How to sell a pen at an interview? Step by step guide and example. Secrets of how to sell even a pen at an interview What to do if the “client” flatly refuses to “purchase”

How to sell a pen at an interview? The question is, to put it mildly, unusual. However, it is very popular, so much so that users ask it to search engines several thousand times a month. And all because this “trick” has recently been used by employers hiring. To determine how strong a candidate's sales skills are, they tell him: “Sell me a pen!” or some other object lying on the table.

This technique became popular after the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street,” where one of the characters, as a demonstration of the sales skills of another, who, according to him, can sell anything, offers him: “Sell me a pen!” This question confuses many candidates: they get confused, don’t know what to do, and fail the interview. Therefore, you need to prepare for this kind of tricky questions in advance.

Today I decided to bring to your attention a few examples of how to sell a pen during an interview and thereby make a great impression on the employer.

How to sell a pen at an interview? Examples.

First of all, I want to say that you can sell a pen at an interview in traditional and non-traditional ways. You should choose a method based on the personality type and position of the person conducting the interview, based on his preferences for the candidate - you should try to identify all this at the initial stage of the conversation, before you receive this tricky offer: “sell me a pen!”

If you notice that your interlocutor is a serious person, and he is interested primarily in real sales skills, he looks at you appraisingly, and conducts a conversation in a strict style, then it is best to use more traditional methods of selling a pen. That is, show him that you are familiar with sales and negotiation tactics - I will look at this further with an example.

If in front of you is a positive, smiling, creative person who asks a lot of non-standard questions and conducts the interview in a relaxed, friendly manner, then it is quite possible to “take” him with an unconventional approach to selling a pen.

After you have been offered “sell me a pen!” or some other subject, do not rush, ask for a little time to prepare for the dialogue: this is quite normal and natural, rarely does anyone make sales suddenly, usually this is preceded by a process of thinking and preparation.

Carefully study the item for sale, think about what it is used for, to whom and how it can be useful. Mentally draw up a sales plan, think through its main stages. And only after that start completing the task.

How to sell a pen at an interview? An example of a traditional dialogue.

When choosing the traditional method of selling, we act in accordance with all the key rules for entering into contact with a potential client and making a sale. For example, something like this:

Stage 1. Introduction and introduction. First of all, say hello, introduce yourself and establish contact with the interlocutor. Next, you will address the “client” by name (first name and patronymic), based on how he introduces himself to you.

For example: Good afternoon, my name is Konstantin, I am the manager of the Happy Pen company, tell me how I can contact you?

Stage 2. Identifying client needs. Next, you need to identify the needs on which your further sales will be based. Ask your interlocutor only such questions, the answers to which will be affirmative and will stimulate the continuation of the dialogue.

For example: Sergey, I have a very interesting proposal for you, but first I would like to ask you a few questions.

I see that you are a business person, you probably often have to work with documents?

What status-emphasizing accessories do you think a businessman needs to make a good impression on a potential client or partner?

How do you prefer to record important points, contacts, amounts during business negotiations?

How detailed do you keep your organizer?

How many people do you receive per day?

Stage 3. Product presentation. After you have identified the needs and found in the interlocutor’s answers those points on which you will focus when making a sale, proceed to present your product, focusing not on the pen itself, but on the benefits that the interlocutor will receive from its use.

For example: Thank you, Sergey. Based on your answers, I would like to suggest...

a pen that will allow you to quickly and conveniently write down any important information, wherever you are;

a spare pen that will help you out if you run out of paste in the main one;

a stylish pen that will emphasize your status as a business person when communicating with partners;

an additional pen that you can offer candidates to fill out the application form;

etc.

Stage 4. Work with objections. Your interlocutor, of course, will begin to object to you. And at this stage you must competently work through all his objections.

For example :

I already have a pen that suits me completely!

Of course, because you wouldn’t use a pen that didn’t suit you in some way. At the same time, you must admit that if at the most crucial moment the pen stops writing, it will be very inconvenient. That’s why I offer you an inexpensive additional handle that will save you from such unpleasant incidents. For example, I always carry a second pen with me, and it has helped me out more than once!

Stage 5. Additional arguments stimulating purchase. And finally, to finally “finish off” the client, offer him additional conditions that he cannot refuse.

For example :

Today is only one day we have a special promotion: every buyer of a pen becomes a participant in a drawing for a new i-phone!

