Strategic way to Sell a Pen like a Pro

Any who's seen Martin Scorsese’s - "The Wolf of Wall Street", featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as the infamous stock-broker and salesman, Jordan Belfort, contains a classic "Sell me this pen" sales lesson scenario. In the movie, DiCaprio’s Belfort teaches his sales team their first lesson by pulling out a pen and saying, “sell me this pen.” One character takes the pen and asks Jordan to write his name in a napkin. Jordan doesn’t have anything to write with and has to ask for a pen. Boom. He made the sale.

Here the Strategy - Creating an Urgency made the sale.

But, the truth is - This strategy hardly works for remaining sales

Let's consider the same scenario and try selling it a better way with - Insight Selling. Insights gives a better decision making power for both Buyer and Seller Which in turn helps in having a win-win situation.

With Insights selling:

• Seller can have the better knowledge about the problem (pain) areas.
• Buyer can have the information about the solution seller is having to solve his problem and can help them in building customer-centric products

Now, let's get back to selling the pen: Couple of questions the seller should have in mind.

• If buyer is not having a pen earlier - What can be the reason for not having a pen? -

1. No Awareness

Bring out the consultant* in YOU. Educate your buyer with the necessary knowledge of how your Pen (Product) is going to help you buyer and solve his problem.

* - Well a sales person is not just sales person - He is a Customer Relationship Manager, Researcher, Consultant, Educator, Mentor, Value Creator, Brand maker - In short a jack of all)

2. Not interested

Knew the answer of Why? As an user he/she might have been an exception or a myth. Now take this powerful tool to penetrate your product.

3. Bad experience 

Understand if it's with Pen or Pen seller (Product or the brand). Just don't stop here. Understand how your product is different from other market players - Keep a SWOT Analysis or USP's.

• Did the buyer is having a pen earlier? -

Knowing this answer can be done with the better knowledge of your prospect (or) lead. You need to have insights of your customer very clearly. Definition's : Here

• If buyer is having a pen earlier - How many pens he/she is using and changed till date?

This answer helps you in understanding the exact pain area's about your Buyer and see how your product is best fit into the scenario.

• How important is a pen to your buyer?

This differentiates the serious buyer and normal buyers. The Strategy of Urgency works here

• How your pen is different from his existing pen?

List of qualities/functionalists (specific to product - Pen here) which are unique, Out of box and create's a difference.

• What are the value-propositions you're offering?

Your value-proposition's can be comparision with different products in the market, the swot analysis with different brands make sense. The best value-proposition can be Seamless support by all the possible means by taking an extra mile and Offer something which they can't deny. (The Godfather's principle of Selling)

This post make sense for the Entrepreneur who make customer-centric product which came out as a solution from a problem (pain) not for people who just consider their company as money making machine.

**Entrepreneur  - a person who is a game changer and they don't make great things - they make small things with great love. They're here not just to earn money - But to make people's life easier - Not easiest ;) 

A small suggestion to managers/recruiters  who recruit sales people by asking this question to Sell you a pen - There are 2 sides of this coin (question). The above speaks about one side of it. But, the other side is - Selling remains same across the industries and products - But, the approach, perspective, volume of targeted customers, your product potential, the problem it's solving and other factors will make the major difference in Selling. So don't judge sales people just with this question.

Now - Replace the pen with your product/Service & Let's Start Selling.

Spartans.....what's your profession? - Let's Hustle with results

Apologies for grammatical mistakes if any. This article is a thought and my perspective. Comments/ Feedback/ Corrections are always welcome. Drop me a line to [email protected] or Inbox me or Skype me on macharayya.g - All the Best.!!

About Me:

This is Macharayya - startup enthusiast | trying to bridge the gap between process, people and technology | Enterprise Sales and marketing consultant | Sales, Marketing and Branding professional | An Individual contributor and a Growth Hacker.