How to sell a pen in an interview. How to sell a pen in an interview - how to demonstrate your best skills. Role play technique

If you're taking a job selling goods and services, you should be able to answer a popular question like "Sell me that pen!"

In fact, it can be any object lying on the table in front of your interlocutor. How to sell an item in an interview?

This question can teach you something new or remind you of sometimes neglected selling principles.

Whom is the future employer looking for by asking such questions? Someone who is energetic, well-connected, able to work in a team and develop strategies, someone who can sell a product. If you are unable to "sell" yourself to the company you want to work for, it is reasonable to assume that you will not be able to sell the product that company produces.

As a sales specialist, you yourself are the brand, the face of the company. This is why you need to look the part during interviews. The employer will be very selective in evaluating your appearance.

Purpose of the question

A successful sales technique is a complex mixture of a methodical approach and the application of psychology. The salesperson must have a specific combination personal qualities and acquired skills. The answers to questions like these show how creative you really are to sell a product.

A potential employer evaluates 4 skills of an applicant:

how you collect information;
how you process information;
how do you convey information to the client;
how you ask for something.

How to answer a sales question?

You should help the client find a solution to their problem, instead of just advertising a product. And this will require collecting information about the client in order to know his pain points.

That's why ask as many questions as possible to get enough information on the basis of which it will be possible to draw conclusions about the requirements of the consumer. The future employer will evaluate exactly the tactics with which you build the sale of goods.

Remember that people are not buying a product, but a solution to their problem.

Sand in the desert

How to sell sand in the desert at a job interview? Find the hallmarks of the sand you are selling. Find out exactly what people don't like about the sand they already have and present your sand with other qualities.

Here are some ideas to suggest:

beautifully packaged luxury imported sand;
100% guaranteed clean sand for playgrounds;
fine sand for the hourglass;
homogeneous building sand for high quality cement;
beautifully designed gift sand from the desert with a certificate of authenticity (tourist sand).

Feel the need to purchase a product and play on it.

Available sand is not of the grade required for a particular purpose. Find the target and sell the correct grade of sand.

Add value. Sand can be turned into glass, artwork, or anything else to add value to the client.

Come up with a story that will make the sand special.

The United Arab Emirates buys imported sand for construction purposes, since sand from the desert is not suitable for this purpose.

Pen

Now let's look at the example of selling a pen in an interview.

This question became popular after the release of the Hollywood film The Wolf of Wall Street, when, playing on the vanity of the protagonist, he was asked for an autograph, but the autograph pen had to be bought.

Nevertheless pen selling technique, presented in the film, is recognized by experts as incorrect and can rather be attributed to non-standard methods. The mistake is to pay too much attention to the item being sold.

How to sell a pen in an interview? When asked to do so, it is very easy to focus on the subject itself.

You can start describing its different properties: it works in space, it writes underwater, it feels alive in the hand, it's a beautiful color. However, all of these options are wrong. If you try to sell a pen like this, you will be trapped.

What should I do if I am asked to sell a pen during an interview? This is a pen for sale. Therefore, everything should be about selling a pen, and not about a pen as an object. The starting point of any sale is to gain knowledge about the buyer. You need to ask questions to find out the needs of the buyer. Ask what kind of pens he prefers to use and for what purposes.

The sales novice will focus on the properties of the pen itself: "This pen can write from top to bottom." A more experienced professional will sell a possible benefit: "This pen is always where you need to take a note." A true professional will first focus on the needs and requirements of the client.

How to sell a pen in an interview, video:

Pencil

How to sell a pencil in an interview? The answer to this question is very similar to the tactics of answering the question about the pen. You can also write with a pencil. Take the same approach, but focus on the specific application and specific circumstances of the client.

Think of a pencil as an organic version of a pen, made from all-natural materials, in case the client prefers pure natural products.

It is possible to characterize a sold product as hypoallergenic and safe for children if the safety of its use is important for the buyer.

The ability of a pencil to leave a mark on any surface and in any conditions will be indispensable, for example, on a hiking trip, where a potential buyer can go with his family for the weekend.

How to sell a pencil in an interview, video:

Cooler

How to sell a cooler in an interview? A future employer caught the eye of a water cooler and asked you to sell him this unit? Use standard selling techniques and identify a few points to think about first.

