“Sell me this pen!” How often have you been asked this question during an interview? “Sell me this pen” became a signature analyzer for the sales and marketing head. Almost every candidate’s pitching and selling skills are put to test and analyzed by this particular question. In case you do not belong to that industry, I am sure you are picturizing this.
Jordan Belfort stands before the audience, takes a deep breath, and steps down. He picks a person from the crowd, pulls out a pen from his pocket, and leans forward to request him: “Sell me this pen.”
Besides its relevance with the movie, the question remains of utmost significance for interviews in sales jobs. It is believed if you know how to sell a pen in interview, you can ace it with flying colors. Moreover, interviewers for sales and marketing positions may ask you how to sell a pen to check your caliber. Interestingly, if you start explaining how smooth the pen feels and how shiny the pen looks, just like you saw in the Wolf of Wall Street, you probably will not get the job.
Why is it important to sell me this pen?
Well, this is a genuine question and has been around for years. It is asked more than any other question during almost every sales or marketing interview nowadays. Most importantly, interviewers try to seek sell me this pen best answers to segregate the eligible from the ineligible ones. If you have an answer to “sell me this pen”, you can easily demonstrate how creative and good you are at selling a product. Therefore, interviewers ask candidates this particular question to identify whether they can sell and what sales techniques they can use. In addition to this, the response that you give is an indicator of your ability to think on your feet which is very essential in this role.
You demonstrate your skills through your answer. That being said, you might or might not have an exact answer to this rhetoric question. But, it is important for your interviewer as your enthusiasm, creativity, verbal communication skills and the sales process you follow will fascinate them. Nonetheless, let us see what we can do to have a creative approach to “sell me this pen” and learn how to sell a pen.
If you want to sell me this pen, be positive!
Let us imagine a hypothetical scenario where I am the interviewer and you are the interviewee. So, if you want to sell me this pen, I would want you to approach me with confidence right from the beginning. While introducing the product, make sure your body language and facial expressions reflect your excitement about the product (in this case, the pen).
For instance, you can start selling me this pen with: “Do you remember the pen you use while signing important documents? Obviously, no. Let me take the delight in introducing you to this pen that will give you a memorable writing experience while signing memorable documents!” The more impressive your introduction is, more will be your chances of influencing the interviewer. Along with effective words, the nonverbal aspects of communication such as postures, gestures are also as critical. So, make sure you approach conversations with an enthusiastic voice and facial expressions.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions when you want to sell me this pen!
Convincing the interviewer is most important to give a good answer. So you must try to ask some questions to the interviewer to get familiar with his potential to use the product. Your pitch will get better with more understanding of the interviewer’s needs. By considering the interviewer’s responses, you should emphasize the respective features of the product that might help him with his activities. For example, if the interviewer mentions taking notes as a daily task, then you might talk about specific features of the pen such as a fine point, non-smearing ink, fast writing speed, etc.
You can also elaborate on how your pen will not pose a hindrance while penning down important events. For instance, if your interviewer becomes frustrated every time the pen runs out of ink or stops working properly on certain surfaces, you can emphasize on the large capacity of ink available in your pen or how freely the ink flows from your pen.
Sell me this pen irrespective of my response!
There might come a point when the interviewer might seem disinterested in answering your questions and not give any response to your attempt to know their preferences. Here’s where the challenge come and you must be ready to tackle the situation. Be ready to sell the product without the input of the interviewer. Focus on explaining the features which describe the product in the best way and also the features which engage the interviewer. Additionally, craft your own experiences with the product and connect them with the interviewer. Explain to them the possible advantages of using the product and put up an impressive presentation in front of them. answer my queries first!
But answer my queries first!
Now that you have somewhat convinced the interviewer to buy this pen, it is time to answer their queries and concerns. Throughout the whole sales process, countering and overcoming objections is vital.
Whenever you are explaining the benefits of a product, ask the interviewer whether they have any concerns regarding it. For instance, you can ask: “Do you have any questions or doubts regarding this pen?” And if the interviewer states matters like cost, provide them discounts. You can also make offers like a money-back satisfaction guarantee if they choose to buy two or more pens.
Make a sale and let’s close the deal effectively.
A closing deal is a vital element of the entire process. The salesperson who can close a deal in a content manner is appreciated and always in demand. In this scenario, “first impression is not the last impression”.
You can still turn the tables with the last impression. Your interviewer’s response to the whole process will decide how you can close the deal. If he seems unperceptive, you can use a soft end and in case he is unreceptive, you might go for a hard end. You should make sure to make a catchy and enthusiastic final statement that includes a request to serve the customer.
Lastly, don’t forget to be creative!
Congratulations, you have successfully aced the “sell me this pen” round! Here are a few additional tips on how to sell a pen in interview:
- Be as much creative as you can.
- Wear confidence on your sleeves.
- Always have a ‘to-the-point’ approach and don’t exaggerate things.
- Give your 100%. Always.
Although there is no such an ideal ‘sell me this pen answer’ as it varies from company to company. If you follow the above tips, you can definitely sell anybody anything, be it a pen or a palace.
Also Read: Top 12 Innovative Companies Who Dare To Think Different
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