Sell me your the stapler

Question posted in Automotive Sales and Repair Services, Retail on 09 2009
Rate question difficulty level 1 Votes
The best interview question I have ever been asked was for my first job as a loan officer. After all of the typical questions and a few progressive behavioral questions, the general manager called me into his office and asked me to sell him the stapler on his desk. He wanted to see if I could think on my toes and what my instinctual sales approach was.
 
 
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 I first probed for his needs and motivations, then proceeded to establish that he wouldn't want all 120 of his loan officers coming to his office everytime they needed to staple something; I closed him on 3 cases of staplers.

Needless to say, I got the job.

Typical interview questions and even behavioral questions miss the mark with people like myself who quickly chameleon to people and environments. Only by putting us in the elemental environment of the job we will be doing without preparation time can someone really get a taste for who I am. For any sales job, this is an excellent interview exercise. Someone who cannot think and speak quickly and confidently isn't likely going to be a good salesperson.

09/14/2009
 
 
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