Water is available from any source, tap, bottled or boiled from a kettle. Look at the quality of the water from the cooler: is it really much cleaner, maybe it comes from a well-known region or is it unique in composition?

Determine why the cooler is good for getting water:

no need to go to the store for a bottle of water every time you feel thirsty. Removable water tanks will be delivered directly to the site;
an antibacterial silver filter can be installed in the cooler, which kills all microbes and enriches the water with useful minerals;
the cooler can regulate the temperature of the water so you don't have to boil the kettle or wait for it to cool down to drink water.

stapler

How to sell a stapler in an interview? Ask questions that will help to find out the main parameters of the stapler required by the interlocutor:

If you didn't have a stapler, why would you need one?
What other reasons force you to use a stapler?
Do you want a stapler that is reliable and can staple a thick stack of sheets?
Do you need a stapler that can hold a lot of staples?

Once you figure out the answers to these questions, make a presentation of a stapler that has all the required features.

Scotch

How to sell scotch in an interview? Find out for what purposes your interlocutor might need adhesive tape, what width and color. Is he using double sided tape or paper based tape? Does the adhesive ability of the tape he uses suit him?

Maybe your interlocutor is doing repairs at home and scotch tape is needed not as a stationery item, but as an auxiliary material? Or is he planning a move and is this tape good for sealing boxes of things?

Phone

How to sell a phone in an interview? Ask the interlocutor what phone he has now, whether he bought it on credit or not, what features does he lack in his phone.

Find out if he is using social networks and instant messengers on your phone, how fast web pages load and how long the battery lasts. Then form all this information into an announcement about a new phone and offer to buy it.

Cigarettes

How to sell cigarettes in an interview?
If you at the interview asked to sell a pack of cigarettes, take your time to present the product and describe what unique filters and useful additives are added to cigarettes. The first thing you need to ask the interlocutor is whether he smokes at all.

Ask how many cigarettes a day he uses, what kind of cigarette he prefers, what exactly he likes in the process - nervous relaxation, the smell of tobacco smoke, or the opportunity to fill a free minute.

The situation will be more difficult if you need to sell cigarettes to a person who does not smoke or even cannot tolerate tobacco smoke. Ask if your interlocutor has smoking friends. In this case, cigarettes will play the role of an element of socialization, which will make it possible to give cigarettes, thereby being useful in the circle of friends.

Air

How to sell air in an interview? Selling air is nothing new these days: poor air quality in many parts of the world is causing entrepreneurs to treat it like the equivalent of bottled water.

Ask the interlocutor whether he suffers from asthma, allergies, whether he often has upper respiratory tract diseases and how many days a year he and his family spend on sick leave.

A Canadian company supplies bottled fresh air for sale in polluted areas in China and India. Air out national park in Alberta it is sealed in a bottle and provides about 160 sips for $20.

banking product

An example of how to sell a banking product at an interview. Just because people don't report their financial problems right and left doesn't mean those problems don't exist.

Might need the right question to find out. Ask about what your interlocutor is planning for the weekend and summer vacation. What's new in his life, at work and in his family?

Your product decides financial difficulties that arise in a person when moving through various life stages: wedding, birth of children, buying a new home. Let your interlocutor talk about his life and you will surely find a stage to which you can link the use of a banking product.

How to evaluate the applicant's response?

The traditional methodical approach to sales is to break down the entire process into logical steps that a job seeker must go through in order to sell a product.

Planning and preparation. At this stage, the candidate must learn as much as possible about the product or service that he is going to sell.

Opening. The introductory part should be clear and express the purpose of the presentation. The applicant must appear confident as body language plays important role in winning the trust of customers.

Client survey. This is a key tool for determining how a product can be useful for a customer. Open-ended questions (who, how, what, when, where) are better for collecting information than asking why. At this stage, the applicant must build a trusting relationship with the prospective client.

Product presentation. The applicant must describe all the properties and benefits of the purchase of goods to a potential buyer.

Overcoming objections and negotiating. At this stage, the candidate should consider objections potential client as an opportunity to learn more about his needs.

closure. The applicant moves to this stage when the client shows signs that he is ready to purchase the product.