By purchasing this inexpensive pen, you will receive a loyalty card, and in the future you will be able to purchase more expensive products at a good discount!

There are only 3 pens left at this price, the next batch will be more expensive;

Etc.

Stage 6. Closing the sale, cross-selling. And finally, when the “client is ripe,” close the deal beautifully, and be sure to cross-sell.

For example :

Each buyer of a pen from us has the opportunity to purchase a new pencil with an eraser at a special promotional price;

Will you take one pen, or will you already take the remaining three? You can give them to your colleagues, the holiday is coming soon.

Stage 7. Farewell to the client. Once the transaction is completed, thank the customer for their purchase, say goodbye, and establish business contacts for future sales.

For example: Sergey, thank you, I am sure that you made the right choice. When we have new offers that may interest you, I will definitely contact you. See you!

This is roughly how you can sell a pen at an interview in the traditional way. Now let's look at more specific options.

How to sell a pen at an interview? Alternative examples.

These methods can be used either if you have a creative and extraordinary person in front of you, or if the traditional option frankly does not work (you can switch to an unconventional one at any appropriate moment).

Take the pen for yourself and leave. This method will work if you are offered to sell an expensive pen or some more valuable item (smartphone, laptop, etc.). Just say: “Well, since you don’t want to buy it, I guess I’ll keep it for myself,” and silently leave. When you receive a call asking you to return the item, offer to buy it back for a small price. You can be sure that the sale is completed.

Emphasis on the skill of the interlocutor. If the sale doesn’t work out, ask the person who offered to sell you the pen: “Would you be able to sell it yourself?” Most likely, he will answer that he could. Then invite him to buy a pen from you at a low price and resell it to someone else at a higher price, making money on it. After all, he is a real sales guru, and he will definitely succeed.

Ask for an autograph. If you notice that the person you are talking to does not have another pen on the table, tell him that he is a great authority for you and you would like to get his autograph. And when he doesn’t have a pen to give, invite him to buy it from you. By the way, this is exactly the technique that the hero of the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” used when asked to “sell me a pen.”

In addition to all the above tips, you can figure out how to sell a pen at an interview yourself. And it will be much better, because many people can use such advice, and your own development will be individual, and you will have a much better chance of making a successful sale and passing an interview.

In addition, on the Internet you can find many videos “How to sell a pen?”, some of which are quite interesting - they can also be taken as a basis.

It is important to understand that successfully selling a pen is important not so much for passing the interview and the employer, but for yourself. Because a sales specialist should not get lost in non-standard situations; this skill is a big plus for his work.

Anyone who can easily and quickly sell a pen during an interview will have high sales rates during work, and therefore earn good money. Remember this.

Now you know how to sell a pen at an interview. I hope this information helps you. Good luck to you in all your endeavors! See you at!

Applicants for the position of manager or sales representative are often asked to participate in a business game. Its essence is that you demonstrate to the employer your talent for selling an item. For example, it could be an ordinary ballpoint pen. The candidate is assessed based on criteria such as business skills and the ability to convince a potential buyer of the need to purchase a product.

Step one - study the product

If during an interview you are asked to sell a pen, do not worry and do not under any circumstances give up the business game, otherwise you will not have a chance to get the position. Nobody needs an employee who doesn’t know how or even want to do their job, in this case selling a pen.

During a conversation with an employer, do not lower your eyes down or take them to the side. Eye contact is a sign of a confident person. And this is most likely what your potential employer is looking for.

Before you sell a pen at an interview, ask your interviewer for some time to study the product on offer. Do not hesitate to voice out loud all your actions and thoughts on this matter, so the employer will understand that you know how to think. This is highly appreciated. For example: “In front of me is a ballpoint pen, an automatic machine, it turns on and off properly, there is a rubberized insert, the body is green, the paste is blue.” Describe everything you see, say everything that comes to mind, but don’t be silent.

Twist the pen in your hands, evaluate its appearance, you can even take it apart to look at the internal contents, check whether it serves its intended purpose - whether it writes at all. Otherwise, you may have to sell an “incompetent” pen, and it’s better to know about this in advance. The task is difficult, but quite doable.

Step two - study the buyer's needs

The product has been studied, you know what you will sell, but that’s not all. Before you sell a pen at an interview, you need to understand what the client wants and what his interests are. To do this, ask open and closed questions. The first assume a detailed answer, the second - “yes”, “no”. Closed questions are recommended to be used infrequently as they create the appearance of interrogation. And he, as you know, is very annoying. We don't need angry customers.

