If you ever went to an interview for a sales position, or if you are planning on going to one, 99% of the time, there will be this question. “Sell me this pen.” Many people are baffled or confused by how to answer this, so here’s a cheat sheet for you to keep in mind so that you’re confirmed that job with your outstanding answer!
Be Confident
Remember, the primary reason your interviewer is asking this is to gauge how well you respond when you feel pressured or caught off guard.
Even if you don’t have a perfectly polished sales spiel to whip out at a moment’s notice, do your best to display a level of confidence as you work your way through your answer.
Sit up straight, maintain eye contact, speak clearly, and smile. Those nonverbal cues will go a long way in making you seem poised and self-assured—regardless of the actual content of your sales pitch.
Highlight A Need
Get to know the “client” and show them a need, and why they need to address it.
Create a sense of urgency, why they need the pen asap.
For example, they’re working in a highly fast paced company that signs million dollar contracts on the fly, without a trustable pen, how is one able to seal the deal?
Emphasize The Features And Benefits
In addition to connecting your sales pitch to specific needs, it’s also helpful to call attention to the features or benefits of whatever you’ve been asked to sell. This is all about setting up a distinct value proposition for that item.
“For example, does your pen write with very smooth ink? How will that benefit them? Maybe it can help them write faster or more effortlessly. Does your pen have red ink? Red ink will help their markups stand out on a page.
Selling these unique attributes or perks is a tactic that is good to be used in job interviews.
Realize that the interviewer doesn't need a pen, so explained why they would and should choose the pen in front of them.
Don’t Forget To Close
The close is the most important part of the sale, but it’s also an easy one to forget when you know that the interviewer won’t actually be cutting you a check for that pen of yours.
The last piece of your response is the portion when you can really end on a strong note and leave a lasting impression, so don’t fall into the trap of leaning on something weak like, “So yeah, that’s how I’d sell that…”
Instead, summarize the main points you made and then show the interviewer you know how to close by actually making the ask (like you would in a real sales situation). That might look something like this:
“With its comfortable grip and smooth ink, this pen can help you increase your writing speed, save precious time in your workday, and get more done. Should we move forward with placing your order?”
When you’re on the hunt for any sort of sales position, you need to be prepared to answer some variation of the “sell me this pen” interview question. The good news is that interviewers don’t expect that you’ll have a completely polished sales pitch ready to go—they’re mostly trying to discern how you respond in high-pressure situations. So take a deep breath, calm down, and then use these tips to pull together a response that not only makes that interviewer want to buy that pen—but also give you the job.