Post-sales control. Usually the deal is done at the previous stage, but it would be nice if the candidate offers after-sales service and discusses special conditions delivery of goods.

If the applicant was unable to sell the product

Not everyone definitely knows how to sell a product at an interview. The product must meet the needs of the client, and then you can sell at least a star in the sky. If the applicant is a good specialist, he must know how to present his most valuable commodity in an interview - his ability to sell.

An applicant who could not "sell" himself is unlikely to be able to sell the company's products. This criterion is really critical in the field of selling goods and services, so candidates are encouraged to improve their skills and learn different sales techniques.

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For many applicants, an interview becomes a rather difficult test - excitement, stiffness in communicating with a stranger, fear of making the wrong first impression affect. The employer, in turn, is in no hurry to create the most comfortable conditions for the applicant. One of the common tasks in job interviews is asking you to "sell" a pen or any other item on the table. So what to do in order not to get confused and not miss the chance to get the desired job?

Why does an employer ask you to “sell” a pen at an interview?

Most often, applicants for positions directly related to sales face such a test. According to the employer, the ideal candidate should have a high level of stress resistance, be able to respond quickly and correctly in non-standard situations. Asking to “sell” something in an interview is just such a non-standard situation that can confuse even experienced salespeople. As a rule, the employer seeks to reveal the potential of the candidate, to see his perseverance and desire to sell. Dialogue with the applicant in the process of "selling" is able to demonstrate his communication skills, experience, perseverance, compliance with the main stages of sales.

How to “sell” a product at an interview: basic rules

Not really big difference which item will be offered for "sale". There are a few golden rules that apply to any item that needs to be "sold" (whether it's a pen, pencil, stapler, or anything else).

Do not hurry. You have every right to ask for a couple of minutes to gather your thoughts and consider your next steps.
Consider the "product", pay attention to its features and characteristics. Any seller must have all necessary knowledge about the product that sells, in order to properly present it to the buyer and answer all his questions.
Stick to the sales stages. There are five of them: establishing contact, identifying customer needs, presentation, handling objections, and closing the deal. In practice, “ideal deals”, during which the seller and the buyer go through all five stages, practically do not occur. But in a situation where you need to "sell" a pen at an interview, a demonstration of theoretical knowledge can play in your favor.
Don't lie. Do not invent some incredible features of the item being sold. Remember that a client can always ask you to demonstrate the product in action, so do not attribute the ability to change the color of the ink to the pen or write yourself if this is not true.
In case of a successful “sale”, offer to purchase something else. It can be a spare rod or a notebook. The employer will certainly appreciate such a move.

Establishing contact with the client

Be sure to say hello to the interlocutor, introduce yourself and find out his name. From this moment begins the process of "selling" and communicating with the employer in the form of a client.

Identification of the needs of the "client"

Understanding the needs of the customer is the foundation of any sales. Ask your "potential buyer" a few questions, to which he will answer in the affirmative. For example: “Do you often have to sign important documents?”.

Presentation

Show the “client” a pen, briefly describe its characteristics. You can also offer to independently evaluate the properties of the pen by trying it in practice. When presenting a product, focus on the benefits that it will bring to the “buyer”. For example: "This pen will allow you to write down important information wherever you are" or "This pen will emphasize your business status during negotiations with partners and clients."

Work with objections

A customer who is interested in buying will most likely not object to the seller. You should expect clarifying questions from him, which will allow you to better understand the advantages of the product, its special characteristics. But in a situation with the process of "selling" at the interview, the employer will try to find out if the candidate is able to work out objections. For example, a "client" may say that he already has a pen that suits him completely. Here is one of the options for a competent answer to the objection: “Of course, you already have a pen, because any business person needs it. But, you see, pens so often stop writing at the most crucial moment! I offer you a spare pen that can help you in such a situation.

Completion of the deal

When the "customer" finally agrees to "buy" the pen, the deal should end nicely. For example, offer to “buy” another pen at a discounted price, or buy a set of a pen and a stylish notepad.

What to do if the "client" flatly refuses the "purchase"?

Don't be afraid to improvise! Just because an employer portrays a recalcitrant buyer doesn't mean you're not the right fit for them. Try to find a non-standard approach to the "client". For example, ask him to give you an autograph. When the interlocutor does not have a pen for this, offer him yours. By the way, this technique was used in the popular Hollywood film The Wolf of Wall Street. Or tell us that pens will soon become a scarce and unique product due to the active spread of digital gadgets.