First, you should ask the interviewer if he has pens; if not, then find out what he uses and why. You can ask the employer whether the cost of the pen and its color are important to him as a potential buyer. Find out what your employer does and what his hobbies are. Maybe he likes to do crossword puzzles, draw, or sign papers all the time. The interviewer is an ordinary person, imagine that you are talking to a new acquaintance and want to find out what he does in life. Any information can be useful to understand how to sell a pen at an interview.

Step three - present the product

You asked your employer for a reason; use the information received to present your pen. Focus on those qualities of the item that the employer considered important to him.

Come up with a beautiful speech that the interviewer will listen to and will not ignore. Invite your potential client to hold the pen in his hands and get to know it better. During this time you will speak and present the subject.

When you know your product and the client's needs, you have a good chance of selling the pen in an interview. An example of part of such a presentation: “Our pen has many advantages and advantages over other writing instruments. If others stop writing over time, then ours will perform its function until it runs out of paste. If the pencil breaks, the pen will never let you down. Exclusive design will make you stand out from the crowd. Bill Gates himself has such a pen!”

Talk about the benefits of the product, focus on uniqueness, quality, practicality, material, and you can even offer a gift in case of a successful transaction. The employer must see the benefit of this purchase.

Fourth action - direct sale of the pen

Gradually we led the interviewer to buy a pen. You can summarize all the advantages of the product offered. And then ask: “What price would you pay for this great pen?” When the employer names the amount, invite him to conclude a purchase and sale transaction. Most likely, he will agree, and you will successfully pass the test and get a job. The interviewer will be confident that you can sell a pen or other product to any client in real life, just like during an interview.

If the employer refuses to “buy a pen”

During an interview, a situation may arise when the employer is not convinced by all your arguments, and he says that he does not need a pen. Don’t be alarmed, say that this is a completely normal situation when the buyer is not interested in the product. Try selling him another office item: pencil, eraser, ruler, scissors. Find something that will interest your employer as a potential buyer. Proceed according to the above scheme from the very beginning. Most likely, your interviewer will agree to this option, and you will be assessed as a promising employee.

Now you know how to sell a pen at an interview. The presentation example described above can be used for any product or you can come up with your own original plan. The main thing is not to be afraid and feel confident.

Working in sales requires a person many special skills, increasing its competitiveness. These are activity, ingenuity, ability to persuade, charm, talent for communication.

It is quite difficult to check the presence of all these qualities during an interview, and for this purpose, special techniques. Offering to sell a pen is one such test that allows quickly and effectively test a candidate's abilities.

The essence of the test, implemented in the form of a business game, is that the candidate is asked to convince his interlocutor to buy a pen (gel or ballpoint - it doesn’t matter).

The candidate must create in the interlocutor a need to purchase a writing instrument at this particular moment. The test is designed for checks candidate skills such as:

business qualities, including acumen, activity, ability to see the advantages of a product;
the ability to convince the buyer of the need for the product offered.

The test is often used when hiring sales representatives, sales managers and even. The pen can be replaced with an eraser, a notepad, or any object of the employer’s choosing, but the principle of the test remains the same.

The rules for evaluating its results are also standard. You need to be prepared for this test and perceive it as an interesting business game that helps you better understand your own business qualities.

Basic rules of sale

In order to successfully pass the test, you do not always need to know all marketing technologies, but on a practical level it is necessary to apply the basic skills of a successful seller and know the rules of selling. There are several of them, they offer a certain sequence of actions that should lead the seller to success.

Stage 1. Product research. You can only sell something that has value. In addition, the seller must be ready to answer all the buyer's questions.
Stage 2. Client research. Different types of buyers require different selling techniques.
Stage 3. Presentation. The product must be presented to the client.
Stage 4. Selling and handling objections.

You can’t omit any of the sales stages; each of them needs to be given every possible attention. At the same time, the dialogue must be dynamic, the initial stages of the assessment must be carried out very quickly, otherwise the buyer may lose interest in the conversation.

Establishing contact with the “client” and identifying needs

This stage can be combined with product research. You need to start not even with studying the product, but with studying the task. This will help you understand what exactly a particular interlocutor wants to see from the test. Expectations can be twofold:

the interviewer is subjective, he wants to be personally convinced to buy the pen;
the interviewer is objective, he wants to be shown the candidate's existing sales skills.

