“Sell me this pen” answers these types of questions with confidence.
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 3:37 am
A legendary line from the movie The Wolf of Wall Street , a cinematic reference, has become legendary in sales professions. What should you do if someone asks you, "Sell me this pen!" during a job interview? This can be confusing if you haven't prepared your answers for this type of request. Let's see how to react if a recruiter wants to assess your sales skills this way.
“Sell me this pen!” That’s what Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) asks in a famous scene from Martin Scorsese’s 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” However, it has become one of the key questions in real-life sales and marketing job interviews.
Many recruiters use these types of questions during interviews. While they may seem confusing, the goal is often to provide you with a quick, practical case study to assess your sales skills and background .
Recommended reading
17 characteristics of a good salesperson
“ Sell me this pen ”: How to answer this type of question
What are the best ways to respond to this request and show the recruiter that you have the qualities of the sales rep they need? Here are our 7 concrete tips for staying calm and turning this destabilizing situation into an advantage. Of course, this question can take different forms; therefore, the advice in this article is applicable to other questions chinese overseas australia database of the same type.
1. Show calm and positivity
The request "Sell me this pen" can cause panic if you weren't expecting it. Your recruiter will appreciate your winning attitude if you remain calm, professional, and willing to take on this scenario. By breathing calmly and controlling your facial expressions, tone of voice, and overall body language, you'll demonstrate that you're in control of your emotions in stressful situations.
If you stutter, the recruiter may think you lack confidence or sales experience. If, on the other hand, you showcase your sales techniques and sales skills , you put all the odds in your favor.
2. Observe the interlocutor to detect their character traits
By carefully observing your interviewee, you'll try to detect their personality traits. Study the cues that can let you know their expectations, desires, fears, and, in general, what triggers a purchase in them. Do you think they'll be more sensitive to the exclusive aspects of a luxury pen or the durable nature of a pen with an excellent price-performance ratio? Will their clothing be sensitive to possible stains? Ultimately, the idea is to use the information the person gives off to understand the interviewer's needs and find clues related to the object in question. Basically, you're doing a quick analysis of your live target customer profile .
“Sell me this pen!” That’s what Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) asks in a famous scene from Martin Scorsese’s 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” However, it has become one of the key questions in real-life sales and marketing job interviews.
Many recruiters use these types of questions during interviews. While they may seem confusing, the goal is often to provide you with a quick, practical case study to assess your sales skills and background .
Recommended reading
17 characteristics of a good salesperson
“ Sell me this pen ”: How to answer this type of question
What are the best ways to respond to this request and show the recruiter that you have the qualities of the sales rep they need? Here are our 7 concrete tips for staying calm and turning this destabilizing situation into an advantage. Of course, this question can take different forms; therefore, the advice in this article is applicable to other questions chinese overseas australia database of the same type.
1. Show calm and positivity
The request "Sell me this pen" can cause panic if you weren't expecting it. Your recruiter will appreciate your winning attitude if you remain calm, professional, and willing to take on this scenario. By breathing calmly and controlling your facial expressions, tone of voice, and overall body language, you'll demonstrate that you're in control of your emotions in stressful situations.
If you stutter, the recruiter may think you lack confidence or sales experience. If, on the other hand, you showcase your sales techniques and sales skills , you put all the odds in your favor.
2. Observe the interlocutor to detect their character traits
By carefully observing your interviewee, you'll try to detect their personality traits. Study the cues that can let you know their expectations, desires, fears, and, in general, what triggers a purchase in them. Do you think they'll be more sensitive to the exclusive aspects of a luxury pen or the durable nature of a pen with an excellent price-performance ratio? Will their clothing be sensitive to possible stains? Ultimately, the idea is to use the information the person gives off to understand the interviewer's needs and find clues related to the object in question. Basically, you're doing a quick analysis of your live target customer profile .