An example of "selling" a pen at an interview

On the Internet, you can find many videos that clearly demonstrate how to properly “sell” a pen at an interview. Here is one of them:

Be sure to try on your own to come up with several options for how to “sell” a pen at an interview. In most cases, employers highly value the creativity and ingenuity of candidates. Be polite and self-confident, but by all means avoid importunity and aggressiveness, and you will succeed!

All of us regularly have to buy something, and only a few - to sell. At the same time, among the sellers, as in any other field of activity, there are more and less qualified specialists. A real pro is able to sell anything to anyone - even the notorious elephant from the joke. And, of course, any entrepreneur wants just such people to work for him. But finding and recognizing them is not an easy task. To solve it recruitment agencies came up with a lot of technologies and tricks that are used in interviews with applicants for workplace. In particular, in order to test the professional suitability of a sales specialist, they offer him to perform a small but specific task: to sell something right here and right now, without getting up from the negotiating table. In this case, the object of the transaction is any object that comes to hand: a notebook, a cup or a ballpoint pen.

Among salesmen and "bounty hunters", the expression "sell a pen" got about the same meaning as "sell an elephant" among marketers. That is, it acquired an ironic tone of description of a useless, but tricky way to prove the high level of one's professional qualifications. Almost everyone who is involved in employment in the field of active sales, looking for a job or hiring employees in this area, is well aware of this method, but continues to use it and is not going to abandon it. If only because it is simple and fast way imitate "field" conditions and behavior of market participants.

Why sell a pen at an interview
The game environment and the apparent ease of the process of selling a ballpoint pen to an employer should not confuse you. In fact, only 20% of applicants successfully pass this test, that is, only 2 people out of 10. And all because most sales managers, even talented and with great potential, immediately get carried away with the practical part of the task, while personnel officers put head angle subtext. Knowing about it, you will easily overcome this obstacle on the way to the coveted position.

The essence of the task is not so much in the sale of a particular item, but in understanding the mechanisms of sales and those levers that influence the buyer, prompting him to make a decision to purchase the product. Having an idea about them, you will be able to sell any product, wholesale and retail, almost regardless of the season and marketing activities. Because you see the basic principle of a successful sale: not a product is sold, but its properties. The buyer is not looking for an object, but for his own benefit. Once you learn how to translate this principle into your work, you can sell a pen not only to your employer, but also to the owner of a stationery factory.

At first glance, this concept is simple and logical. In one wording or another, it is obvious to all sellers and sales representatives without exception. Many of them have gone through dozens of trainings and have many profitable deals behind them. And yet the ill-fated pen at the interview continues to hang over the soul, like the sword of Damocles. There is only one way to get rid of the panic in front of it: stop trying to find and praise the non-existent advantages of an ordinary object, and instead find in the face of the person sitting in front of you that buyer who desperately needs this particular pen.

How to force an employer to buy a pen
On the one hand, selling a pen is difficult. There are many pens in the world and everyone owns them. Moreover, your opponent knows about your intentions and seeks to refute them. But, on the other hand, nothing is easier if you know and use the following approach to the sales process:

Meet the client at broad sense this word. Understand what kind of person he is and what his interests are. Interests are the key to the needs that you will draw on as the touches of a dotted line in the sales process. Do not rush to attack him with a proposal - start with questions. What does your counterpart do most of the time of his life, what are his duties, how does he relax, where does he spend his free time and with whom does he communicate. Draw a picture of this person in your mind. This is necessary so as not to get into trouble by offering a ballpoint pen as an essential item to a person who cannot write or is allergic to ink. This example, of course, exaggerated, but it well illustrates the perniciousness of a rush to sell.
Ask clarifying questions. After the first contact with the client is established and a general idea of \u200b\u200bhis lifestyle is made, you can narrow down the range of your interests and move on to more specific questions. For example, find out how often he has to write by hand instead of using a computer keyboard. Which pen is more convenient for him to use: ballpoint, gel, ink, automatic, capped, black, blue, green, etc. Find out what other parameters the client takes into account when choosing a pen: the name of the manufacturer, expensive materials, additional features. And all this time, do not try to show him that pen, which is the direct subject of sale.
Be a little Socrates. Use his clever psychological trap method. It consists in setting several closed questions suggesting a positive response. Formulate them as simply as possible so that the interlocutor relaxes and answers “yes” already by inertia. Then, with a high probability, he will automatically answer your signature question about buying a pen in the same way.
Thicken the paint around the situation. Convince the interlocutor that at the moment his life is fraught with many difficulties. In colors, describe to him the circumstances in which a ballpoint pen is practically a guarantee of his fate (an important exam, an interview at the consulate, etc.) and turns out to be faulty. Outline the tragedy of the consequences of such a failure, and then, without giving yourself time to come to your senses, offer in return a truly reliable, tested, repeatedly tested pen.
Aim as accurately as possible. Having found out all the preferences and tastes of the buyer to the smallest detail, offer him to buy a pen from you that matches them to the smallest nuances. As they say, "favorite color, favorite size." Moreover, the client told you all this himself, so that he can no longer get out and refuse his words. In front of him is the pen of his dreams, exactly the kind that will make his life easier and more enjoyable.
Speed up the process. This is perhaps the only moment when you need to hurry in sales. Make your offer limited in time and/or scope. Let this incredibly necessary pen be sold today for half the usual price. Or there are only two of them left, and the next batch will not be soon and at a new, higher price. The client should be afraid to lose a good moment. You bluff to the last, especially since everything that happens is a game.

How not to sell a pen in an interview
A job interview is stressful even for an experienced and morally stable job seeker. Therefore, it is possible that at the most crucial moment you will be slightly confused, and all pre-prepared phrases will fly out of your head. In this case, you must learn at least the basic rules, following which will save you from a fatal mistake:

Do not try to enthusiastically praise and exalt the virtues of your pen to the skies before you listen to the client. Until you have received the information you need from him, do not reveal your cards to him.
A good salesperson not only speaks fluently, but also listens carefully. Feel free to ask suggestive questions that will take the conversation in the right direction. Know how to shut up in time to give the interlocutor the opportunity to share your desires.
Allow yourself to be charming, and allow the client to succumb to your charm. Do not be too formal - on the contrary, moderate artistry, a casual smile and appropriate jokes have a very beneficial effect on the atmosphere between the participants in the dialogue. A relaxed client is always better client irritated. This will help you out even when you are not very good at the subject of the conversation. Improvise, joke, maybe even bluff a little - anything to create a pleasant, endearing mood.
But jokes are good in moderation. A sales representative who behaves like a clown causes a desire not to buy a product, but to get rid of his company as soon as possible. Therefore, sell the pen with taste and dignity, know the measure and be impeccable.

Thus, the main catch in selling a pen in an interview is the employer's attempt to confuse you and reveal your abilities in unusual situation. Your task is to maintain composure and fully demonstrate your professional skills, which consist in understanding the main concept: the buyer does not need to sell a product, but fully satisfy his needs associated with this product. If you manage to do this convincingly, then your interlocutor will certainly willingly buy his pen, stapler, marker from you and will hire you as a valuable and an experienced employee sales department.

One of the most important goals when interviewing a candidate for a sales representative position for an employer is to check how much the interviewee understands what selling is, as well as what sales skills he has.

Therefore, very often in sales interviews, candidates are asked to demonstrate their skills as part of a role-playing game. Be prepared for the fact that you will be asked to present to a potential client a product or service that you have never heard of.

How to deal with a "sell me a pen" situation.

If you come for a sales interview, be prepared to sell pens, pencils, staplers, apples, or whatever.
Your main task is to be ready to demonstrate your sales skills.
The employer's goal is to put you in a hypothetical situation of selling a new product to a customer to see your communication skills, ability to think outside the box, and ability to overcome objections.

Be positive.

Your task: to be inspired by the proposed option and think positively. It is necessary to identify its strengths, which can be presented as advantages over other similar products.
“This pen provides very easy and accurate writing; it is much cheaper than its analogues; It is disposable/reusable.
It is important to be self-confident during the presentation process, striving for a presentation without long pauses, with a positive attitude.

Focus on features that the interlocutor can appreciate.