In the second case, it is easier to work; you immediately need to find out from the employer in what situation it is proposed to sell the pen - sales by telephone, to a wholesale or retail buyer, an innovative product or a consumable.

The interlocutor is drawn into a dialogue, from which it becomes clear what exactly he wants to get from the test. After formalizing the goal, you can begin to ask what exactly the interlocutor expects from the pen. You can ask about:

preferred ink type;
shade, whether the potential client writes in black, blue for regular notes, or whether the job requires pens with green or red ink for notes, markings, or proofreading;
how often the pen is used, for regular notes or sometimes for signing documents;
how important are the ergonomic functions of the pen, does the hand get tired, do you need pleasant tactile sensations from rough plastic or, let’s say, ordinary plastic, how strong should be the degree of pressure on the body of the pen so that the ink falls on the paper evenly and quickly;
Is there a bias towards certain manufacturers?
Is the smell of ink important?
whether you need to write with a pen on wall calendars or on any documents that are in a vertical position;
is a cap required and why, is it necessary to carry the pen in your pocket, and is there a risk that the coloring matter will leak.

All these questions will not only help to draw a conclusion about the client’s preferences and wishes, but also convince the employer the fact that the applicant really understands the consumer characteristics of the product.

At the same time, we must try to emphasize that at the stage of obtaining information about the characteristics of the product and the preferences of the buyer the sales process itself has not yet begun. This will allow the interviewer to focus on the quality of preparation for subsequent sales. It is better to emphasize the moment of switching to presentations and sales with some bright effect, for example, a demonstrative tightening of the tie knot.

Presentation

The presentation of the product to the buyer should be comprehensive. It's not the pen that's sold, it's convenience, opportunity, and prospects that are sold. They are expressed in one object, the possession of which will create new values. All this must be brought to the attention of the client in a bright and expressive form.

At the same time, it is necessary to compare your product with similar ones, emphasize its most important key characteristics, and focus on the values that the client will receive with the pen. If we are talking about wholesale sales, it is necessary to discuss delivery conditions and a guarantee of long-term prices. If there is only one pen for sale, then you need to find out exactly how it differs from its competitors at that moment.

You need to be prepared for the fact that the buyer will begin to object. In a situation with a pen, the main objection will be the presence of a similar item and the lack of need for a new one.

In the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, from which this test is taken, the candidate was able to prove to the interviewer that his pen was outdated and sell him a more modern version.

Today, a pen that works for six months is no longer surprising. Here you can appeal to fashion, for example, now effective managers prefer to have a pen for each tie, to efficiency, it is better to have a pen for positive and negative resolutions. There can be many such arguments.

The main idea in dealing with objections should be that the candidate does not deny the buyer his right to his own opinion, but he is ready to expand the range of his possibilities.

As part of working with objections, you can talk about promotions, discounts, discount cards, and offer any bonuses that may spark the client’s interest.

Completing the deal

Completion of the transaction is necessary fix. After understanding that the proposal is understood and accepted, it is necessary to sharply repeat all the arguments to which the buyer expressed his consent, and immediately after that proceed to the written formalization of the agreement.

If it works out, then the purchased pen will be purchased by the buyer can write a review about the quality of the seller’s work. This will serve as an additional advantage for making a job decision. It is not always worth moving immediately to the next stage of sales or to cross-selling, for example, selling a cap for a pen or pencils; the buyer does not always need them, but you can offer to conclude a preliminary agreement for future deliveries. The cross-selling option can be implemented when the employer expects it.

If the buyer refused the deal, it must be emphasized that the refusal is accepted in relation to a specific product. At the same time, clarify that the identified need was not satisfied, and obtain agreement to offer other products that could serve as a substitute. Refusal should be accepted as a potential opportunity to move on to a new stage of sales.

Such completion of the transaction will make it clear to the interviewer that the candidate is effective, focused on the result, not the process, and knows how to achieve the company’s goals in the maximum number of ways. Any signature on an agreement of intent to buy something will be no less effective in completing the transaction than an outright sale.

Method based on sales model

Working with a test task it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the employing company, it works with retail or wholesale customers. In the dialogue, it is necessary to focus on this point, regardless of the fact that the test was originally designed specifically for a specialist in retail sales.

