The Best (& Most Unique) Response to “Sell Me This Pen”

“Promote me this pen.” That may simply be the perfect gross sales one-liner in historical past.

It is a favourite amongst gross sales professionals, from used automotive salespeople to Wall Avenue wolves. And for good cause — it is an thrilling, accessible solution to check a salesman’s fundamentals. How somebody responds to these 4 phrases can inform you numerous about how — and the way properly — a candidate goes to promote.

Right here, we’ll cowl the perfect method to nail this query and a few pattern responses from HubSpot specialists.

Why Ask a Gross sales Candidate to “Promote Me This Pen”?

During the last 10 years, I’ve seen many gross sales leaders use this query as a part of their interview course of to whittle out the “can-dos” from the “can-nots.” There are typically three customary responses to this query — every of which illustrates one of many three promoting types sometimes utilized by salespeople.

The Worth-Added Method

The primary of the three is named value-added promoting, the place a candidate makes an attempt to create curiosity by highlighting the assorted options of the product that make it fascinating. They might say one thing like:

  • “This pen is gold — that positions you as an individual of worth to your friends.”
  • “This pen has refillable ink cartridges, so you may by no means want to purchase a brand new one.”
  • “In comparison with different pens, this pen may be very easy and cozy to carry.”

The vast majority of folks with out promoting expertise will make the most of this methodology. That figures; it is in all probability essentially the most simple. However that is to not say that everybody who takes this route is inexperienced. Even essentially the most seasoned professionals succumb to the strain of an interview and lead with this method.

The issue with value-based promoting is that you simply present zero data of what the customer feels is necessary to them. There isn’t any discovery. You make blind inferences along with your assertions of worth.

To place it bluntly, you are taking pictures in the dead of night. In case you’re fortunate, considered one of your guesses will stick, however this method simply would not reduce it in considered one of my interviews.

The Answer-Primarily based Method

The subsequent evolution on this methodology is solution-based promoting. That is when a candidate efficiently asks me questions on what I search for in a pen and if I’ve any issues with my present one. Then, they construct the case that this pen will clear up my wants.

  • “What’s crucial factor for you when shopping for a pen?”
  • “What colour pen are you out there for?”
  • “What had been the strengths and weaknesses of the final pen you owned?”

Candidates with an enterprise gross sales background sometimes reveal power on this space. Nevertheless, a lot of them nonetheless hit a roadblock when the questions they ask result in a conclusion the place the shopper wants an answer they can not provide.

As an example, you’ll find out a buyer is out there for a pen, however they could want a crimson one whenever you’re solely promoting black. Plus, there is no assure a purchaser will hold answering your questions. They may not even have any curiosity in speaking about their issues with somebody they do not know.

The answer-based method is healthier than the value-added one, however there’s nonetheless likelihood it will take you nowhere. That is why I at all times search for reps who reveal the third approach.

The Downside-Creation Method

Downside creation is, with out query, one of the simplest ways to “promote me this pen.”

Reps who use this tactic set up a transparent “ladder” for consumers to comply with utilizing questions that make them involved about issues they did not even learn about within the first place.

With this method, the customer arrives at a pre-set conclusion which the gross sales consultant has orchestrated. That is the very best end result. Any rep who can efficiently take this route has the type of grip on the gross sales course of each hiring supervisor desires to see.

That being mentioned, this end result is a rarity. Reps who can efficiently use the problem-creation methodology aren’t simple to return by.

How HubSpot Gross sales Reps and Companions Reply to “Promote Me This Pen”

We requested just a few HubSpot gross sales reps and HubSpot companions how they’d reply to this interview immediate. This is what they needed to say.

1.Sarina Kowaguchi, Account Govt, North America, HubSpot

For me, it at all times comes all the way down to figuring out your prospect and custom-tailoring your gross sales method based mostly on their particular wants and targets. You may’t promote an individual the advantages of your pen with none context. In case you pitch them advantages that they do not care about, you are simply throwing pasta on the wall hoping one thing will stick.

Moreover, if they are not experiencing any frustrations with their present pen state of affairs or haven’t got ambitions to enhance their present state, you could be attempting to promote one thing to an individual who won’t ever purchase.

Earlier than I even start pitching my product, I might ask my prospect questions alongside the strains of:

  • Why are you out there for a brand new pen (or why aren”t you out there for a brand new pen)?
  • What sort of pens do you presently use?
  • In what eventualities are you utilizing their pens and are there any ache factors related along with your present pen alternative?
  • What does a super pen appear to be to you?
  • Are you evaluating every other potential pens?

Info is every part — when you’ve sufficient knowledge or perception about how a prospect thinks and what they’re searching for, it helps you promote the worth of your product in a approach that’s related to them.

2. Sharen Murnaghan, Options Associate, Dublin, HubSpot

Once I labored in Yellow Pages, we had been taught that the gross sales course of was “the logical thought course of a purchaser (prospect) goes by earlier than making a optimistic resolution to purchase”.

I imagine this nonetheless holds true — essentially the most profitable salespeople suppose otherwise. These salespeople need to collaborate with their prospects to allow them to make this optimistic resolution to purchase. These salespeople need to create alternatives for the customer to resolve issues they did not even know that they had.