It is important during the presentation to involve your interlocutor (potential client) in the conversation: you must ask a series of questions that will allow you to navigate and correctly present the features of your product. You need to conduct a needs analysis, and based on it, sell a hypothetical pen.

For example, you might ask, “In order to better understand how you can use our product, I need to ask you a few questions: how often do you use pens during the day? When was the last time they were used? What is important to you when choosing a pen?
Then, as the interviewee begins to answer your questions, convert the features of your offer into benefits that align with the needs of your imaginary customer.

For example, if the person you're talking to mostly takes notes during business meetings, talk about the fact that in addition to writing soft and clear, your pen has a decent design.
If you are told in a role play that previously used writing pens did not always write, or leaked, or had insufficient ink, you should understand that these are needs that your product must meet.
Accordingly, you will say that the pen does not smear and does not flow (thanks to the special ink supply system), and the writing time is longer, since the consumption is lower, and the paste storage capacity is increased.

Be prepared to demonstrate sales skills.

Not all interviews include this kind of role play.
Despite this, be prepared to sell, even if there is no pure role-playing game.
You need to have a clear understanding of the structure of the sale, be able to explain how you will identify the needs of the client based on what the client has and uses.
Remember how and why you yourself choose certain products.

For example:
-) our consumers consider our apples to be a great and healthy alternative to unhealthy snacks.
-) The vast majority of our regular customers make sure to pack a couple of apples with their children's school lunches.
-) Our apples are always very fresh and crispy, we are a local producer.
-) Our fruits come from orchards located in our region.
Apples are produced without the use of pesticides and growth stimulants. They have a huge amount of fiber, vitamins and trace elements, they are very beneficial for health.

Overcome objections if they arise.

Identifying needs and overcoming objections − key points this role-playing game that simulates your behavior during communication with a client. After giving a presentation and talking about your product, find out if your "customer" has doubts that may interfere with your "deal".

You can ask: “After my story, are you ready to buy a pen/apple?”.
If the interviewer has doubts about the need to purchase your product, for example, because of the cost, then you should remove the objections.
“I can offer a 20% discount when buying 5 packs of pens, in addition, we guarantee a refund in case of defects” or “Higher cost compared to competitors is a consequence of higher quality. In addition, you will be able to earn more on the sale of one pen.

Try to close the deal.

Sales reps who have the ability to close deals effectively, who know when to do it, are highly valued in sales. Feel free to close the deal if you understand what your opponent's business needs.
Add emotion and confidence:
“I can be the supplier of the highest quality pens for your business. Our main goal is to develop your business with our products. What will be your first batch of pens?

Don't be afraid to get creative.

Your interviewers don't expect you to be 100% truthful and factual, so improvise and be creative with your presentation.
Be confident in what you say, be confident in your product. This is the foundation of an effective sale.

Everyone who was interviewed for the position of a sales manager more than once had to sell a pen or any product at an interview to an HR or a future manager. Many people receive a positive or negative answer precisely after demonstrating their sales skills directly to the interview. In order not to get into an awkward situation, let's figure out how to sell a pen for an interview.

In order to properly build a sale, let's do a little preparation (you can read about the importance of preparation) and answer a few questions for ourselves:

Why are we asked to sell a pen for an interview?

The answer to this question is obvious: the employer wants to test our sales skills in practice. After all, the way you behave in the process of impromptu negotiations is the way you will communicate with a real client. Moreover, the interlocutor will surely pay attention to what sales techniques you use and how.

Also, do not forget that in negotiations it is necessary to demonstrate not only perseverance, knowledge and application of sales skills, but also to impress the future leader and please him as a person. If an HR interviews you, this does not change the essence of the matter, since it depends on him whether they will offer you an interview with the manager or not.

How to sell a pen for an interview?