The specifics of wholesale sales suggest the ability to immediately talk not about one pen, but about a package offer for the supply of office supplies for a year or more. It will definitely be appreciated.

When choosing a strategy for selling to a retail buyer, the candidate's main goal should be mutual understanding with his interlocutor and attention to his needs and objectives.

Determining a person’s values during an interview - on video.

Non-standard moves with dialogue examples

The techniques offered at such interviews do not always work. Many applicants, having watched a well-known video, begin work with the internship offered there. They take the pen from the interlocutor and then ask them to write something down. It is assumed that they have formed a need. The buyer, in this case the interviewer, automatically rejects arguments that he has heard many times before. He probably has several packs of pens in his desk.

Therefore there arises the need to find a non-standard move. Its main idea should be to create unexpected value for the buyer. You can replace the pen with its essence as a means of recording information.

You don't need a pen, you need a means to capture information.
Are you sure?
Let me take dictation of your thoughts, and as payment you will buy a pen from me. You will receive two values instead of one - your detailed and clearly recorded thoughts and a subject for recording them in the future.

You can use the offered success visualization technique. Many motivational publications offer to imagine the successful implementation of a transaction in your imagination, and, most likely, the seller’s interlocutor has also read these books.

Have you read Robin Sharma? You probably know his techniques for success. You are buying a magic pen. I charged her with successful sales while I visualized our deal.
And what will I get from a “charged” pen?
It contains the energy of successful sales, which will be transferred to transactions signed with this pen.
I'll take it!

You can come up with a lot of such constructions by first drawing up a psychological portrait of your interlocutor.

How the applicant's response is assessed

The employer or interviewer will consider quality of the applicant's response, based on obvious criteria. If the applicant refused to take this test or completed it formally, he will not be able to be a good “salesman.”

If he began to carry it out, then the process itself, the decisions made during his decision, the methods used and verbal clichés will help draw conclusions about the potential sales manager.

Active participation in the test, even without receiving final approval, allows you to draw conclusions about the candidate. Will be assessed many characteristics, among which:

Sales orientation. Instant inclusion in the game indicates that the candidate does not perceive sales as something that does not correspond to his opinion about the profession, and is ready to actively work and accept new work technologies.
Personal qualities. In addition to stress resistance, the employer evaluates the future employee’s creativity, ability to establish contact with potential clients, correctness of speech, and communication skills.
Knowledge of the practical side of work. Sales stages are strictly regulated; they are created based on the practice of hundreds of thousands of people. Knowledge of these stages and their application in practice helps to draw a conclusion about the candidate’s professional training, knowledge of the theory and the ability to apply it in practical situations.
It will also be important for the employer to assess the reliability of the information presented in the resume.. If a prospective employee indicated that he has undergone numerous trainings, ignorance of the obvious stages of sales will be grounds for doubt. Strict adherence to sales rules will not contribute to getting the desired job, but at least it will make it clear that the employee knows how to learn, acquire skills and put them into practice.
Sales success. Not every employer will agree to buy a pen, but sometimes a candidate should make every effort to at least bring a smile with his diligence.

For an employer, the test results will not always be the only indicator for making a decision on granting a job to a candidate, but they will take up at least 50% of the logical basis for his decision.

If you can't sell

And in this case there is no need to be upset. As practice shows, it is possible to sell a pen only from 15-20% successful candidates, others are hired based on overall assessment of their business skills and resume information.

Very few companies have clear interview instructions that state that if a candidate doesn’t sell, they need to be eliminated. After the rejection, each potential sales manager will have a few minutes during which he can quickly develop some other strategy to interest the buyer. For example, instead of a pen, try selling him a notepad or an eraser.

Features for Pencil and Phone

Sometimes during an interview they ask you to sell not a pen, but a pencil, or in the most difficult cases, a telephone. In this situation, it is necessary to understand what exactly made the interviewer deviate from the general scheme and why he chose that particular product, whether it depends on the company’s sales area or other reasons.

Most often, a pencil is preferred by those employers who are focused on the candidate’s abilities and capabilities, and a telephone is offered for sale by those who need quick performance indicators. Having received this information, you can build own model of communication with the buyer.

By following these tips, you can sell a pen or get a job. But we should never forget that effective teamwork is higher on a candidate’s list of priorities than the success of a specific deal.

The best techniques and examples are in this video.

