How To Sell Anything To Anyone Anytime - SELL ME THIS PEN

What are the benefits of owning this pen? No offense but your pitch sounds just like the pitches the audience gave to Jordan Belfort at his conference. Why is it top of the line? Who uses it? What makes it special?

I hear this often "sell me this pen".

But, did the guy start the conversation about pens?
Did he see an ad for pens?
Did he ask for a pen?
Are you just bumping into strangers trying to sell each and all of them this pen?

Are you using it as an elevator pitch? In that case, here is mine when I was selling my local online marketing service.
First I ask "What do you do for a living?"
And after they tell me and ask "What do you do for a living?"

I said "I provide customers and quality sales leads to business owners that already have a website."

And they either ask a question, or change the subject. If they ask a question...now we are into an elevator talk.

So..selling the pen, I ask what they do for a living. They ask what I do for a living...I say "I provide decision makers with the highest quality and most dependable pen in the world, but only if they insist on the best".

And...they either ask me about the pen or my business....or they don't. If they don't, I stop. If they do...I would give a short presentation on the pen similar to yours.

Elevator speeches aren't given to everyone. They are given to prospects.

You don't throw bait to every fish in the pond....you bait the hook and see who nibbles.

I think it funny how many are being credited for coming up with "sell me this pen" - Lok may have gotten it from "Wolf of Wall Street" and that show likely got it from some 'how to interview' book....


I was asked that question over 20 years ago in a job interview. Told the inteviewer I couldn't sell him that pen - wouldn't be right. The pen was an inferior brand known for leaking ink on hands and clothing. The ink was slow drying and the pen often smeared or skipped when in use.


Then i sold him the pencil laying on his desk.


He offered me the job - I turned it down for one where the person hiring looked at my resume and saw my sales numbers....


Hadn't thought of that fella in years....

My fave approach; act like you do not NEED (fear not making aka closing) the sale. Be detached. Makes you highly attractive among most humans who are trying to close/get/manipulate/convince/coerce/fight/influence/try/force LOL.....totally vibe with all folks having a different agenda or approach. If it feels fun, go this route.

Entrepreneurs who NEED to CLOSE and attach to one outcome remind me of a funny fam event I see occur every week or so...

My wife and mom-in-law, needing needing needing a kiss or hug or attention when my 2 year old niece walks in. They too thirsty LOL. She walks in the house and every time the first words out of her mouth are: "Where's Uncle Ryan?" because I am upstairs working and need nothing from her. She follows me around like a little puppy. Love her to death and because I do, I am detached, but generous. Cool energy to cultivate.

If someone asked me to sell them a pen, I'd ask: "How can I help you? What do you need from me?" No pitch, no push, no force, no fear. Then I'd help them generously, build a bond, and within 2 weeks I'd sell 'em a case for $500 bucks. 5 years down the road I'd sell them the pen company for $20 million hehehe.....detachment and abundant energy folks. Act like you don't need it and serve folks, and you become the most popular guy in the room.

The ones who own the pen company ain't trying to squeeze anything out of ya now; they help, they are detached and they see 5 years down the road, giving most of their energy to making a huge difference and of course, making the most coin.

Ryan

If I were asked to sell someone a pen, the first thing I'd ask is, "what's making you want to buy a pen?" And considering most people don't know good sales technique from poor sales technique, and probably expect you to do a dazzling job of chatting up the pen, they'd probably think my question stupid and I wouldn't get the job.

I remember pens. I used to use them to mark things on that calendar that hung on my refrigerator.

Whatever happened to pens?

Old tonight show with Johnny Carson sell me this ashtray, then sell me this pen.

The gurus use this to make their point, and anyone who buys into the idea you can "sell anything to anybody" via salesmanship, nlp, manipulation has put one foot into his business grave.

Instead of trying to SELL a pen, I would bet a seasoned remote direct marketer would find a list of pen collectors/buyers, and write a personal letter to each, offering the ONE pen to the first responder.

Every day at WF, noobs and beginners want to SELL stuff to people, want to get into IM, digital marketing, ecommerce, drop-shipping, ebay, all about SELLING.

I prefer the Dan Kennedy idea of "magnetic" or pull marketing. Gary Halbert called in a starving crowd. Old world successful remote direct marketers sought out lists of BUYERS.

All the selling technique in the world is useless in so many cases, and exercises like these do what? Prove nothing.

If I had a pen, and wanted to sell it, I'd spend my time looking for someone who wanted it, and in lieu of that, might give it away to an avid collector for good will and future business.

GordonJ

PS. There is always the gun to the head, buy or die routine, sort of like Russian elections.

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback, all valid points. But the purpose of the exercise was to sell Dan the pen. we know something about his status and position, so my pitch was an appeal to his ego. The ideal prospect is an up and coming or already made it executive,real estate pro's, car salesman etc. You won't sell a pen like this to an assistant manager at mcdonalds.

People drop a G on Montblanc for the same reasons they will spend Twenty Thousand on a Rolex Daytona, they want everybody to know they ARE somebody, or at least want others to think they are.

I believe the point of the exercise was to attempt to weave emotional benefits into your sales process. That is what I tried to do.

a successful pitch is like an optin form, you have to test and tweak in the wild before comlng to a conclusion about it`s effectiveness.

I appreciate the feedback, it`s always beneficial to look at things from another perspective.

Bob

The problem with this particular exercise is that a Mont Blanc isn't just a pen - it's a status symbol. And status symbols are only effective when others in your peer group recognize them as such.

Therefore, anyone who'd be in the market for this pen already knows exactly why people own one. If he didn't, it's unlikely you could sell him on the emotional benefits. A more effective tactic would be to claim you just won the pen as a prize, but your wife already gave you an engraved one last anniversary, so you're selling this one at a discount.

Not that I've ever conducted a transaction with a stranger in an elevator.

"County fairs were bad, because most people there were not good prospects. But shoppers in a mall? (for consumer items) Attendees of paid events?"

People at the fair will go for $20 a pop if they can carry it around.

I was mic pitchman for nearly 5 years. worked fairs and festivals around the country.

I never made 10,000 in commissions in day. My best was a $12,000 gross (on a 20 dollar item)....$3600 my end. I'll take it.

Bob

Thanks for sharing the amazing knowledge.

Thing I love so 'bout pens?

I got no idea how they even WORK.

How in hell those biro guys figure a profitable an' super productive take on replacin' the PENCIL without no strapline says GONNA DROP MY JUICE SWEET ON YOUR BALLS, ANY TIME YOU WANNA tbh I got no idea.

Stoopid thing is, I got a fountain pen offa a writin' buddy las' Christmas -- alongside a SO SORRY YOU A MILLENNIAL LOSER kinda IRONY card got dead frickin' reindeer all over.

Anyways, I slotted in the ink an fired the f*cker up.

Dunno, mebbe I press down too hard on pens rn cos ima sensualized to a keyboard jus' sucks Moi up, but all I got offa that fountain is like a drunk gal peein' down her legs cos'n her feet too way apart to stand up straight.

Why in hell I want that kinda schwango?

Tellya, anywan drops no kinda INSTANT PEN NIRVANA into the pool of my hopes & dreams rn gonna get a punch in the frickin' CHOPS.