales people employed this very sort of sales techniques to some degree. I didn't mind in the least being spoken to like that if they were not just waffling and wasting my time. I appreciated it if they knew what they were talking about and had something that might help me to brand my business.
+David Connelly you really talk some crap. he never turned it into a long drawn out conversation in reality someone would be talking back and he would be getting to know more about his needs which you disregard? you could just sell him one pen though right? sure! you need to be on dragons den i think you would be a great investor.
where is the answer ?? im waiting :(
Wow, this guys good
Jack Williams Nice of you to say that Jack. Hopefully this will help a salesperson on a job interview to get the job. Once in, then they need to get to the top of the sales board! Thanks for commenting.
I'm trying to get a job at a car dealership, and was wondering if they'd pull the "sell me this pen" trick out
Jack Williams Well if it's a car dealership and they ask you to sell me this pen...If we can find the right pen and get you a good price - is there any reason you would not be buying today?B2B is about account development. Car sales is all about closing today.If they throw an objection out - it's too expensive - ISOLATE the objection. Other than the price, is there anything else we need to address before closing this deal?
Here's how I answered this one. I told him while the one pen did cost more then 30 bics it would outlast 1000 cheap pens. Then I gave them the real world example of not getting a important persons number because their pen died. Then asked if they thought my premium pen was over priced.
Two thumbs up from me on that answer. Great contribution! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Uh, just because you did a good job on the pens, does NOT mean that all your products (or the service associated with them) are of equal quality. Nonetheless, Alan is obviously very good at what he does. He speaks from the customer's viewpoint, and does so with an air and appearance of knowledge and sincerity.
ANSWER STARTS AT 2 MINUTES IN.
This is great, but I feel like the interviewers (unless youre selling at staples or something) usually want to be SUPER sold on the pen itself; not upsold on office supplies. Basically I'd assume you treat the pen like a luxury car and get personal with the target, open by asking how they last used a pen, build report and close. Interesting video anyways.
Mr. Pan Thank you for the suggestion. I created this video as a suggestion to be prepared for this type of role playing question - so when you get asked a role playing question in your interview - you can knock it over the fence. Your answer would depend on the type of job you're interviewing for, and it would also depend on your personal style and what you think is important. Either way - how you answer this question gives the interviewer some insight into how you think, and helps them decide whether they want you (out of 100 other candidates) to represent their business to their customers. Thanks again!