We've all had to go through job interviews; for many applicants this is a very exciting process. At the same time, the employer does not always strive to create simple conditions during the interview, especially when it comes to interviews for sales vacancies.
After all, the seller must have stress resistance and the ability to easily get out of any situation. One of the questions that often baffles many candidates is the request to sell a pen during an interview. I had to observe a situation where an experienced salesman, who had been selling expensive cars to VIP clients for many years, got lost and fell into a stupor when selling a pen. So, let's figure it out: how to sell a pen at an interview?

Why do they ask to sell a pen during an interview?

In order to successfully sell a pen at an interview, you first need to understand the employer's motives. They can vary greatly depending on what vacancy you are applying for. Therefore, my advice to you is to always research the employer and the type of job before the interview. Even applicants with good experience do not do this, but preparation is also one of the stages of sales technique.

Typically for candidates with no sales experience, this test is made to evaluate the candidate's tenacity and desire to sell. If a person refuses to sell or gives up after the first objection, then he will behave the same way with the client. You can always tell from a candidate when he is trying, and when the sale itself is a burden to him. Naturally, if you take candidates without experience in sales, then it is better not to take people who do not have perseverance and a desire to sell. If you are not prepared for refusals, objections and difficulties, then working in sales is clearly not for you. Working as a seller you need to be able to.

If you have sales experience and come to a vacancy where sales experience is required, then the employer wants to see you in action, and he will first of all evaluate your knowledge of the stages of sales and your ability to overcome a stressful situation. If a candidate is applying for a position that requires sales experience, but does not know or does not use the stages of sales, then you are unlikely to be hired.

It’s also worth taking a closer look at who is conducting the interview. If this is the case, then most likely she has a checklist for assessing the candidate. And she is tasked with assessing the candidate’s specific parameters, for example, the same sales stages or perseverance at...

If your immediate supervisor is conducting the interview, then in this case it is important not just to show, but also to be liked as a salesperson. Here you need to put in maximum effort and flexibility.

How to sell a pen at an interview

So, you heard a request to sell you a pen, what should you do? Here are some rules that must be followed to successfully sell a pen:

Do not hurry. If you feel that you are overly anxious or need to think, asking for a minute to prepare is normal practice.
Carefully study the product being sold.
Stick to sales milestones. This is a win-win option, any employer will appreciate it, and even if you can’t sell, they will most likely hire you anyway.
Pay special attention. 90% of sales success depends on this; when identifying needs, it is imperative. I recommend asking the following questions: How often do you write? What is important to you in a pen? Do you ever run out of ink? What pen is the client using now? And what does he like about it and what could be improved? Do you have a spare pen?
Do not lie. There is no need to attribute miracle properties to a pen for 2 rubles. And you also don’t need to say that a Parker pen costs 10 rubles.
Use, be sure to maintain eye contact, let the client hold the product in his hands. I also advise you to find out: . Not only will these tools help you build trust with the client, but you will also earn respect when being evaluated by a professional.
If the client agrees to the purchase, be sure to offer something else: spare paste, diary, notepad, stapler, paper, etc. This small move will set you apart from other candidates.

The scheme for selling a pen at an interview is approximately as follows:

Good afternoon, my name is …………, how can I contact you?

Let's call you by name, I see you are a business person, and I have a unique offer individually for you. But first let me ask you a couple of questions?

How often do you have to take notes?
Under what conditions do you write?
What kind of pens do you like?
Do you always have a pen with you or only at work?
Do you have many employees in your department?

IMPORTANT: you need to ask as many questions as necessary in order to understand on the basis of what benefits to carry out.

Presentation

The presentation needs to be built on the basis of identified needs, and if the need is identified, then presenting the product is not difficult. If you find out that the client writes often, then offer him a pen as a spare. If the client writes so rarely that he does not have a pen, then tell him that you just need an inexpensive pen just in case. If a recruiter is conducting the interview, offer him to buy a pen to give to candidates or colleagues or subordinates to fill out the questionnaire.

Work with objections

If you are asked to sell a pen or some other item at an interview, such as a laptop, notepad, apple, phone - don’t panic, it’s not as difficult as you think. It is important for the applicant to understand your professionalism as a sales manager, and what could be better than a role-playing game “Buyer - Seller”.

Why are they asked to sell a pen during an interview?

