sell me this pen

Sell Me This Pen and Three Types of Sales

Techniques

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HELLO! I am Abhinav Sabharwal

You can find me at [email protected]

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Sell Me This Pen

▸Sell me this pen. Possibly the best sales one liner in history. Haven’t heard it before?

▸In the last ten years, more sales leaders have used this question as part of their interview process to whittle out the can-dos from the can-not’s

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Sell Me This Pen

▸The “Sell me this Pen” brings to the fore Three Types of Selling Styles that are typically used by the standard salesperson – one of which is the most desired

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Sell Me This Pen: Value Added Selling

▸The first is known as value added selling where a candidate attempts to create interest by highlighting the various features of the product which make it desirable.

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▸“This pen is gold – that positions you as a person of value to your peers.”

▸“This pen has refillable ink cartridges so you never need to buy a new one.”

▸95% of people who have never had any experience selling will utilize this method

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▸The problem with value based selling is that you show zero knowledge of what the buyer feels is important to them and thus are simply shooting in the dark with your assertions of value.

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Sell Me This Pen: Solution Based Selling

▸The next evolution in this method is solution based selling – where a candidate successfully asks questions about what I look for in a pen, if I have any problems with my current writing apparatus to build the case for this pen to solve my needs.

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▸What is the most important thing for you when it comes to buying a pen?”

▸“What color pen are you in the market for?”

▸“What were the strengths and weaknesses of the last pen you owned?”

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▸Candidates with an enterprise sales background normally demonstrate a strength in this area,

▸Many People hit a roadblock when the questions they ask may lead to a conclusion that they need a product which the seller doesn’t have E.g. i.e. a red pen instead of a black one

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Sell Me This Pen: Problem Creation

▸This is why it is important to find reps who demonstrate the third technique – problem creation.

▸Instead of asking open questions, they establish a clear ‘ladder’ for buyers to follow using questions which place the prospect in a mental state where they begin to feel a problem they didn’t realise they had originally.

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Sell Me This Pen: Problem Creation

▸Ultimately the buyer arrives at a pre-set conclusion which the sales representative has orchestrated

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Sell Me This Pen:

▸So How does One Answer Sell Me This Pen Question In Interview

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Sell Me

this Pen

Takes the pen and

keeps it in his Pocket

Sir Can you write your

name on this peace of

paper

But I don’t

have Pen

No Problem I will sell

you one

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THANKS! Any questions?