Sell Me This PenTHE Answer That Drops Jaws in Sales Interviews

Sell Me This Penâ€"THE Answer That Drops Jaws in Sales Interviews Theres an easy answer to sell me this pen that gets jobs.The interview question comes from Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street.Warning.Dont give the answer from the movie.Its clever, but its wrong.How do I know?Because 100+ sales gurus I surveyed say so.So does the real wolf of Wall StreetJordan Belfort.His simple, right answer is below.ButBlow it, and theyll know you sell like Willy Loman.This guide will show you:The sell me this pen answer the interviewer wants.Both wrong answers in The Wolf of Wall Street movie (and the right answer from the book).A list of other sales interview tips and salesman job interview questions.How to turn sell me a pen into a qualifying session that can get you hired.And if you want to make sure youll turn every interview into a job offer, get our free checklist:42 Things You Need To Do Before, During, and After Your Big Interview.Want to land more job interviews?Create the perfect resume in our builder:Pick a professional template.Get expert re sume tips from recruiters.Edit and download your resume in minutes.Start getting more job offers.See 20+ resume templates and create your resume.Sample resume made with our builder See 20+ templates and create your resume hereOne of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is nowone pagelong, notthree. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowA note on wording: Why do we say salesman when that term isnt gender-inclusive? Its not us, its Google. Different people search in different ways.We want this guide to reach them all.1The Right Answer toSell Me This PenThe right answer to sell me this pen is actually a question.There are two wrong answers in The Wolf of Wall Street.Dont give either in a sales interview.Youll only prove youre good at knowing Wolf of wall Street quotes.Sell Me This Pen Wrong Answer #1Early in the movie, Jordan Belfort asks his friend to sell him a pen.The friend says, Write your name down on that napkin.I dont have a pen, says Belfort.Exactly, supply and demand.Clever. Also wrong.Sell Me This Pen Wrong Answer #2At the end of the movie, Belfort asks students to sell him a pen.They talk about its features.Wrong again.Explaining features isnt selling.The Right Answer to Sell Me This PenThe right answer comes from the Wolf of Wall Street himself.In his book, Way of the Wolf, Belfort says, Did it ever occur to you to maybe ask me a few questions before you attempted to ram a pen down my throat? Like, am I even in the market for a pen? Do I have a certain price range in mind? Do I prefer one type of pen to another?See, sell me this pen doesnt mean sell me this pen.Sell me this pen means:Will you sell to the right person?Can you identify a clients needs?Do you have basic sales skills like relationship building?Can you establish urgency?Can you close a sale?Will you waste time lying?SoHeres how to answer sell me this penand how not to:rightHow long have you wanted to buy a pen?wrongThis pen writes under whipped cream. It makes you rich and cures you acne. It bestows fame, eternal life, and free refills at the Octoplex.See the difference?The first sell me this pen answer shows you understand sales questions.What kind of pens do you like? What do you use pens for? Do you go for fashion or utility?It proves youve got the key sales trait of empathy.The second answer? It just proves youre a liar.Beware.Asking how long theyve wanted a pen wont get you hired. Its just the beginning.The rest is next.Pro Tip: The perfect answer to sell me this pen only works if the interviewer has sales skills too. If hes just filling in and thought the question sounded cool, watch out.Want to blow that sales interview out of the water? Prep by powering-up your resume. See our guide: Sales Representative Resume: Sample Writing Guide2How to TurnSell Me This PenInto a JobOh-oh.You gave a great sell me this pen answer.Namely, How long have you wanted to buy a pen?ButThe interviewer said, I dont want a pen.Th e best sell me this pen answer doesnt stop at the first sentence.To prove your sales skills, do a qualifying session.Lets equip you for a solid sales discussion.Sell Me This Pen Answer ExamplesInterviewer:Sell me this pencil.Applicant:How long have you wanted to buy a pencil?Interviewer:I dont want to.Applicant:Hm. Do you ever buy pencils?Interviewer:My admin handles that.Applicant:Thats great. Does cost matter more to her, or quality?Interviewer:Im not sure.Applicant:Well Id love to talk to her. I traditionally save customers 10%30% on pencils of all quality ranges. Could we set up a call?You just proved you know how to qualify a lead.Interviewer:Sell me this pen.Applicant:How long have you wanted to buy a pen?Interviewer:About a day.Applicant:Do you use pens for everyday tasks, or for important business deals? Do you find yourself borrowing them a lot?Expert-level. You showed you can establish need.Interviewer:Sell me this pen.Applicant:How long have you wanted to buy a pen?Interv iewer:Mine just ran out.Applicant:Thats too bad. Can I leave this one with you? If you dont like it Ill come back in a week and you wont pay a cent.Nice. You learned about the prospects need and timeline. Then you solved her problem and set up a free trial.Interviewer:Sell me this pen.Applicant:Do you need a pen?Interviewer:Sure.Applicant:Do you like blue ink best or red or black? Ballpoints or fine-tips?Perfect. You proved you can dig into specific needs.Interviewer:Sell me this pen.Applicant:Do you actually need a pen?Interviewer:Yes.Applicant:Do you like fine-tips or ballpoints? Fancy or plain? What color ink?Interviewer:I like plain blue-ink ballpoints.Applicant:I think this pens a great fit for you. Its a plain blue-ink ballpoint. Great for taking notes and signing business documents. Can I put you down for two boxes?Brilliant. You qualified the customer and learned her needs. Then you closed the sale.You demonstrated major sales skills to the interviewer.Pro Tip: Brush up on y our sales skills before the interview. When the interviewer says, sell me something, use that as your cue to strut your stuff.What will the interviewer ask besides sell me this pen? See our guide: Common Job Interview Questions Answers3Sales Interview TipsGreat. You sold me a pen.Now sell me you.The interviewer wont stop at sell me a pen.To get the job, youll need to clear a dozen other hurdles.Use these sales interview tips to land the job:Treat it like a sales meeting. Learn your prospects needs. Then show how you can fill them.Research the company and job. What do they care about? Hitting targets? Getting new customers? Read the job ad. Check them out online. Then do informational interviews with current staff.Ask qualifying questions. Learn their problems, timeline, and budget. What traits do their best salespeople have?Equip yourself with past achievements. Show youve done what they want. Do they want new customers? Bring up how you landed 50 clients in a year.Prepare for basi cs. Tell me about yourself. Why should we hire you? Whats your greatest weakness? Drill common interview questions until you nail them.Prep for typical salesman job interview questions. How do you handle objections? Have you ever missed a target? What sale(s) are you most proud of?Pro Tip: Supersize your sell me this pen answer with urgency. Fortunately, Ive still got a few left adds a nice touch to a sales interview.Need more sales interview tips? See our guide: 50+ Interview Tips that Work: Best Advice for a Successful JobKey TakeawaySummary: Sell me this pen answer:The interviewer doesnt mean, Sell me this pen.She wants to know if you have basic sales skills.Dont use the answers in The Wolf of Wall Street.Turn the question into a qualifying session and learn the clients needs.Still not sure how to answer sell me this pen? Wondering about other trick interview questions? Leave a comment. Well be happy to reply!