Role-playing game "Sell me a pen", reveals not only your knowledge of sales techniques, but also your innate abilities, such as:

Eloquence.
Ability to persuade.
Stress resistance.
Intelligence.
Contact.
Persistence.

In order for the role-playing game to be successful, you must find answers to just a few questions; this is the technology for passing the test. Once you master it, you will be able to sell anything to anyone at any interview.

Role-playing game technique

Answer yourself this question:

The thing that you are asked to sell, what might a person need it for? More precisely, in what situations will he be forced to use this thing? For example, a pen is needed to: record data, make notes, quickly diagram a process, sign documents, etc. A laptop is needed for organization, planning, calculations and solving other complex tasks.

If you have to sell a pen to a person who is involved in sales and communication with clients, then a pen is probably on the list of his required attributes for work. Signing an agreement with a client, highlighting important things in the price list, drawing a diagram of the entrance to the office and much more is used daily by every manager. Let's skip it and get to the main thing.

How to sell a pen at an interview? Example of a dialogue with a client

Understanding what a pen is for, you formulate working questions:

“How often do you have to communicate with clients?”

"Yes, quite often"

“Do you use commercial offers and catalogs for your products in printed form?”

“We often send commercial proposals to our clients by e-mail, but sometimes we print them out”

“You will probably agree with me that it is better to explain the subtleties to clients on paper, where you can circle the desired number, emphasize important points, record the client’s wishes, and add a comment.”

"Undoubtedly"

“Do you use a pencil or pen for this?”

“Sometimes a pen, sometimes a pencil.”

“Great, have you ever had a situation when both you and the client need a pen at the same time, or even worse, both of you don’t have a pen, or in the midst of negotiations it stops writing? Not to mention the pencil lead, which simply wears off or breaks.”

“Well, of course it happened”

“Oh, do you provide documents for clients to sign?”

"Yes, definitely"

“I understand how important it is for a client to sign at the right time. Imagine that at that moment you didn’t have a pen with you, or something happened to it. It’s much easier to take a couple of pens to negotiations. If you had a set of quality pens, none of these unpleasant situations would happen again. What do you say?

“Yeah, it’s a good idea to have a couple of spare pens with you.”

“Tell me, how important is it for you that a meeting with a client goes flawlessly?”

“Well, of course it’s important.”

“Then why give an unfortunate coincidence a chance? I offer you 3 reliable new pens that are ready for any negotiations for only $5. Five bucks and in a couple of seconds you are ready for any negotiations. Agreed? » Smile and handshake!

In this example of a role-playing game, the questions are based on the seller’s assumptions about where and why the client might use a pen in his work. In what situations might he regret that he doesn’t have a pen with him, and what the consequences might be. Visualization of situations involves the client in your game. He involuntarily listens and understands that you are right and refusing obviously profitable things is simply stupid.

Also, the dialogue with the client is built on the principle of achieving several agreements: Has it happened?, You wouldn’t want to?, You will probably agree with me, etc. You will, of course, hear agreement on these questions. This is a technique of several “Yes”, so it’s easier to get the next “Yes” to the most important question about the purchase.

How to sell a hairbrush to a bald man at an interview?

If, instead of a pen, the task is to sell a comb or shampoo to a bald person, you follow the same scheme. Look for answers to the question: “Why does a bald man need shampoo?”. He may not buy shampoo for himself; not all family members may be without hair. Bald people wash their hair too - it's nice. He can buy a comb to massage his head, he can comb his wig, or he can give a comb to someone. After all, he may collect combs. You do a little brainstorming and then get 3-4 questions that will help you sell the item you need.

Don’t try to stupidly push a thing at an interview using an empty presentation. A presentation can only bear fruit at a certain stage of sales, but not at the beginning. You will tell a thousand facts and arguments in favor of a pen or comb, how wonderful and irreplaceable it is, but in response you will hear: “Thank you, but I don’t need it!” The game is complicated because the thing you need to sell is not needed by the client at this moment. You should use questions to lead to the fact that the client still needs the item and needs it today.

I will not describe daring American schemes for selling a pen, such as: picking up a pen and asking for an autograph, or picking up a laptop and leaving the office in anticipation of a ransom back for money, etc., since most often you will have to demonstrate your and not manipulations with it.

Conclusion

As you already understand, selling a pen at an interview is not so difficult. Using question formation, you can adapt to any situation and emerge victorious.

Have you had similar tasks during an interview? Share your experience in the comments!