Before proceeding directly to the sale, ask for 2-3 minutes to prepare. There is nothing to be ashamed of here, any sale begins with preparation. During this time, you need to do the following:

Carefully consider the product being sold, form for yourself as much as possible more benefits goods.
Think of a funnel of questions to identify needs, remember that you should get as much information as possible from the answer to each question. Also, do not forget that if the needs are identified incorrectly or not identified, you will not be able to successful presentation. Alternatively, start with the following questions: I see you have a diary (notebook) on your desk, and how often do you have to write something down? What pen are you currently using? What is important for you in a pen (after the interlocutor's answer, ask a couple of times the question, what else?) Have you had situations when, at the most crucial moment, the pen let you down, broke or stopped writing? Do you use a spare pen? If the pen is green or red, be sure to ask how often the client needs to highlight something in their notes.
Think in advance of the client’s objection and ways to overcome them (this one will help here)
Based on preliminary communication for an interview, evaluate what you need to demonstrate to a future employer: sales stages and communication skills or a creative approach to work.

Classic pen sale

In this case, it is important to clearly adhere to the sales stages as in. I will not give the script on purpose, so as not to limit readers to any framework. However, I suggest considering a few points that are worth paying attention to:

Take this sale seriously and act in the most plausible terms possible.
Do not give free rein to fantasies, do not talk about the healing miracle properties of a pen for five kopecks or convince you that a representative Montblanc brand pen can be bought for less than a dollar.
A very common mistake is skipping the greeting stage, namely the establishment of contact. Do not neglect this stage, give it up to 20 seconds and move on to the next stage.
During the identification of needs, ask as many open questions as possible to get the maximum picture of the needs of the client and choose the tactics for presenting the product.
Before proceeding to the presentation, be sure to summarize all the wishes of the client and clarify: did you miss anything?
Build the presentation completely on the needs of the client, if any properties are not important for the client, but you want to voice them, mention them casually without focusing on it.
Don't forget that non-verbal communication also plays a big role in sales! Smile, maintain a soft and friendly tone of voice, gestures should not be closed. A good trick is to let the customer hold the product during the sale, and by talking about the key properties, invite the buyer to test them in practice. For example: If we are talking about the fact that the pen writes thinly and without special efforts, invite the client to write a few words to make sure of this, if the pen does not slip in the hand (has a rubber or matte surface), invite the client to hold it while telling why it is so important and convenient.
Bargaining - if the buyer asks for a discount, do not rush to agree with his offer. After all, for you and for the employer, a discount is a decrease in earnings, although it sometimes allows you to keep a client. Try to explain that a quality product cannot be cheap, if the client insists on a discount, offer him a discount if he takes 10 pens or some related accessories, such as a rod, pencil, diary or a pack of paper.
Agreement. If the client has agreed to buy a pen from you, don't rush to complete the sale. Offer him related accessories, find out if he wants to receive news and discounts from your company, and be sure to take his contact phone number.
Don't forget to end contact. Thank the client for choosing the company and be sure to leave him your contacts.

Non-standard creative ways to sell a pen for an interview

The methods described below are suitable if the future employer wants to test you for creativity or, in other words, for application non-standard approaches at work. In this case, it is very important to be able to improvise and try to offer such sales options that the person playing the role of the buyer has not heard about before. To understand what I'm talking about, I'll give you a few examples of how to sell a pen on an interview:

We create artificial excitement

— I am surprised that you are not interested in purchasing a parker pen with a price 30% below the market price, because. several of your competitors have already offered me cooperation.

- If you suddenly decide to buy, you have my contacts, just do not delay the decision, because. time can be lost, and hardly anyone on the market will make such a profitable offer to you.

This method makes sense to apply if you were given a really expensive pen in your hands.

We offer partnership and promise benefits

— You are not interested in buying a pen for yourself, but have you ever thought about how you can profitably make money on the resale of pens? I suggest the pen below market value, and you, as a person with sales skills, can easily resell it and earn a solid reward on this. Large investments are not required from you, and you can get profit when minimum cost resources!

Offer a benefit unrelated to the product

I suggest you purchase this pen in order to use it to test the sales skills of other candidates for this vacancy.

We create a situation

This method was used by the heroes of the film "The Wolf of Wall Street". Its essence is to create a situation where a pen is needed. For example, ask the interlocutor to write down something very important in the diary, and when he realizes what to write down, offer him to sell the pen.

You can come up with many such scenarios, the only limit is your imagination. Finally, I would like to remind you that before deciding which one you will use, you need to understand what exactly the interlocutor wants to check. If you have no or little experience in sales, work according to the classic scheme described at the beginning of the article, so you will show the employer that you know the basic sales technique and can put it into practice.

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