Sell me this pen - Job Interview

Originally Posted by ColleenMullins Usually those people who can go immediately into a sales effort with the pen make good salespeople on the front lines.

What are your thoughts on why this is so?

I believe it has to do with how quickly a person can adapt to the situation, or "think on their feet." A good salesperson who's talking to a client will be able to stay several steps ahead of the clients' thinking in their own thought process. The ability to quickly and intelligently react is a necessary component of sales...always expect the unexpected and run with it.

A majority of sales training teaches the basic objections and how to deal with them. While good, this leaves a large area of "uncommon" objections and client prejudices undealt with...for example, what about a client who has phobic issues that come up during sales, no tried and true way to deal with that, the salesperson has to adapt quickly to the unexpected and keep moving. I sold cemetery property a few years ago...clients with phobias about being buried DO NOT buy ground plots...you have to uncover the odd things sometimes. Then, be able to keep flowing smoothly and continue selling. In my opinion, the flowing part is where lots of good salespeople get stuck and actually start losing the sale.

A good question to ask yourself occasionally is: how quickly and effeciently could I pitch a common product or something I know very little about? It tests your mental movement and mental athletics, so to speak.

Originally Posted by marky SpeedRacer I would slow down the whole thing and start to ask questions to find out if there was a need. Then once you have established a need you should have something to sell

SpeedRacer,
I believe after I have sifted through all of the challenges towards the questions logical integrity, I have found one thing.....the people who specifically answered the question that was originall posted, used the word "NEED".
Now call me crazy, but I am in the jewelry business where there is a LOT of business generated from quite the opposite. WANT can be just as strongly of a deciding factor.
The idea of the pen being a "NEED" I believe....is an assumption that could be potentially fatal to make, because you are already LIMITING your options.

HE COULD JUST WANT ONE OF THOSE PENS WITH THOSE UMBRELLAS THAT HIS FAVORITE BAR ALWAYS PUTS ON HIS MARGARITAS!

But humour aside....I believe that even before that qualification, it would be prudent to establish a relationship with your potential customer (he hasn't decided to go through you YET) , and THEN you can find out WHY he is looking for a pen, and THEN you can determine HIS M OTIVES for buying. And through that information, you can "custom tailor" a presentation that is "value based" upon the fact that the person you are speaking to is buying upon NECCESITY or LUXURY, and make a point to EMPHASIZE the QUALITIES and USES pertaining to those motives. AFTER that....the issues of "PRICE" and "QUANTITY" etc....can be discussed at a greater ease and reduction of "SERIOUSNESS" as the MAIN reason ANYONE goes to ANYONE to purchase a product I believe, is to MEET THEIR VALUES AND MOTIVES FOR BUYING!

I personally have found that "price" is not such a big issue if I feel that those aspects have been met and addressed.

Hope you enjoy my twist on your view!
Sincerely,
David

Originally Posted by SpeedRacer If you were interviewing for a sales job and the sales manager said, "Sell me this pen" how would you respond?

I would take the pen from his hands and ask him before you buy this pen let me ask you what is important about a pen to you.

SM:Well nothing is important about a pen I can get a pen anywhere.

Me: You're right you can get a pen anywhere and that tells me that pens are readily available to you. For others they have to search for pen or even borrow a pen. But a man who knows how to get a pen anywhere has a good use for a pen. So what is important about having a use for a pen?

SM: Well I use pens for signing contracts.

Me: And contracts are important, because contracts keep people honest, make people honor their word right?

Sm: yes

Me: And if people did not honer their word when they said they would then things would really messed up. Think about it for just a minute. You don't have this pen. You don't have a signed contract. But you start doing business and you keep up your end of the deal but the person your doing business with does not. You have spent company money and now that customer is gone because you did not get him to sign his a contract. Now if your company spent money and you did not earn money because you did not have a this pen to sign contracts with your company would start to loose money. If you owned a company and one of your employess was costing you more money than he was making you, the smart business thing to do would be to fire him. Now if you got fired and you could not pay your bills and feed your family, how would you feel.

SM: Not too good

Me: Well ... that is something you are never going to have to worry about because with me around I will always have a pen for you to borrow and signed contracts to make us money so you can be sure you put food on your family's table. Now what number should I write down for my sales commision for your pen?

Originally Posted by Jorel I would take the pen from his hands and ask him before you buy this pen let me ask you what is important about a pen to you. SM:Well nothing is important about a pen I can get a pen anywhere. Me: You're right you can get a pen anywhere and that tells me that pens are readily available to you. For others they have to search for pen or even borrow a pen. But a man who knows how to get a pen anywhere has a good use for a pen. So what is important about having a use for a pen? SM: Well I use pens for signing contracts. Me: And contracts are important, because contracts keep people honest, make people honor their word right? Sm: yes Me: And if people did not honer their word when they said they would then things would really messed up. Think about it for just a minute. You don't have this pen. You don't have a signed contract. But you start doing business and you keep up your end of the deal but the person your doing business with does not. You have spent company money and now that customer is gone because you did not get him to sign his a contract. Now if your company spent money and you did not earn money because you did not have a this pen to sign contracts with your company would start to loose money. If you owned a company and one of your employess was costing you more money than he was making you, the smart business thing to do would be to fire him. Now if you got fired and you could not pay your bills and feed your family, how would you feel. SM: Not too good Me: Well ... that is something you are never going to have to worry about because with me around I will always have a pen for you to borrow and signed contracts to make us money so you can be sure you put food on your family's table. Now what number should I write down for my sales commision for your pen?

That's STRONG Jorel.

