In sales interviews, everything can hinge on the answer to one question. Nail that one, and the job is yours. Make a mess of it, and your other answers, no matter how brilliant, may not save the day. While you may not have to answer the question today or tomorrow, there’s every chance you’ll hear it soon. You’d better be ready for it when it comes.



Here’s the scene: The interview is in progress, and the interviewer reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pen. Now comes the moment of truth.



“Sell me this pen,” he says.



In other words, don’t talk about what you’ve done in the past or what you’ll do in the future. Don't talk about anything. Instead, dear applicant, deliver a bit of job-related improvisational theater. This is not your father’s interview question. This is a performance.



-- The thank you letter gives you another chance to remind them of your strengths. –-



In thinking this over, consider this: A pen may be the usual item that’s for sale in this scene, but the item could be anything. It could be the chair you’re sitting in or the tie you’re wearing. It could be the interviewer’s desk or the building you’re in. The item makes no difference. Whatever it is, you have to sell it.



What do you do?



If the item makes no difference, you already have a clue, and here it is: If the pen doesn’t matter, don’t start your pitch by talking about the pen.



Focusing on the pen is an easy mistake to make, and novice salespeople do it all the time. By their faulty reasoning, why wouldn’t you talk about the pen when asked to sell that very pen? After all, it has some great features. It has the smoothest ink and the most comfortable grip. It can write lines that go on for miles. It’s available in all the latest colors. It’s multi-purpose. Use it to push buttons or, with a precise stab, to dispose of the pesky double agent who has penetrated your secret organization.



If the pen is beside the point, where does that leave you? What’s the right approach? The answer is found in two simple statements.



Forget the pen.



Remember the customer.



Step One



Instead of starting with statements, start with questions that give you insight into the customer’s perspective. The idea is to open a window on the customer’s needs and wants. It’s only then that you’ll be able to find an approach that gets you closer to closing the deal.



The questions are purely exploratory. Do you use a pen? How often? When was the last time you used one? What do you usually use one for? How long have you been looking for the right pen?



You’ve turned the tables on your customer in a process that’s called “qualifying” in the world of sales. In this context, qualifying isn’t about whether you can afford to buy the pen or whether your credit is good enough to get you a loan secured by the pen. It’s about determining your needs so that the salesman can adjust his approach and sell you a pen that answers those needs.



Step Two



Now you can talk about the many things that make the pen the perfect answer to the customer’s personal needs.



If he’s using a pen constantly, jotting notes anywhere and everywhere, this is a pen that’s always available, that has plenty of ink and that writes upside-down and under water.



If he’s rarely using the pen, saving it for special occasions, this is a pen that’s perfect for those all-important moments. It’s a premium product, the right tool for meaningful moments in the company’s history. It’s a symbol of how far you’ve come and how far you’re going.



Step Three



Don’t forget to close the deal. Offer the pen to your interviewer, let him know it’s the last one in stock and tell him that it comes with your personal promise to refund his money if the pen fails to meet his expectations.



How about it?



Don’t be fooled by the pen, especially by the fact that it’s likely to be a low-cost commodity item. Treat it like it matters, not because it’s packed with features, relevant or otherwise, but because it answers a customer’s needs. You can work with that if, and only if, you know what those needs are.



If it helps, treat the sale of that pen as you would the sale of a house. You wouldn't show potential homes without knowing something about the buyer. How big should the house be? Should it have a yard? Does the school system matter? Would a fixer-upper work? Is a pool an absolute necessity or an absolute liability?



All those questions seem entirely natural – even obvious – when you’re selling a home. Even if pen prices haven’t caught up with housing prices, even if they never, ever will, the principles of selling are very much the same.