So when a salesman is requested to “promote me this pen,” sometimes they are going to reply with one of many following approaches.

The primary method is value-based, that means they are going to give attention to creating curiosity in the advantages of the pen.

“This pen has refillable ink cartridges, so you may by no means want to purchase a brand new one.”

“In comparison with different pens, this pen may be very easy and cozy to carry.”

The second method is solutions-based — these salespeople will give attention to the options of the pen and hope that they hit on an answer it would clear up.

“What colour pen are you out there for?”

“What had been the strengths and weaknesses of the final pen you owned?”

A 3rd method, which I imagine is most impactful, relies on figuring out an issue in your prospect and positioning the provide as the answer. Salespeople who do that are sometimes profitable as a result of they suppose otherwise.

They see the gross sales course of as a collaborative course of that each consumers and sellers undergo collectively to assist the customer to make that optimistic resolution to purchase. These salespeople create insights and concepts with their prospects in order that the prospect will understand an issue they did not even know that they had.

As soon as the issue is realized, this salesperson will collaboratively work with that prospect by their logical thought course of and current a chance to them that can clear up the issue.

“Once you get married, how will you need the thanks playing cards to look whenever you signal them?”

“When delivering your presentation to the board, how would you want your ‘pointer’ to characterize you?”

3. Tim Jones, Founding Associate of Everlasting Works, HubSpot Options Associate in Virginia Seaside, USA

Within the days after I went in for interviews, I would take a notepad and pen to take notes.

If somebody requested me to “promote me this pen” as we speak, I would ask to see the pen.

Then I would take just a few seconds to look at it, scribble one thing down on my notepad as if I had been taking the pen for a check drive.

Lastly, I would ask the individual to put in writing down just a few issues they search for when shopping for a pen. As they go to achieve for the pen, I would say, “So that you’re clearly admitting you want a pen proper now; would you want this pen? It is likely to be on the market.”

4. Rajathurai Nagarajah, Senior Account Govt, Tank Utility

Raj makes use of the use case method:

“(Prospect identify), when”s the final time you used a pen? Oh, this morning? However you mistakenly snapped it as a consequence of all of your at-home exercises paying off? Ugh, it was your favourite pen due to its flashlight and multi-ink options? Properly, there are a number of pens, we provide — flashlight pens of all types which have been trusted by folks since 1982.

Would you be interested by studying extra?”

5. Mintis Hankerson, HubSpot Gross sales Supervisor SMB, NA

Hole promoting is how issues are bought as we speak. Clients need a gross sales rep to determine obvious gaps and seek the advice of them on the right way to fill them.

Consumers have to know the affect of filling the hole and the quantifiable ache that investing in an answer will resolve. If I had been to promote a pen as we speak, I might ask:

“I would love to listen to how you’re utilizing your pen as we speak versus how you desire to your pen to serve you sooner or later?”

“How are you taking notes as we speak? How a lot time do you spend taking notes?”

“What are your biggest ache factors in the way in which you utilize your pen as we speak?”

Primarily based on how your prospect solutions these questions, you’ll be able to then place the pen as an answer to the ache factors and gaps of their present expertise after which spotlight how this pen goes to be the difference-maker to assist obtain the specified future state.

If a prospect is content material with their present pen expertise, that’s when the consultative a part of your job begins. Discuss how different persons are in a position to carry out higher as a result of their pens serve them and assist them work effectively.

How one can Reply “Promote Me This Pen”

Once I first began asking this query, I observed that it drew quite a few cliché or pre-prepared responses. It is sensible although. I might say a stable majority of the gross sales neighborhood is aware of this instance at this level. That is why I began bringing a pair of sun shades to my interviews.

I might hold them subsequent to my notepad and the candidate’s resume as they introduced. At one stage within the interview — usually towards the top — I might place my iPhone rigorously on the center of the desk and say, “Promote me these sun shades.”

I might get quite a few responses, most of which might fall into considered one of two buckets:

  • Worth-based promoting: The candidate would attempt to promote me on all of the thrilling options these sun shades needed to provide. They’d emphasize one thing just like the glasses’ polarized lenses or high-brow model identify.
  • Answer-based promoting: The candidate asks me questions on my day by day life to see if the product might probably clear up any of those for me, similar to, “Do you’ve bother seeing whereas driving?” or “Do you prefer to go to the seaside?”

None of those candidates had been nailing the query. In truth, it took a full 34 interviews earlier than I discovered the unicorn.

After asking one other candidate to promote me my sun shades, they sat there in silence and did not ask any questions. Seeing the iPhone, they merely turned on the flashlight, shone it in my eyes, and mentioned, “How would you want some sun shades now?”

Evidently, they bought the job, and I do know I made the precise name. They went on to be considered one of my highest performers and most loyal workers.

That is the type of mentality you must convey to the desk in case you actually need to “promote me this pen.” Get me pondering of an issue I did not even know I had: an issue that solely “this pen” can clear up. If you are able to do that — and do it compellingly — you are the type of salesperson hiring managers are after.

The ethical of the story? A superb salesperson can clear up an issue a purchaser can see, however an important one can clear up an issue a purchaser did not know that they had.

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