This example was also used in Professional Selling Skills or PSS, version III, the sales training product sold by Xerox. If I remember correctly, instead of a pen it was a coffee cup and it goes back to right after the 2nd world war. In Xerox's version the boss in the taped role play said somethings like; "Okay, _____, let's see how well you can sell, sell me that coffee cup!"

Jorel starts it well. And it is important to remember that there are many ways the sale could proceed. Some buyers would react as if they don't really think about pens other differently. Regardless of the reaction to the initial questions you have to ask questions to dig out the need/want (whatever you want to call it).

The classic need is why they are buying one. After all, the cheap one is often lost. If they had a more expensive pen then they are less apt to loose it, they look better using it and in the long run it is cheaper. Three benefits, enough to build the foundation of the sale and attempt to close.

This is a really good way to see if the prospective sales person you are trying to hire knows the basics. It does not tell you how motivated they are, just what level of training they have.

To uncover level of motivation you have to find out about the prospective sales person. Ask them about their family, their desires; whether they like travel or not, want a bigger house, want tuitions for their kids ... that kind of thing. Someone who wants things is more likely to be more active in your sales force.

I don't know how to sell pens.

So if I applied to a pen company like Bic or Parker, I would expect that they would have a bonafide training program to help me learn to sell pens, and I would ask if they do, just to make sure before I continued.

If on the other hand, I applied for a job to sell large birdcages to zoos, and the interviewer asked me to sell a pen to him, I would conclude that I did not want to work for the company who interviews that way and ask to be excused because I had other prospective employers to interview..

Originally Posted by Joe Closer I don't know how to sell pens. So if I applied to a pen company like Bic or Parker, I would expect that they would have a bonafide training program to help me learn to sell pens, and I would ask if they do, just to make sure before I continued. If on the other hand, I applied for a job to sell large birdcages to zoos, and the interviewer asked me to sell a pen to him, I would conclude that I did not want to work for the company who interviews that way and ask to be excused because I had other prospective employers to interview..

The fatal assumption you make in my opinion, JC, is that selling is about the product. It isn't about the product. It's about the prospect. So if you get the prospect talking, you're on your way. You don't need "pen knowledge" to have dialogue with your prospect and develop "prospect knowledge" in the process.

Product knowledge can be taught. And salespeople can be taught how to sell, too, if they're willing to learn. I would assume that someone who excused himself from my job interview in the manner you describe is not interested in learning how to sell effectively.

Originally Posted by Skip Anderson The fatal assumption you make in my opinion, JC, is that selling is about the product. It isn't about the product. It's about the prospect. So if you get the prospect talking, you're on your way. You don't need "pen knowledge" to have dialogue with your prospect and develop "prospect knowledge" in the process. Product knowledge can be taught. And salespeople can be taught how to sell, too, if they're willing to learn. I would assume that someone who excused himself from my job interview in the manner you describe is not interested in learning how to sell effectively.

Skip, I make no fatal assumptions.

I own my own business and have for several years. I have not applied for a job in a long time. My history of interviewing in years past had me being offered the position in 80 percent of all cases. Most interviews came as a result of the employer pursuing me, because of a highly successful track record.

I have a conversion rate that is unparalleled in my industry. I have been retained to train others in the trade in other cities throughout the U.S. I have served on advisory panels in two Fortune 500 companies. I prefer to concentrate mosty on my own company, however.

If my business ever failed and I was out in the street, I could have a job in twenty minutes.

Your assumption is not fatal, just misguded. I told the forum exactly what I would do if anyone would ever pull that pen nonsense on me. Any problem you have with that is something you will have to handle yourself.

Everything I have just posted is 100 percent true without an ounce of embellishment or false modesty. With ONE exception. My name is not Joe Closer.

It was not long after high school when I was thrown into sales training professionally. In fact, while still in high school I already had taken Xerox PSS II ... I was totally immature, things seemed silly and embarrassing. I was prone to nervous laughter and outbreaks of almost childish enthusiasm. What a serious pain in the butt I must have been!

I clearly remember a similar thought. It felt goofy that we should have to role play at all let alone ... "Why don't we just sell our own product?" The answer is very, very simple indeed.

Product knowledge is not the same as sales skills!

The art of selling is about being able to ask questions, listen to the answers and understand the prospect. We need to be fully aware of what they think and feel, to know how to deal with them. And profoundly understand their wants/desires/needs/hot buttons/pain as this is what our product or service 'answers'.

I consider role playing to be one of the most important techniques for learning sales skills. It is most affective when it is either in front of your peers or in another situation that matters, such as a real sale or, even with the person who might hire you.

THINK LIKE A BUSINESS OWNER; If you cannot handle a display of sales skills over a simple product it means to me that I not only have to train you on the product knowledge of what we sell, which is too complex to explain for the role play itself, and the internal business systems of our company but also on the basics of selling.

The later is harder to teach. Therefore more expensive.

Role playing is good. To do it effectively you must choose something where the features are very simple, thus reinforcing the point that product knowledge and sales skills are not the same thing.

Telling is not selling. Skip is bang on;

It isn't about the product. It's about the prospect.

Joe, we are not attacking you personally. We are merely debating ideas. The most powerful ideas in business - because no product is moved unless it is sold. So, please, relax, take in others points of view and think them over. You will gain from this experience as much as you do from selling.

It is before the jury of my peers that I submit myself to potential ridicule, all for the desire to get to the truth. Heck, Joe, I am not a philosopher, as that last sentence surely proves. But I know this; if my life depended on a salesman being able to sell, Skip would be one that would have me felling like a had a fighting chance to survive.

If I choose him as my gladiator, then surely his words must be meaningful, not meaningless. And nothing I have said about him or sales in this or any other thread is an intent to make you anything but more knowledgeable. The same is true about Skip and he is far more politically correct than I.